Turning digital: Why everyone’s joining Vietnam’s B2B ecommerce race

Check out our top articles for the week. [Read from your browser]( Top Stories of The Week Hello {NAME} I actually prefer that mom and pop shops stay the way they are - as part of the neighborhood. The owners typically know everyone, and customers can suddenly come in and buy something even without any cash. They’re places where some transactions are based just on trust. While they might look a bit messy and unorganized, these corner stores also make our narrow streets or alleys here in Hanoi more authentic and vibrant. But like in India and Indonesia, a race to digitalize these shops has just begun in Vietnam. Startups want to build tech platforms to support owners in buying goods, managing the inventory, and taking better care of end-customers. Along the way, some shops are rebranded to look quite identical, very much like the usual convenience stores. Is that a good thing? Only time will tell, but I hope technology won’t turn our local nooks into soulless spaces. -- Thu Huong Le, journalist at Tech in Asia  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIGGEST STORIES 1️. [A David vs. Goliath battle in Vietnam’s B2B ecommerce sector]( A race to digitalize mom and pop shops has begun in Vietnam. How will startups and investors capture this opportunity? 2️. [Alibaba and Tencent’s growing tentacles in Southeast Asia]( In the past few years, Chinese behemoths Alibaba and Tencent have become two of the most influential companies shaping Southeast Asia's technology space. 3️. [Will Ovo complicate a Gojek-Tokopedia merger?]( The deal may require Tokopedia to divest its interest in Ovo, but for the fintech unicorn, the stakes appear to be low. 4. [Malaysian fintech startup CapBay bags $20m in series A round led by KK Fund]( With the fresh capital, CapBay will further strengthen its technological and funding capabilities. 5️. [Udaan sustains $315m loss on top of $134m in revenue]( The Indian unicorn established by former Flipkart executives saw its revenues soar in financial year-end 2020, but it remains hugely unprofitable. 6️. [Singapore faces labor crunch as more tech companies look to expand in the city-state]( Among these companies are Tencent, ByteDance, and Zoom, as well as local giants Grab and Sea. 7. [Edtech needs to do some soul-searching as it powers ahead]( Edtech is shining bright amid Covid-19, but it also needs a moment of reflection so it doesn’t repeat the mistakes of traditional education systems. 8️. [Former Standard Chartered Singapore CEO joins fintech startup Hashtacs]( Ray Ferguson will lead the company in raising funds later this year, onboarding more investors, and partnering with ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and green fintech firms. 9️. [Grab selects banks for US IPO plans, sources say]( Its trade debut could happen as soon as the second half of this year, the sources shared. 10. [Philippine mediatech startup Podcast Network Asia secures $750k seed funding]( Podcast Network Asia is eyeing markets in Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Tech in Asia’s daily newsletter is free for everyone. But if you want to get full access to all of our insightful articles, charts, podcast episodes, workshops, and educational videos, you can do so for just US$1 when you start your [30-day trial subscription]( today.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  FREE PREMIUM READ Every week, we unlock a premium article for our awesome community. Here's this week's read: [Philippine logistics scion wants to give Grab a run for its money]( Doubling down on its crowdsourcing model, QuadX is raising money and eyeing regional expansion.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING - [Workshop] How to negotiate term sheets with a VC on February 4 After months of pitching and fundraising, one of the most pivotal moments in a founder’s career is when an investor presents them with a term sheet. But the complex legal structure of a term sheet can be too complicated for many. We’re bringing in Melissa C. Guzy, co-founder and managing partner of Arbor Ventures, to talk about the common pitfalls that founders must avoid and how they can negotiate for cleaner and simpler terms. [RSVP today]( - Tech in Asia x AWS Fintech Forum on February 23 Join Tech in Asia’s upcoming half-day conference in partnership with Amazon Web Services to get a head start on how to accelerate your fintech capabilities. Through a fireside chat, a panel discussion, and a master class, you’ll get to hear Asia’s best thought leaders discuss the region’s fintech landscape, how to build and scale fintech platforms, and more. RSVP for your complimentary seat [here]( - Tech in Asia’s Product Development Conference on April 7 and 8 This year’s conference is centered around a single goal: helping companies build outcome-oriented products. With five tracks ranging from strategy to analytics, this event conference will give you more product and engineering tips than you’ve ever had before. Get your ticket with an [early bird discount]( today for just US$15 (the usual price is US$50)! Existing Tech in Asia Core, Live, and ID+ subscribers can RSVP at no additional cost [here](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING  [logo] [UI/UX Designer - Digital Banking]( at Sea Group Singapore, Singapore [logo] [Community Development]( at Diacon Technologies Tangerang, Indonesia [logo] [Senior Backend Engineer]( at Amartha Jakarta, Indonesia [logo] [Project Manager]( at Halodoc ID Jakarta, Indonesia [logo] [Graphic Designer (Internship)]( at kumparan.com Jakarta, Indonesia [logo] [UI/UX Designer]( at Stockbit Jakarta, Indonesia [ADVERTISE]( | [PREMIUM]( | [JOBS]( P.S. Don't miss out on the biggest tech news and analysis. Add newsletter@techinasia.com to your address book, contacts, or safe sender list. Or simply move us into your inbox. Was this forwarded to you? You can read this everyday when you sign up [here](. Don't want to receive these emails anymore? [Unsubscribe](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Tech in Asia’s newsletters are handcrafted daily with love - and sometimes powered by good kopi. Copyright © 2021 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 51 Bras Basah Rd, #05-5061, Singapore 189554