<article>Flush with capital, Southeast Asia’s wealthtech platforms are investing heavily in expanding their operations to tap a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.</article>

Flush with capital, Southeast Asia’s wealthtech platforms are investing heavily in expanding their operations to tap a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Singapore-based Svava Pte Ltd, which <a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/syfe-seriesb-valar-250171/">raised $30 million</a> in its Series B round last month, invested an additional $5 million in its subsidiary Syfe Pte Ltd last week. The investment brought the total capital injection into the wealth management app so far this year to $11 million, corporate filings reviewed by <a href="https://data.dealstreetasia.com/">DealStreetAsia &#8211; DATA VANTAGE</a> show.
Previously, Singapore-based wealthtech firm StashAway had <a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/stashaway-sequoia-237995/">secured $25 million</a> in a Series D round from a group of investors led by Sequoia Capital India. The marquee venture capital firm now owns an 11.5% stake in the startup, <a href="https://data.dealstreetasia.com/">our data shows</a>.
Existing investors such as Eight Roads Ventures and Square Peg also participated in the round. With a total of $61.5 million in paid-up capital, StashAway was last valued at $183.3 million.
Top shareholders of StashAway
<figure id="attachment_254843" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-254843" style="width: 941px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-254843 size-full" src="https://media.dealstreetasia.com/uploads/2021/08/stashaway.png?resize=640,343" alt="" srcset="https://media.dealstreetasia.com/uploads/2021/08/stashaway.png?w=941 941w, https://media.dealstreetasia.com/uploads/2021/08/stashaway.png?resize=300,161 300w, https://media.dealstreetasia.com/uploads/2021/08/stashaway.png?resize=768,411 768w" sizes="(max-width: 941px) 100vw, 941px" data-recalc-dims="1" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-254843" class="wp-caption-text">Source: DealStreetAsia &#8211; DATA VANTAGE</figcaption></figure>
Among other deals this year, Singaporean wealth management app Endowus bagged $17 million and $4.5 million in two Series A rounds in March and July, while Bambu raised $5 million in its Series B+ funding round in March.
Though not necessarily belonging to the wealthtech vertical, cryptocurrency platforms have also seen rising funding momentum as more individual and institutional investors accept cryptos as a medium to store value. Last month, Singapore-headquartered Vauld announced a $25 million<a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/vauld-valar-ventures-253479/"> Series A funding round</a> led by Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures.
<h3>All eyes on Indonesia</h3>
While Singapore has traditionally been the financial hub of Southeast Asia, it is Indonesia that has shown the fastest growth in wealthtech investment.
Our latest review of <a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/reports/the-state-of-wealthtech-in-indonesia/">the state of wealthtech</a> in the country found that homegrown startups have raised $666 million in equity and debt financing since Jan 2016, of which more than half was secured in the first half of this year.
The momentum has seen stock trading app Stockbit and diversified peer-to-peer lending firms Investree and Modalku graduate to the Series C stage this year. Stockbit and rival Ajaib secured the largest funding this year at $95 million and $90 million, respectively.
Map of online mutual fund retailers in Indonesia
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-254844 size-full" src="https://media.dealstreetasia.com/uploads/2021/08/mf-retailers.png?resize=640,303" alt="" srcset="https://media.dealstreetasia.com/uploads/2021/08/mf-retailers.png?w=1140 1140w, https://media.dealstreetasia.com/uploads/2021/08/mf-retailers.png?resize=300,142 300w, https://media.dealstreetasia.com/uploads/2021/08/mf-retailers.png?resize=1024,484 1024w, https://media.dealstreetasia.com/uploads/2021/08/mf-retailers.png?resize=768,363 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px" data-recalc-dims="1" />
The rise of investments in wealthtech has its roots in two major trends that emerged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic—faster adoption of digital lifestyles and the reallocation of discretionary spending and personal savings towards securitised assets.
In just five years, the total number of investors registered with Indonesia’s Central Securities Depository (KSEI) grew nine times to 3.9 million in 2020. By the end of May, it had grown to 5.4 million, of which 4.7 million are mutual fund investors, while 2.4 million invest in stocks directly. 
<h3>Other updates from DATA VANTAGE</h3>
REA Group, a digital advertising company controlled by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, now <a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/rea-group-propertyguru-254478/">owns a stake worth $147 million</a> in Southeast Asian online realty company PropertyGuru after a transaction completed last week, according to <a href="https://data.dealstreetasia.com/">DATA </a><a href="https://data.dealstreetasia.com/">VANTAGE</a>. PropertyGuru is expected to list either in the fourth quarter of this year or the first quarter of 2022.
Singapore-based cashback and rewards platform ShopBack is currently <a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/temasek-shopback-funding-254470/">raising capital for its Series E round</a> and has so far raised $6.9 million from a group of investors. For details of its latest and total fundraising as well as its financial performance, visit <a href="https://data.dealstreetasia.com/">DATA VANTAGE</a>.
Zimplistic, the company behind flatbread maker Rotimatic, has received $2 million in funding across two tranches in June and August from Light Ray Holdings, which had bought out all investors of the loss-making startup last year.
Indonesian fintech startup AwanTunai has <a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/awantunai-funding-254754/">raised about $11.2 million</a> in a new funding round backed by existing investor Insignia Ventures Partners.
Singapore-based SpeQtral<a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/speqtral-funding-round-254786/"> issued new shares to six investors</a>, including K9 Industries, SGInnovate, Space Capital and XORA Innovation, last week. Founded as a spin-off of the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore, SpeQtral designs and manufactures satellite-based quantum communication systems.
Taipei and San Francisco-based Asian delicacies manufacturer Hsin Tun Yang has invested $1 million in Singapore food tech company Sophie’s Bionutrients. The company, which develops 100% plant-based &amp; sustainable alternatives proteins, has raised a little over $2 million since its funding round started in August last year.
Vizzio Technologies, a company that develops AI-powered 3D modelling and augmented reality technologies, issued new shares to accommodate new shareholders last week that included New York-based Wisdom Tree Capital. The company has raised $3.7 million so far this year and was last valued at $53 million.

Here are the latest updates about SE Asia's wealth management startups as well as ShopBack, Zimplistic, PropertyGuru and others.

Data Vantage: Wealthtech firms eye expansion; Zimplistic, ShopBack and others secure funds

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Data Vantage: Wealthtech firms eye expansion; Zimplistic, ShopBack and others secure funds

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