Hello Betamax, I remember when my friend was looking into setting up a small dropshipping business at the tail end of the Covid-19 pandemic. The margins were good, but the thought of drowning in invoices, tax filings, and compliance forms completely shut the idea down for him. But looking at it now, you can let AI do a lot of these labor-intensive tasks for you. That's what Singapore-based corporate management platform Osome wants to do. But building the tech to achieve this has its growing pains. CEO Eugenio Ferrante told Tech in Asia for this edition's featured story that the days of chasing "growth at all costs" are over. Osome's revenue growth slowed in FY2025, but the company traded this decrease with a 50% improvement in EBITDA. But now that the company's going all in on AI, Ferrante is also confident that increased revenue growth is now on the cards. To achieve this, Osome is tapping into tech startups and freelancers in its main markets of Singapore and Hong Kong, looking at founders who are already naturally savvy with AI systems and are building with a global mindset. Whether the company hits its revenue growth targets or not, we'll be sure to let you know. Also in this edition, we map out the latest shifts in Singapore's fintech landscape. Despite a broader funding slowdown, companies in the city-state accounted for all six of ASEAN's late-stage fintech deals in the first nine months of last year. Miguel Cordon, journalist |
