Why did the startup founder cross the road?
To pivot when the market changed.
Startup Funding
M&A
Singapore-based Grab announced a US$1.49 billion acquisition of a 60% stake in Atome Financial, the BNPL and digital lending business of Advance Intelligence Group. The remaining 40% stake will be acquired by Grab over the following two years subject to performance-based valuation terms. Read more here.
SEA Startup News
Selangor Triple Accelerator Programme 2026 has named its Top 24 finalists, selected from 511 applications and 90 participating startups across the Deep-X, Retail-X and Token-X tracks. Read more here.
Tech in Asia Conference marked its 15th edition in Singapore, drawing over 2,000 attendees from across the region for a two day event themed "Lead the Enterprise AI Era," with 15 companies showcasing emerging AI tech alongside business leaders, startups and investors. Read more here.
Founder Insight of the Day
How to ask your investors for help?
Be very specific of the problem that you are facing. Do not say “I’ve got a problem” and expect them to ask you what is it about. Instead, say “I’ve got a hiring problem - our new GTM Head is sent his notice and is due to leave the company in 2-weeks, so do you know any GTM specialist with 10 years of experience that you can connect me to?” That’s how you do it. Your investors have other companies in their portfolio so being specific saves everyone time and builds good rapport.
Reach out before the problem becomes a crisis. Do not wait until things are already going wrong before asking for help. Going back to the example above, if you wait until your GTM Head has left before telling your investor, you may have to rely on someone internally to take over the role. If that person is not equipped for it, you could end up increasing spending on marketing, partnerships or other channels to compensate. What happens when CAC starts rising? Your runway gets shorter, and suddenly you may need to raise your next round earlier than planned. A small problem can become an expensive one if you leave it too late.
Close the loop. Once the problem is solved, let your investor know what happened and how you addressed it. If they introduced you to three candidates and you ended up hiring one, tell them. If you solved the problem internally, tell them that too. Closing the loop shows that you value their help, keeps them informed and makes it easier for them to support you the next time you need it.
#WorthChecking
Cofounders.my is a Malaysian platform that helps startup founders find potential co-founders. Check it out here.
Thanks for reading! Catch you tomorrow.
