Also, Consentium launches crypto exchange platform Exonium, and Apple acquires AI-powered self-driving car startup Drive.ai
Startupbootcamp launches first Scale Program for scaleup startups in Japan [Press Release]
Startupbootcamp, the network of industry-focused accelerators, just announced the launch of its Startupbootcamp (SBC) Scale Program in Osaka, Japan. This innovation program seeks to support growth-stage startups looking to expand their businesses into the Japanese market, increase their revenues, and access funding opportunities.
Previously, Scale program had gained success in Mexico City, San Francisco, Taipei, and Miam. The Osaka program will target and scout growth-stage Smart Cities & Living startups across industries including Mobility, Living, Tourism, and Health & Wellbeing.
SBC Scale Osaka is supported by corporations including Hankyu Corporation, JR West Innovation, Dentsu, Sakura Internet, JT, The Yomiuri Shimbun, and SMBC. Startupbootcamp Scale Osaka will connect, develop,and mentor scaleups through a semi-remote three-month program based in Osaka.
“There has never been a better time for entrepreneurs to enter the Japan market. The country has the largest SaaS technology market in Asia and last year alone, Japan registered over US$191 billion in M&A deals. This growth puts Osaka, and the surrounding Kansai region, on the global innovation map,” said Joshua Flannery, Managing Director of Startupbootcamp Scale Osaka.
Applications for Startupbootcamp Scale Osaka are open now; interested scaleups can apply here.
Affle International acquires US-based mobile advertising company RevX Inc [Press Release]
Singapore-registered mobile marketing platform Affle International Pte. Ltd. has acquired RevX Inc., US-based mobile advertising company. With the acquisition, platform, assets, brand name, intellectual property rights, business relationships, and technical information of RevX Inc. will be owned by Affle International by the end of June 2019.
RevX platform allows its users to drive new user acquisition and grow retargeting and re-engagement-based transactions for marketers.
Also Read: These five startups are the dark horses of the frontier markets
This is Affle Group’s fourth acquisition in the last 15 months. Affle Group had earlier acquired the Vizury Commerce Business in 2018.
“We are confident that when we layer our DMP-based audience intelligence and mFaaS-based ad fraud filters on the RevX platform, we will be able to boost the ROI of the platform significantly. Also, we are very excited by the self-serve features of the RevX platform and believe that this could help us drive the adoption of programmatic advertising amongst fast-growing industry segments,” said Anuj Khanna Sohum, the Chairman, MD and CEO of Affle.
Consentium launches crypto exchange platform Exonium [Vulcan Post]
Singapore-based blockchain messaging app Consentium announced the launch of Exonium, its cryptocurrency exchange platform, on Sunday, June 23, Exonium operates on the Estonian Cryptocurrency Exchange License and currently has over 100,000 active traders on its platform at launch.
The immediate plan is to integrate the crypto wallet in its chat application. It also plans to issue the debit card through Exonium as a part of its recently inked partnership with Blucon.
So far, Exonium has three token listed on the platform, namely Consentium (CSM), Bitcoin (BTC), and Ethereum (ETH). Users who trade with CSM on Exonium will receive 50 per cent discount on trading fees per transaction.
Apple acquires self-driving car startup Drive.ai [Channel News Asia]
Apple Inc just confirmed on Tuesday that it has acquired self-driving car company Drive.ai. The company is said to be considering acquiring the firm as a move to bring aboard some of its engineering talent to boost Apple’s own self-driving efforts.
In the past, Drive.ai had been running a small fleet of test shuttles in Texas. However, in a recent development, the startup plans to lay off 90 people in a permanent closure.
Apple is reportedly in competition with rivals such as Alphabet Inc’s Waymo to develop self-driving vehicles. In the past year, Apple has revamped its efforts, bringing former Tesla Inc engineering chief Doug Field to oversee the operation, which includes more than 5,000 workers.
TADA’s parent company enters partnership with Binance [Press Release]
MVL Foundation Pte Ltd, the parent company of the blockchain mobility ecosystem MVL and blockchain-based zero-commission ride-hailing service TADA announced that it has officially partnered with Binance, the global crypto currency exchange.
The partnership will see the integration of MVL with Binance Chain to establish a blockchain-based virtuous circle mobility ecosystem. MVL will be available for trading on Binance DEX upon the community approval.
MVL will carry out various joint tasks including the application of the BEP2 standard of Binance through the introduction of Binance-chain, the mainnet of the Binance.
Also Read: These 5 growth-stage startups bucked the trend to create own brand in Malaysia
Some of the current MVL Tokens (ERC-20 based) in circulation and existing MVL Tokens on the incentive reserve pool (MVL points) used for TADA incentives, will be swapped with MVL-BEP2 tokens based on the binance-chain. The two companies have also agreed to connect Binance’s Trust Wallet -an open-source, decentralised, and anonymous application of Binance Chain- to TADA’s platform to use MVL-BEP2 token and Binance’s token as payment method.
Once the TADA listing proposal is approved by the Binance community, TADA users can pay and trade MVL token more actively and securely in the future through the Trust Wallet and Binance DEX.
MVL also rewards TADA drivers and riders with “MVL points” as an incentive through contributions to the TADA service without any additional procedure.
“The ride-hailing service, TADA provided by MVL is a good example of the daily use of crypto use case. We are happy to drive the mass crypto adoption together with MVL.” said Changpeng Zhao, CEO of Binance.
–
The post Today’s top tech news, June 26: Startupbootcamp launches Japan cohort, Affle International acquires RevX appeared first on e27.