Recently, there has been a lot of investment and financing news in emerging countries such as Southeast Asia and Latin America, which widely involves entertainment, logistics, artificial intelligence technology and other fields. The number of start-ups in emerging markets is incr

source | Zhixiang.com (ID: passagegroup)

compilation | Tang poetry

editor | Wang Xiaohan

Many social applications such as Snapchat, Tumblr, and Tik Tok have successively introduced new features to optimize user experience and better meet user needs or achieve own social value.

Recently, there has been a lot of investment and financing news in emerging countries such as Southeast Asia and Latin America, which widely involves entertainment, logistics, artificial intelligence technology and other fields. The number of start-ups in emerging markets is increasing rapidly. At the same time, some companies are laying off employees, such as the social application IRL, which is expected to lay off 25% of its employees.

1. Big events

WWDC conference preview

Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will return this year in the form of a hybrid event. apple issued invitations to some developers and media. The conference will begin at 10 a.m. on June 6. App developers are most interested in updates to Apple’s development platform, the future development of mobile operating systems and the new iOS 16 version.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, iOS 16 is codenamed “Sydney”. This can be quite an upgrade. Rumored changes include an updated lock screen; there may also be a "Today View" widget to create more space for app developers to attract users' attention; and the iPhone 14/iOS 16 combination will have an always-on display. There will also be other updates, such as updates to messaging and health features, and audio capabilities for messaging will be enhanced.

In the meantime, we're looking forward to iPadOS improvements, updates to macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, updates to other Apple apps like Settings, Mail, Safari, Podcasts, a new watch interface, and more.

If Apple wants to surprise us more, it might unveil its rumored home operating system or smart glasses.

Daily downloads of apps that top the App Store have increased by 37% since 2019

New research shows that over the past few years, apps that have topped the App Store have become increasingly popular from a download perspective The harder it is. The number of downloads required for an app to reach the top spot in the U.S. iPhone App Store has climbed 37% since 2019, according to new data from Sensor Tower. Specifically, an app needs about 156,000 downloads on a given day to reach the top of the U.S. App Store. In 2019, the number of daily downloads required for an app to reach the top spot was 114,000.

But the daily downloads required for an Android app to reach the top spot are 56,000, down from 83,000 in 2019.

Of course, app developers know that downloads alone will not propel an app to the top of the rankings. This is just one of many metrics used in Apple’s App Store ranking algorithm, but it’s an important one.

2. Overseas introduction

Apple

• Apple updated the developer application before WWDC. The updated app allows developers to browse WWDC tabs, watch a full schedule of daily session videos, access digital lounge events and coding design challenges, and also supports SharePlay so developers can watch videos with colleagues or friends.

• Apple has launched a new webpage, "Beyond WWDC," which lists events and gatherings related to WWDC, many of which are sponsored or led by developer organizations.

• Before announcing iOS 16, Apple released the latest iOS 15.6 beta 2, iPadOS 15.6, tvOS 15.6 and the second developer beta of watchOS 8.7. Notably, this update fixes an issue where the Apple Music app pushes other apps away from the bottom of the iPhone.

• Mixpanel pointed out that with the exposure of iOS 16, Apple iOS 15 is now installed in 85% of active iPhones.

• Apple showcased some of the winners of the WWDC22 Swift Student Challenge. This year, a total of 350 students from 40 countries and regions participated. The apps highlighted by Apple include a gardener app and an app for teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Google

• Google said that Android users will soon be able to purchase Play Points apps in Google Play, and the points can be used directly during the checkout process.

• Google has announced the general availability (GA) of App Actions through the use of Android shortcuts shortcuts.xml. Google said that by using shortcut keys, developers can add a layer of voice interaction capabilities to their applications through Android tools, platforms and features.

• Google’s latest Android update includes new Gboard stickers, 1,600 Emoji Kitchen combinations, new Play Points feature and accessibility improvements. Most notably, the company is bringing custom text stickers to all Android devices after first launching them on Pixel phones in March.

• Some Korean app developers and content providers have increased subscription and service fees on Google Play. Because Google’s policy changes now require an additional 15-30% commission, forcing apps to use first-party billing and payment systems. Although South Korean law allows app developers to use third-party payments, this can only reduce Google's commission by 4%.

• Google is said to be turning off the Android Auto feature for phone screens, based on information users see in the app.

e-commerce

• Amazon has added an invitation-only ordering option to its website and app in an effort to limit the ability of bots to rate high-demand, low-supply products. The system is launching in the United States via PS 5 and Xbox Series X console pre-orders.

• Kohl’s recently joined Apple Business Chat, which allows users to chat with customer service in real time through Apple’s Messages app.

Fintech

• Visa and Safaricom, the largest telecommunications company in East Africa, the operator of M-Pesa mobile payments, has launched a virtual card that allows M-Pesa users to make digital payments globally.

• Square said it will support Apple’s new “Tap to Pay” feature within its Square point-of-sale app by the end of this year.

• Coinbase said it would extend its hiring freeze and said it would also cancel some accepted offers "as long as the macro environment requires it."

social

• Instagram has launched AMBER Alerts in the app, leveraging its extensive user base to help find missing children. If the user is within the specified search area, an alert will appear containing missing child information, images, descriptions, abduction locations, and more.

• According to Bloomberg, Twitter is reorganizing to focus on user growth and personalization features, which will affect staffing of other features such as newsletters and communities.

• Meta Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is leaving the company after 14 years with the company. The executive reportedly used Meta resources for personal gain, such as wedding planning. And used Facebook to put pressure on the " Daily Mail ", asking the newspaper to withdraw the news report about her boyfriend Bobby Kotick.

• Meta Company has announced a series of updates and new features for its Reels product on Facebook and Instagram, including sound synchronization on Facebook Reels and support for longer Instagram Reels, up to 90 seconds. It's also rolling out more creative tools, like bringing Instagram Story stickers to Reels.

• Snapchat has launched a new “Share Stories” feature to make it easier for users to collaborate and share memories. It has also partnered with restaurant review site The Infatuation to help users find local eats on Snap Map.

• Twitter says it will shut down TweetDeck for Mac. This is a social media dashboard app aimed at power users who want to be able to view multiple columns on one screen.The app will be closed on July 1, and users will be directed to the online version of the program, which is being updated.

• TikTok is testing a new feature, "Clear Screen Mode", which will enable a distraction-free scrolling experience in the app. The feature, which is being tested with some users, removes all clutter from the screen, such as titles and keys.

• Tumblr has launched a new feature that gives away ad-free browsing to friends for $4.99/month or $39.99/year. It also rolled out a feature that turns off users from limiting the retweeting of posts.

• Discord said it will provide voice channels with their own text chat room, where users can share links and other text without having to jump channels. This feature will be launched on all platforms on June 29.

• Social app IRL is reducing its team by 25%, or about 25 people, citing market dynamics. The layoffs come a year after the company raised $170 million in Series C funding led by SoftBank and achieved unicorn status.

IM

• Google plans to merge the Google Duo and Google Meet calling apps into one app. The app leverages Google Meet branding based on Duo technology. Duo will get all the features of Meet, such as meeting reservations, and users can also make temporary calls on the new application. Google previously shut down Duo’s sister app Allo.
• Jonas Brothers-backed startup Scriber has ditched a standalone app that connects fans with celebrity content via SMS updates into their favorite messaging apps. The Jonas Brothers subscription costs $4.99/month, and they plan to donate half of the proceeds to charity.

streaming

• YouTube has announced that its mobile app can now be synced to your TV without casting for a "second screen" experience. The app will ask users if they want to sync to the TV, which will allow users to interact with videos by liking, commenting and supporting creators, and purchase recommended products.

• Google has launched the iOS Google TV app after moving the Movies and TV section from the Play Store store to the Google TV app. The new app allows users to use their phones as remote controls.

• iQiyi ’s profit in the first quarter of 2022 was US$26.7 million after cutting expenses.

• Apple has angered some users by injecting first-party advertising into its radio programming on its premium Apple Music service.

• Spotify faced streaming outage crisis on Monday and Tuesday. Spotify's Megaphone podcasts were unavailable for more than 8 hours from Monday night to early Tuesday morning due to an expired SSL certificate .

• Singapore-based TIYA, a Clubhouse-like social audio network platform, has launched Spotify integration, allowing users to listen to music and podcasts with friends. The maker of the app is a subsidiary of Chinese app maker LIZHI.

• TikTok is teaming up with social media partner Pearpop and creator Jericho Mencke to launch a live subscription comedy series. Episodes of the show, "Finding Jericho," will air twice weekly on TikTok LIVE in June, with a total of eight 30-minute episodes. Viewing the series costs $4.99.

game

• Google announced that the independent game accelerator program will return in 2022. Google said that 78 eligible game studios will be invited to participate in the 10-week acceleration program starting in September 2022. The program includes a series of online courses, lectures, and game development workshops. Developers also have the opportunity to meet and network with people from all over the world.

• Epic Games will host the first large-scale "Fortnite" individual competitive event since the 2019 "Fortnite " World Cup .The upcoming 2022 FNCS Invitational will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center on November 12-13 with a $1 million prize pool.

• Monument Valley developer Ustwo's hit iOS mobile game will be released on Steam on July 12.

Transportation

• This week, Rest of World reported on inDriver, the taxi-hailing app that is second only to Uber in terms of downloads worldwide. The Siberia-based app, which allows drivers to haggle, became a unicorn last year with a valuation of $1.23 billion. It now serves 42 countries around the world.

News

• Google Play policy changes force developers to use first-party billing and payment service features. The move resulted in Amazon removing in-app purchases from the Kindle and Amazon Music apps for Android, as well as direct audiobook purchasing from the Audible app for Android.

• Substack has recently made a series of updates to the app, such as embedding TikToks into posts, adding a new reaction section at the bottom of posts, and displaying users' recently liked content. Readers can now change fonts, text size and background color, improve the reading experience, and collapse and intersperse comments.

Utilities

• Apple Maps began testing more detailed maps in countries such as France, Monaco, and New Zealand . Users in these areas have found that the updated maps feature better 3D rendering of areas such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and Mont Saint-Michel in France.

Security and Privacy

• Canada’s privacy watchdog has found that coffee shop chain Tim Hortons illegally collected customer location data through a mobile app without users’ consent. An investigation found that the app tracked users' locations even when not in use.

Financing and M&A

• According to Reuters , Mohalla Tech, the parent company of Indian short video application ShareChat, has raised nearly $300 million in funding from Google, Times Group and Temasek Holdings at a valuation of about $5 billion. Google has previously backed rival Josh.

• Indonesian delivery app Astro, which offers 15-minute grocery delivery, has raised $60 million in a Series B funding round led by Accel, Citius and Tiger Global. Astro’s total funding to date reaches $90 million.

• Los Angeles-based Metaverse startup TRIPP has raised $11.2 million in Series A expansion funding led by gaming-focused investment firm BITKRAFT and acquired world-building platform game Eden. TRIPP's vision for the Metaverse includes AR smart glasses, VR headsets, and smartphone apps, as it anticipates that AR, VR, and mobile will eventually merge into one.

• Latin America’s on-demand delivery and shipping super app Yummy has raised $47 million in funding led by Anthos Capital. The app offers item delivery, rides and grocery delivery in under 20 minutes.

• Sanlo is a financial technology startup based in San Francisco that provides financial management tools and capital to small and medium-sized game and app companies. Raised $10 million in Series A funding round led by Konvoy.

• Super, an Indonesian social commerce application focused on small towns and rural areas, has raised US$70 million in Series C financing led by NEA, bringing the total financing to US$106 million. The startup plans to use the funds to expand to Kalimantan, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluka and Papua over the next few years.

• Railway, a startup that provides dashboards for building, deploying, and monitoring applications and services, has raised $20 million in Series A funding led by Redpoint Ventures.

• Poparazzi, this social application that competes with Instagram topped the App Store list last year. It recently announced a Series A funding round led by Benchmark.Reports of the rumor surfaced last year but were only now confirmed by the company. The company said it raised $15 million in funding, slightly lower than the reported $20 million.

• Pinterest has acquired The Yes, a fashion shopping service powered by artificial intelligence , founded by e-commerce veteran and former Stitch Fix COO Julie Bornstein and technology co-founder Amit Aggarwal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The service will be used to help Pinterest personalize the shopping experience on its platform.

other

• Oracle announced that the company’s $28.3 billion acquisition of digital medical records provider Cerner has received approval from all relevant regulatory agencies, paving the way for its further expansion into the healthcare field. Oracle expects to close the deal on June 6. Oracle CEO Safra Catz said the deal will "significantly boost" Oracle's earnings in fiscal 2023 and will become a "growth engine for the next few years."

• Indian financial technology company Slice raised US$50 million in Series C financing, led by Tiger Global, with Moore Strategic Ventures, Insight Partners and others joining the round. Slice will launch its new Unified Payments Interface (UPI) product. Slice, which has more than 12 million registered users and is primarily aimed at young people who don't qualify for credit cards from traditional banks, allows users to get cash back on transactions and split their bills over three months.

• Indian edtech company has raised $57 million in a new funding round led by Cuemath in Alpha Wave. The funding doubled the startup's valuation to $407 million. The startup currently operates in about 70 countries and continues to expand, aiming to increase the total number to 100 by the end of this fiscal year. Cuemath aims to expand into markets in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and the UK, as well as Africa and South America.

• Brazilian ultra-fast delivery startup Box Delivery acquires mid-sized freight transport company Vuxx. Through this acquisition, Box Delivery integrates Vuxx’s technology to bring together companies in need to deliver freight driver services. The Vuxx platform currently has over 300 companies and over 10,000 registered drivers, and all negotiations and real-time tracking of deliveries are handled by the app. The Vuxx system will show how much money the driver can receive and optimize the best route.

• Egyptian grocery e-commerce platform Appetito has acquired similar Tunisian startup Lamma to expand its business in Morocco , Tunisia and West Africa . Ahmed Eldemerdash, Chief Operating Officer of Appetito, said that the acquisition will enable the two companies to fully utilize capital deployment, cover 3 markets, achieve double-digit profit margins, and control cash consumption.

• Saudi Arabia and Middle East and North Africa payment services provider HyperPay has raised $36.7 million in a funding round led by Mastercard, Amwal Capital Partners and AB Ventures. HyperPay was founded by Muhannad Ebwini. In addition to payment functions, it also provides merchants with a wide range of product and service functions, including risk fraud management, monitoring systems, installment payment and invoicing systems, etc.

• Beijing Shichuang Technology Co., Ltd. announced the completion of nearly 100 million yuan in Series A and A+ financing. This round of financing was led by IDG Capital and Sequoia China, and was followed by Yajie Fund, Shuimu Tsinghua, and Fangxin Capital. Shichuang Technology stated that with the help of this round of financing, it will continue to expand R&D investment, accelerate new product development, expand R&D talents, and will accelerate marketing and brand building to create a multi-level, multi-dimensional, and multi-platform all-round brand system. Shichuang Technology focuses on the research and application of computer-aided engineering and intelligent industrial design. It independently develops underlying algorithm solvers and provides cloud-native intelligent cloud simulation and intelligent design services. In the manufacturing process, high-performance CAE algorithm, intelligent optimization algorithm and industrial Software research and development and other fields are already at the international forefront.

• India-based fitness startup Fitelo has raised $1.5 million in a Pre-Series A funding round led by several executives from early-stage venture capital firm Guild Capital and business advisory firm Pareto Capital. Founded in 2019 by Sahil Bansal and Mehakdeep Singh, Fitelo helps users achieve their weight loss goals with the help of nutritionists, doctors, and trainers. The company says fitness experts do not include or recommend any supplements or medications in diet plans.

• India-based Sugar Cosmetics has raised $50 million in Series D funding. This round of financing was led by private equity firm L Catterton’s Asia Fund, with existing investors such as A91 Partners, Elevation Capital, and India Quotion also participating in the financing. It is reported that the Indian beauty and personal care market is expected to reach US$33.3 billion by 2027.

• Nigeria-based startup Betastore has completed $2.5 million in Pre-A financing from 500 Global, VestedWorld and Loyal VC. Betastore has raised $3 million in funding to date. The startup plans to expand to Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon by the end of the year. Betastore enables informal traders to source FMCG products directly from manufacturers or distributors, thereby making product prices more competitive by eliminating middlemen. It also works with logistics partners to ensure goods are delivered within 24 hours.

• American street fashion brand Anti Social Social Club was acquired by brand management company Marquee Brands. Anti Social Social Club was established in 2015 and has launched joint products with many street fashion brands such as BAPE, PLAYBOY, and RSVP Gallery. The brand provides products covering T-shirts, sweatshirts, accessories, etc. Marquee Brands was founded in 2014, with consumer-centered (CONSUMER-CENTRIC), digital-first (DIGITAL-FIRST), and DTC model (DTC LED) as the company's core operating strategies. Its brands include maternity apparel brand A Pea in the Pod , lifestyle brand Martha Stewart, men's clothing brand Ben Sherman, etc.

• Personal care brand Rael has announced it has raised $35 million in Series B funding. This round of financing was led by Colopl Next and Signite Partners. The announcement stated that the brand has raised US$59 million so far and will use the funds to develop new products, invest in its marketing strategy, expand international markets and cooperate with retailers.

• content recommendation platform Taboola announced an acquisition agreement with Gravity R&D. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022. This acquisition will jointly promote AI, intelligent quotation and e-commerce personalized services. Taboola has been committed to providing recommendation services for the open web and helping people discover things they may like. More than 16,000 advertisers choose to cooperate with Taboola, reaching more than 500 million daily active users. Gravity R&D is the leading personalization technology company in data science, currently serving more than 35 billion recommendations each month to leaders in retail, e-commerce and digital media.

• US-based Web3 company Novajax has acquired Jobedu, a streetwear Arab pop culture lifestyle brand based in the Middle East and North Africa, after completing a seed round of funding. Jobedu works with designers, illustrators and international IP holders to produce their work, creating high-quality, affordable apparel and accessories for retail and distribution throughout the MENA region. Jobedu will complement Novajax’s goal of bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds by leveraging blockchain technology .

• Israeli live streaming e-commerce start-up buywith announced that the company has completed a seed round of financing of US$9.5 million. The platform can provide e-commerce live broadcast windows that can be easily integrated into apps and websites. It has already reached cooperative relationships with leading brands such as , Walmart, , etc.

• E-commerce aggregator RubiBrands has raised €21.35 million in a seed round. It is the first e-commerce aggregator to launch in Turkey , and RubiBrands will use the capital injection to increase acquisitions. This is also the largest seed fund in Turkey’s e-commerce field.At present, RubiBrands has acquired 7 brands and is active on more than 15 e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Trendyol and Allegro.

• Zimbabwe-based blockchain startup FlexID Technologies (formerly FlexFinTx) has announced it has received an undisclosed amount of funding from Silvio Micali’s Algorand Foundation. Funding comes from a Simple Equity Agreement (SAFE) with the Algorand Foundation to further develop and expand its Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) platform.

• SPAC company Vision Deal HK Acquisition Corp. (referred to as "Vision Deal") has passed the Hong Kong Stock Exchange listing hearing and disclosed the prospectus after the hearing. Previously, Vision Deal, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) jointly launched by Wei Zhe, founder and chairman of Jiayu Capital, DealGlobe Yijie and Opus Wealth Creation Financing, submitted a form to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on February 15, Citi and Haitong International serve as joint sponsors. Vision Deal pointed out that it will focus on cutting-edge technology and focus on the intelligent field of automobiles, as well as cross-border overseas brands and domestic new consumer companies driven by supply chain advantages.

• Unico, Brazil’s pioneer and leader in digital identity solutions, has received $100 million in new investment in Series D funding. The investment was led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, with participation from former investors General Atlanti and SoftBank Latin America Fund. The deal values ​​Unico at $2.6 billion, making it the second most valuable enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) company in Latin America.

• Egyptian on-demand delivery startup Gooo Delivery has completed a pre-seed round of financing. However, the amount raised was not disclosed. Gooo provides a peer-to-peer delivery service through an app that allows users to order food, medicine and groceries in various Egyptian cities, including Cairo, Giza and Tanta. With the funding, Gooo seeks to develop its technological capabilities, enhance its services and expand its business.