temasek

Cailian Press reported on October 22 that a joint report released by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company shows that the number of generative AI users in Southeast Asia reached approximately 243 million in less than three years, accounting for 58% of the local labor force, with a penetration rate about four times that of mobile internet. Only 1% to 2% of the local population pays for personal AI services.Florian Hoppe, a partner at Bain & Company, stated in an interview that businesses can achieve AI commercialization through e-commerce, digital advertising, and other operations without having to rely entirely on consumers paying directly. They can also use AI to improve e-commerce conversion rates and handle routine customer inquiries. The report noted that about 80% of customer inquiries on the e-commerce platform Shopee are handled by AI chatbots, with the cost per customer contact decreasing by 30% year-on-year. In early cases, companies that applied AI saw a year-on-year increase in conversion rates of 10%, with the average spending per order increasing by as much as 75%.The report also stated that the total value of goods traded in Southeast Asia's digital economy is expected to grow by 17% year-on-year to $368 billion by 2026, and is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2035. Among these, the online travel market is expected to grow by 10% to $59 billion, online media revenue is expected to grow by 22% to $44 billion, and the ride-hailing and food delivery market is expected to grow by 15% to $40 billion. The total value of goods traded in Southeast Asia's e-commerce market is projected to be $226 billion in 2026, an 18% year-on-year increase.

According to a report by South Korea's Asia Economy, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek has decided to invest in the South Korean stock market for the first time, having selected Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as investment targets, and is in contact with the South Korean government to discuss the timing of fund execution. Temasek manages assets of approximately 518 billion Singapore dollars (about 572 trillion Korean won), and this investment will be managed internally rather than through external asset management.Temasek believes that the storage semiconductor sector in the AI value chain is undervalued by the market. Recently, it has been increasing its investments in AI-related fields and already holds shares in semiconductor giants such as Nvidia, TSMC, and ASML, and is also one of the major institutional investors in OpenAI and Anthropic. Temasek plans to increase the proportion of AI-related investments from the current 6% to a maximum of 15% over the next five years. If executed smoothly, this will be Temasek's first direct entry into the South Korean stock market.

Documents disclosed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) show that Temasek Holdings reported holding 9.8 million Class A shares of SpaceX (SPCX.O).

According to CNBC, Nagi Hamiyeh, President of Global Investments at Temasek, stated in an interview with CNBC that due to the significant losses from the FTX cryptocurrency exchange and the uncertainty of industry regulations, the company currently does not hold any direct cryptocurrency investments, and cryptocurrency investments "are still not under consideration."

ChainCatcher news, Singapore-based crypto company Amber International, supported by Temasek, announced a record high in revenue and gross profit for its first quarter ending March 31, 2025.The company reported a revenue of $14.9 million and a gross profit of $11 million for the quarter. The company attributed this growth to its merger with Nasdaq-listed online marketing service provider iClick, completed in March.

ChainCatcher news, according to informed sources, the blockchain venture capital firm Superscrypt, backed by Temasek Holdings Private Limited, plans to raise up to $100 million for its second investment fund.Informed sources indicate that Temasek has been listed as a major investor in the new fund alongside the New York-based fintech company Republic. Temasek and Republic will jointly serve as general partners of the new company. Informed sources stated that this process is ongoing, and the final amount may change.

ChainCatcher news, Rohit Sipahimalani, Chief Investment Officer of Singapore's state investment company Temasek International, stated that if Trump returns to the White House, it may not have a positive impact on the global economy and financial markets.Sipahimalani pointed out that the policies of the Trump administration would lead to a slowdown in global economic growth, which would ultimately affect American businesses. He also warned that higher interest rates and a stronger dollar would have adverse effects on emerging markets.

ChainCatcher news, sources reveal that the blockchain fintech startup Partior is operating with a reduced number of employees. The company laid off about 30 employees in July, and several others, including members of the leadership team, have also left. Notably, Partior is the latest startup supported by Temasek Holdings to be affected by layoffs and employee departures in the past 10 months.Previously, it was reported that the cross-border payment and settlement blockchain company Partior completed a $60 million financing round, led by Peak XV Partners.

ChainCatcher news, Bitcoin L2 Giants Planet recently announced its list of investors on its official website, including the Singapore sovereign wealth fund—Heliconia Capital under Temasek Holdings of Singapore. Other investors include SEQUOIA, PG Capital, Plug and Play Ventures, LucidBlue Ventures, Immutable, COIN98, WARNERMEDIA, Brinc, DWF Labs, IBG Capital, Digital Consensus Fund, UOB, Evan Luthra, and others.

ChainCatcher news, according to the Financial Times in the UK, Singapore's state-owned investment firm Temasek Holdings is in investment talks with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, marking the first time a state-backed group has invested in OpenAI.According to insiders, senior executives from Temasek have met with Altman multiple times in recent months, with discussions being preliminary but ongoing, and no agreement on any investment size has been reached yet. This negotiation comes as Altman seeks funding to launch a semiconductor business aimed at reducing reliance on cutting-edge chips manufactured by Nvidia.It is reported that despite a significant increase in OpenAI's revenue since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, Altman has stated that OpenAI is still operating at a loss due to the enormous costs of building and training its models. Temasek's investment interest reflects its increasingly global footprint over the past decade, with the investment firm currently holding a portfolio valued at $287 billion globally, including some top tech startups. OpenAI is currently supported by $13 billion from Microsoft, its largest investor, as well as several venture capital groups such as Thrive Capital, Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, and Andreessen Horowitz.

ChainCatcher news, NFT verification company Authentick announced the completion of a $4 million seed round financing, led by the venture capital platform Menyala founded by Temasek. The funds will help Authentick expand its user base and product range. Authentick allows users to purchase digital collectibles or NFTs and verify their authenticity, aiming to enable users to buy digital collectibles without the need for a Web3 wallet or entering an exchange.Authentick plans to offer incentives to brand partners looking to reach a wider audience. The company will manage the distribution of their digital collectibles and ensure that these collectibles can be purchased at major online retailers.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, 18 FTX investment firms including Temasek, Sequoia Capital, and SoftBank have been named as defendants in a class-action lawsuit filed in Miami due to their association with the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The plaintiffs claim that these investment firms are responsible for "aiding and abetting" FTX's fraud. The plaintiffs point out that the FTX cryptocurrency exchange violated multiple securities laws and misappropriated customer funds, while the defendants assert that they conducted due diligence.

ChainCatcher news, according to e27, the digital asset Launchpad platform 2MR Labs announced the completion of a new round of financing, led by Heliconia Capital, a subsidiary of Temasek, with participation from Plug and Play APAC, The Assembly Place, PG, and LucidBlue Ventures. The specific amount of financing has not been disclosed.It is reported that 2MR Labs will use the new financing to support enterprises in their Web3 technology transformation through the Launchpad. They have currently established strategic alliance partnerships with cold wallet provider UKISS Technology, Web3 gaming platform MetaOne, and global entrepreneurship and innovation platform Plug and Play APAC. (source link)