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Business Times
19-06-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Uncovering the elusive Chinese tech founders dominating SEA
FOR centuries, Chinese entrepreneurs have ventured far beyond their homeland. Today, that legacy continues in technology. Chinese founders have started eight unicorns in South-east Asia, including the region's most valuable tech firm, Sea Group. This number makes up 13 per cent of all billion-dollar startups in South-east Asia. We define Chinese founders as individuals who are Chinese nationals or naturalised Singaporeans originally from China. These entrepreneurs also launched third-party logistics company J&T Express, artificial intelligence (AI) firm Advance Intelligence Group along with its subsidiary banking and digital finance platform Akulalu, livestreaming app Bigo, and blockchain ventures Amber Group and Matrixport. Many Chinese founders are also discreet, and a number of them do not even have LinkedIn profiles. We have compiled this list of Chinese founders in South-east Asia to offer an inside look at this influential yet elusive community. Singapore hosts most of the 52 companies started by Chinese entrepreneurs on our list. Just three of these businesses are based in Indonesia. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up SOURCE: TECH IN ASIA RESEARCH It's also no surprise that regional startups founded by Chinese entrepreneurs tend to attract more investors from China. Tech in Asia's data shows that 23 per cent of the backers for these firms are Chinese funds. Investors in exit stages are excluded. SOURCE: TECH IN ASIA DATABASE In contrast, among the investors of the region's 60 unicorns, only 10 per cent are Chinese investors. Blockchain and AI are the most prominent sectors, with 20 and 12 firms, respectively. As South-east Asia's financial hub, Singapore has a progressive regulatory environment for blockchain companies. This makes the city-state a popular choice for Chinese founders in the sector, as regulators in their home country have been less welcoming, especially towards cryptocurrency-related firms. Meanwhile, more AI startups from the country have recently set up shop in Singapore in a bid to access both their home market and the West. This has become increasingly important as US-China tensions rise in the semiconductor and AI race. The strategy has drawn criticism, though, with some calling it 'Singapore washing'. It's not just emerging startups that are heading to South-east Asia. Shein, one of the biggest e-commerce players in China, has relocated to Singapore. Bigo, a popular livestreaming app that is valued at US$2.1 billion, is also registered in the city-state, even though its parent company, Joyy, is headquartered in China. Having Singapore as a second home is not new. Many owners of big Chinese companies now live there. The list includes founders from tech giants such as Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance. Owners of non-tech businesses such as Haidilao Hotpot have also made the move. High-profile investors, such as HongShan (formerly Sequoia China) founder Neil Shen and Boyu Capital co-founder Sean Tong, have reportedly obtained permanent residency in Singapore. With this community set to grow more robust, South-east Asia's founders may want to watch the trend. One example they could follow is J&T Express, founded in Indonesia in 2015 by former Oppo executive Jet Lee. The firm initially handled logistics for Oppo's e-commerce operations in the archipelago. Leveraging that network, J&T quickly expanded across South-east Asia and later into China. Backed by Chinese investors such as Tencent, Hillhouse, and Boyu Capital, J&T has raised a staggering US$4.5 billion (excluding its IPO), which is over 4x the capital of rival and fellow unicorn Ninja Van. The substantial funding has allowed J&T to offer cutthroat prices, helping it dominate South-east Asia's logistics market as the top player for five straight years. J&T is unlikely to be the last Chinese-founded company to disrupt the region. TECH IN ASIA
Straits Times
16-06-2025
- Straits Times
Hougang resident finds own parcel left unattended at lift lobby, helps himself to it
Hougang resident finds own parcel left unattended at lift lobby, helps himself to it Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight. A Hougang resident was puzzled to see two large packages left unattended at a HDB lift lobby in Hougang. He was even more surprised when he realised that one of the packages belonged to him. Stomper Roger said: "J&T Express left the parcels unattended in the front lift lobby (not level 1) on June 5. "I saw these parcels in the morning when I was heading to work at 6.20am. When I returned from work at 9pm, the parcels were still there, so I decided to take a look. "It surprised me that one of the parcels belonged to me while the other belonged to the next block. "Based on my tracking records, the parcel should still have been outbound in the sorting centre." Roger said he contacted the delivery company the next day and sent them a photo of the unattended packages. He asked: "Do you often see this kind of issue? "I told J&T that the lift lobby doesn't have any CCTV cameras. What if people took the items? They told me to provide CCTV footage from the lift and told them they should check with the authorities if they wanted it. "Anyway, I did not want to make trouble and told them I had already taken my own parcel." Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write in to us at stomp@ or WhatsApp 9384 3761. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
16-06-2025
- Straits Times
Hougang resident asks if unattended parcels are a common sight after stumbling upon his own package
Hougang resident asks if unattended parcels are a common sight after stumbling upon his own package Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight. A Hougang resident was puzzled to see two large packages left unattended at a HDB lift lobby in Hougang. He was even more surprised when he realised that one of the packages belonged to him. Stomper Roger said: "J&T Express left the parcels unattended in the front lift lobby (not level 1) on June 5. "I saw these parcels in the morning when I was heading to work at 6.20am. When I returned from work at 9pm, the parcels were still there, so I decided to take a look. "It surprised me that one of the parcels belonged to me while the other belonged to the next block. "Based on my tracking records, the parcel should have been still outbound in the sorting centre." Roger said he contacted the delivery company the next day and sent them a photo of the unattended packages, but has yet to receive a response. He asked: "Do you often see this kind of issue?" Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write in to us at stomp@ or WhatsApp 9384 3761. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
New Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
J&T unveils logistics hub with daily capacity of 1.2mil parcels
SETIA ALAM: J&T Express Malaysia has unveiled its Setia Alam logistics hub to enhance delivery efficiency across the country and meet the growing demand from e-commerce. The hub opened in March 2025 and covers more than 212,000 square feet and is capable of handling up to 1.2 million parcels within a 24-hour period. J&T Express sorting centre manager Raymond Ng said the hub represents a long-term, strategic investment in national capacity. "It gives us the operational resilience to navigate demand spikes, the scalability to support future growth, and the network strength to deliver greater value to our customers, partners, and the broader digital economy," he said during a media visit to the hub today. Ng said the company's investment in automation is geared towards building a future-ready ecosystem that scales with demand without compromising reliability. "During high-demand periods, automation allows us to keep delivery timelines consistent, provide customers with a smoother, and more reliable experience even during peak periods," he added. Ng explained that Setia Alam was selected due to its excellent highway access, cost-effectiveness and close proximity to the Shah Alam Gateway. The location allows for smooth rerouting and serves as a backup between the two key hubs, strengthening network reliability during peak periods and system maintenance or upgrade. The hub links to all states in Malaysia and facilitates over 300 truck movements daily, making it a key part of J&T's national infrastructure. It is also equipped with systems like a warehouse control system (WCS) and dimension weighing & scanning (DWS) auto-sorters, along with a single-layer sorting line. According to J&T Express, these technologies automate 88 per cent of small parcel handling, currently processing 40,000 parcels per hour. The systems also help minimise human error, optimise parcel flow, and maintain reliable delivery performance during peak periods such as 11.11, Hari Raya and Chinese New Year. Despite its automation, the hub operates with the support of over 400 staff members, and is actively progressing toward a fully localised talent workforce, in alignment with national employment policies and talent development goals.
Malaysian Reserve
22-05-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Whoscall anti-scam campaign returns after 2024 success
by AZALEA AZUAR CALLER ID and spam blocking app Whoscall has launched its nationwide anti-scam initiative Scam Free Malaysia 2025. The campaign returns after having shown progress in reducing scam calls across the country. The app has again partnered the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), with J&T Express Malaysia coming on board to support this year's campaign. These parties aim to provide Malaysians with one million free one-year Whoscall Premium subscriptions to enhance digital safety and increase scam awareness. Data from Whoscall indicated that total scam calls have declined by 7.6% from January to April 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, indicating the effectiveness of public awareness and collaborative prevention efforts. Trust tech company Gogolook is behind the Whoscall app which delivers a 360-degree anti-scam solution that evolves with technology to stay ahead of scammers. The app also provides advanced tools for detecting digital threats, including Content Checker for screenshot detection, Auto-web Checker for real-time flagging of malicious URLs, and ID Security Check for alerting users of potential data breaches involving their phone numbers. Gogolook Malaysia country marketing lead Woon Chin Yong said scammers are becoming more advanced every day, therefore Whoscall is providing Malaysians with artificial intelligence (AI) tools to detect scams. The partnership with PDRM enhances real-time detection through a shared scam database, while J&T Express expands public outreach. 'In today's digital world, downloading Whoscall is no longer optional. It is a vital step for staying safe online,' she said in a statement. Meanwhile, J&T Express as a partner will help to raise awareness through its active promotion across its website, social media and internal channels. J&T Express public affairs manager Jacky Hu expressed concerns in safeguarding the interests of customers, business partners and employees. 'With scams increasingly targeting both individuals and businesses, we recognise the importance of taking proactive steps to raise awareness and protect our community. 'This initiative underscores our commitment to fostering a safe, secure environment and strengthening our collective resilience,' he said. Malaysians can redeem a free One-Year Whoscall Premium subscription by Aug 31, 2025, using the promo code 'PDRMLawanScams' on This subscription offers an Auto-update Scam Number Database, real-time scam alerts and an ad-free experience which ensures a safer online environment.
