Deals in brief: Secai Marche raises fresh funding, Singapore’s K25.ai secures at least USD 2 million, five China investments, and more
Secai Marche, a Tokyo-headquartered farm-to-table platform, has secured additional funding from NTT Docomo Ventures and Synexia Ventures to expand its operations in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia. This capital infusion will support the integration of NTT Data’s digital invoicing and payment solutions, enhancing Secai Marche’s platform beyond logistics to include embedded finance options like buy now, pay later and microloans for farmers. Meanwhile, Singapore’s K25.ai, a live streaming and watch-to-predict platform, raised an initial USD 2 million from NewGenIVF, aiming to combine AI, live content, and prediction-based engagement across permitted APAC markets. Vietnam-based Stride also closed a USD 15 million Series B round to scale its distributed solar platform for households and SMEs across Vietnam and into new markets.
The diverse funding rounds highlighted in this report underscore a robust and evolving Asian tech landscape, with significant investments flowing into critical sectors. Secai Marche’s expansion into embedded finance for agricultural supply chains in Southeast Asia, supported by NTT Data, signals a growing trend of integrating financial services directly into industry-specific platforms. This move not only addresses the immediate needs of producers and businesses but also leverages transaction data for innovative credit solutions, potentially revolutionizing access to finance for underserved segments in the region. The focus on Malaysia for this expansion highlights its strategic importance as a growth market for digital transformation in agriculture.
K25.ai’s USD 2 million raise for its AI-powered live streaming and prediction platform reflects the increasing convergence of entertainment, technology, and interactive engagement in APAC. The emphasis on prediction-based events linked to sports, esports, and entertainment taps into a burgeoning market for interactive content consumption. Similarly, Stride’s USD 15 million Series B for its distributed solar platform in Vietnam and beyond illustrates the strong investor appetite for sustainable energy solutions in Southeast Asia, driven by both environmental concerns and the economic benefits of deferred payment models for solar adoption. These investments collectively indicate a dynamic ecosystem where AI, fintech, and green tech are key drivers of innovation and growth across various Asian markets.
