SEA Digest: Indonesia’s Dash, Singapore's Capital C and BuzzAR raise funding

SEA Digest: Indonesia’s Dash, Singapore's Capital C and BuzzAR raise funding

Photo credit: Pixabay

Indonesia’s last-mile logistics startup Dash has secured undisclosed seed funding, while Singapore fintech firm Capital C and AI startup BuzzAR have also raised capital.

Dash closes seed funding led by The Radical Fund

Indonesia’s last-mile solutions startup Dash has secured undisclosed seed funding co-led by climate-focused The Radical Fund and Bali Investment Club. Other participants in the round include Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia, Antler, Aksara Ventures, and Gojek’s co-founder Kevin Aluwi.

The funding will help Dash maintain stable cash flow and expand its EV fleet to around 2,000 by the end of next year. It also aims to expand its operations from Jakarta to Bali and Malang.

The startup was founded by GoTo and DHL alumni Aditya Brahmana and Robert Muliant in November 2023. To date, the company has 14 clients, including Zalora, Saturdays, Janji Jiwa, and Sayurbox. It operates over 120 two-wheeler EVs and handles about 60,000 deliveries per month in Jakarta.

Capital C raises pre-Series A round from Philip PE, others

Singapore-based fintech company Capital C Corporation has raised an undisclosed amount in pre-Series A funding from Phillip Private Equity, Azure Capital, and high-net-worth individuals. The company will expand into new Southeast Asian markets and develop a super app by using these funds.

Capital C provides various financial services including payday loans, business loans, and advisory services through digital micro-financing. It is now expanding its offering to include new debit and credit card solutions, particularly targeting those who are new to credit or seeking alternatives to traditional banking.

Its planned super app aims to provide comprehensive financial services including personal and business loans, BNPL options, and hire products, to serve the unbanked, underbanked, and those with limited credit histories.

BuzzAR bags funding from HSBC New Economy Fund

Singapore-based mixed reality and AI company BuzzAR has secured $1.16 million in funding from the HSBC New Economy Fund. It will use these funds to strengthen its presence in the MENA region, with a focus on Saudi Arabia.

Established in 2018 by Bell Beh and Ken Lim, the startup’s flagship product is BAE (Buzz AI Experience), an AI-powered travel companion with functions as a digital tour guide that can understand user’s emotions, provide storytelling, offer personalised content, and handle travel bookings and payments.

The startup began its expansion into MENA in 2022 and is now collaborating with the Saudi Tourism Authority to digitalise its hospitality sector. The country targets to attract 100 million tourists by 2030 but currently lacks sufficient tour guides. BAE helps address this by enabling existing guides to manage larger groups more efficiently.

Edited by: Joymitra Rai

This is your last free story for the month. Register to continue reading our content