Stephanie Frances Augustin

Islamic bank CEO calls for Malaysian regulator to lower financing costs for VBI adopters | Salaam Gateway - Global Islamic Economy Gateway

Islamic banks adopting the Value-based Intermediation (VBI) guidelines released by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) should be given lower financing costs for being so-called “good citizen” banks that focus on the triple social, environmental, and financial bottom line, CIMB Islamic CEO Rafe Haneef told delegates at an industry conference in Kuala Lumpur on October 4.

Malaysia’s palm oil giant Sime Darby mulling ESG bond, local investors ready, says sustainability chief | Salaam Gateway - Global Islamic Economy Gateway

Malaysia’s biggest plantation company Sime Darby is exploring an ESG (environmental, social, and governance) bond issuance tied to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), chief sustainability officer Dr. Simon Lord told Salaam Gateway on Wednesday.

Albaraka Turk expanding fintech footprint with own accelerator, launching digital-only Islamic bank in Germany | Salaam Gateway - Global Islamic Economy Gateway

Turkey’s Albaraka Turk Participation Bank’s own accelerator kicks off its second programme next month as it lays down plans to open offices abroad to find and fund innovation with its new VC. The Shariah-compliant bank will also officially launch its digital-only service in Germany on Sep 27, Nurettin Coskun, business development and innovation assistant manager at Albaraka Turk, told Salaam Gateway.

Malaysia’s Value-based Intermediation banking guidelines welcomed by industry as step forward for Islamic, sustainable finance | Salaam Gateway - Global Islamic Economy Gateway

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the central bank, today unveiled guidance documents for the practical adoption of the Value-based Intermediation (VBI) framework and scorecard for public feedback, which commentators across the responsible finance and Islamic banking community told Salaam Gateway is a step forward towards regulator-backed sustainable finance.

Rodeo is building brand journeys and revolutionizing transit advertising with analytics [Q&A with Valens Subramaniam] - TechNode Global

Rodeo’s ability to successfully marry data analytics with production house capabilities has drawn customers such as Alibaba and AirAsia Ride, and saw Rodeo raise 1.13 million MYR from 85 investors in an equity crowdfunding campaign.

In the last 10 to 15 years, countless cities worldwide have branded themselves as ‘smart’, some as branding strategies, others as genuine attempts to leverage advanced technologies to improve traffic, enhance security, deliver public services online and create engaging public places. Yet years later, the results are underwhelming: unused technologies, unsolved problems, pilots abandoned halfway…Why?

Fintech players can only succeed as digital banks if they capture big ecosystems

Fintech brands should ensure their digital banking endeavors support their core businesses, such as pay-later models for ecommerce and insurtech for travel and transport verticals.

Why digital banks are the future of financial inclusion in emerging markets

As digital banking proliferates through the developed world, its adoption in emerging markets in Southeast Asia continues to lag.

The Digital Ecosystems That Will Help Indonesia Reach 80% Financial Inclusion - Fintech Singapore

Indonesia’s traditional banks need to adopt open banking to spur financial inclusion in the digital age.

Tech powerhouse taps into the Southeast Asian ecosystem’s pool of startups

Three Southeast Asian startups drew the attention of Japanese telco giant NTT.

Tranglo eyes rising global payments with AliPay, WeChat Pay partnerships

Tranglo recently inked major partnerships to tap into China's US$17 trillion mobile payments market.

Making cross-border partnerships work within a Covid-19 reality

Accelerating knowledge manufacturing across disciplines to solve deep issues in Southeast Asia and the world.

Building a global tech innovation brand with Taiwan’s vibrant tech ecosystem

Taiwan startups encompassing various verticals gain insights on the global market through STPI's Vision Programme.

Global pandemics, trade wars: why OKRs are more vital than ever before

Objectives and key results (OKRs) have been used by businesses and governments globally since the 1970s, here's why it's even more important in the current day and age.

MaGIC-AIRASIA PARTNERSHIP A GAME CHANGER FOR DRONE DELIVERIES

THE Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC) recently partnered with Asean digital champion airasia to launch an urban drone delivery sandbox, which will be deployed over the next six months.

DIY business apps: Getting rid of the IT middleman

With technology trends and business applications evolving very quickly, by the time budgets are approved for IT spend, the software in question may no longer be relevant. Progress Software believes it can address this, writes Stephanie Augustin.

Unions: What Are They Good For?

What if your employees decide to unionize?

Rise of the SOE: Why startup M&A is a key part of a state-owned digital ecosystem

In SEA, SOEs provide an alternate exit route for startups and also improve the aggregate productivity of the region's ten economies.

Guest Post: Asian VCs must consider small funding rounds with earnout structures

To minimise uncertainty, optimise returns, and generate goodwill, Asia’s VC investors need to pivot toward earnout structures.

Why Investors in 2021 Need to Bet Against the Usual VC Dogma

Read this exciting story from Forbes Indonesia February 2021. It is now just over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and at a glance, early data from venture capital (VC) investing activity in 2020 paints a rosier picture than the gloom and doom that was foreshadowed during the first wave of cases. US VC investment activity totaled $156.2 billion last year, up from $138.1 billion in 2019. It was the first time funding has surpassed $150 billion, said Pitchbook. Full-year numbers for ASEAN are not in yet, but based on an August report by Cento Ventures, the first half of 2020 saw $5.6 billion invested, lower than the $6.4 billion in the first half of 2019.