Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Did you know that Poland is becoming an increasingly attractive and leading market for activities in financial innovation due to its well-developed infrastructure, quality business environment and outstanding talent?  In fact, the country boasts half a million IT professionals, the most in the Central East European region. Not only that, Poland also consistently ranks among the top three countries with the best programmers in the world.  It is home to one the biggest game studios in Europe, CD Projekt - known for the Witcher series and the futuristic Cyberpunk 2077. And you know those little chat windows on websites? Poland's LiveChat is one of the companies making that magic happen. Given these assets, the country is well positioned to tap the boom in the fintech sector and has also seen global fintech eager to enter the market. For one thing, the fintech sector grew by 32% from 2020 and by as much as 79% compared to 2018. The market is also maturing with the debut of VC funds and the opening of R&D and business service centres by international financial instructions. More Polish fintechs are also taking the chance to think internationally and put themselves on the global map.  But what are some success stories of Polish startups? And how can Poland and Singapore firms further collaborations to grow the fintech pie?  For more, I speak with The Polish Investment and Trade Agency, or PAIH. The agency supports Polish fintechs and attracts foreign investment to the country, and is the first point of contact for investors and a partner for entrepreneurs.  In this Singapore Fintech Festival edition of Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to  Lukasz Grabowski, Director at Polish Agency for Trade & Investment and Magdalena Smolak, Head of PAIH Trade Office in Singapore.

The highly anticipated 2023 Singapore Squash Open, which returns to the Lion City after its resounding success last year, will feature 48 of the world’s top squash athletes vying for a combined prize purse of US$220,000,  This tournament marks one of the first major competitions since squash was officially included in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.  World No.1 Ali Farag & Singapore squash player Marcus Phua are in the hotseat to tell us more. Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

You might have heard of Stormtroopers in the Star Wars franchise. But what about YouTroopers?   Well, YouTroopers is a term used to describe globetrotters who use multi-currency mobile wallets and prepaid debit cards by fintech startup YouTrip! Launched in 2018, YouTrip is a regional financial technology startup that seeks to empower people with a smarter and more convenient way to pay in foreign currency through in-app exchange. Think of it as a money changer, but located within a mobile application.  Besides providing individuals with a hassle-free way to pay in foreign currency through in-app exchanges, the firm also provides individual and SME clients with personal and corporate cards that they can use to spend in stores.  The company raised US$50 million in its latest Series B funding round to invest in technology and innovation, as well as to hire over a hundred workers to launch in new markets across Southeast Asia. But why is the firm expanding aggressively at this time, and what kind of innovations can we expect on this front?  How will that accelerate financial inclusion in the region? In this Singapore Fintech Festival edition of Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Arthur Mak, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, YouTrip.

Imagine energy-efficient household appliances, sustainable construction practices, and the realisation of net-zero energy buildings.  This is a future made possible through the novel tech solution offered by Thermalytica who has emerged as the winner of the grand prize at the finals of SLINGSHOT 2023, held during the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) flagship conference. Rudder Wu, Founder and CTO, Thermalytica helps us understand the term 'cleantech' better and his experience being part of SLINGSHOT 2023. 

Most adults need seven or more hours of good-quality sleep on a regular schedule each night. Getting enough sleep is not only about total hours of sleep. It is also important to get good-quality sleep on a regular schedule so you feel rested when you wake up. What can one do to get a better night rest?  Charles Hartson, Head of Product Management, ResMed shares with us the prevalence is sleep apnea and what more can be done to raise awareness of the need for good sleep. 

Singapore stocks opened stronger today tracking overnight gains on global markets. In early trade, the Straits Times Index rose 1.3 per cent to 3,144.71 points after 85.2 million securities changed hands in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have palm oil company Golden Agri-Resources. The firm posted a 25 per cent decline in net profit  the third quarter ended Sep 30 to US$68 million, from US$90 million in the same period a year earlier.  Elsewhere from more on US inflation cooling less than expected to Japan’s GDP contracting on the back of falling business spending and higher imports, more international headlines remain in focus. On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with Jeff Ng, Head of Asia Macro Strategy, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.

More 50% of non-property owners in Singapore are finding it difficult to buy their first home, according to a bi-annual PropertyGuru Consumer Sentiment Study. Is Singapore property truly unaffordable? How do measure the difference between housing affordability and housing attainability? Dr Lee Nai Jia,Head of Real Estate Intelligence, Data and Software Solutions, PropertyGuru Group explains. In our conversation, Dr Lee also shares his expectations for Singapore's property landscape in 2024. 

Most adults need seven or more hours of good-quality sleep on a regular schedule each night. Getting enough sleep is not only about total hours of sleep. It is also important to get good-quality sleep on a regular schedule so you feel rested when you wake up. So what are some of the culprits of lack of sleep? Are smartphones one of them?  Charles Hartson, Head of Product Management, ResMed shares with us the findings from ResMed 2023 Global Sleep survey. 

From the fall of rising star to disgraced politician Syed Saddiq to Indonesian President Joko Widodo visit to the White House.  Adib Zalkapli, Director, BowerGroupAsia gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

The gemstone market is seeing a promising and intriguing rise. Southeast Asian consumers, some of the most educated buyers in the region, are embracing personalized and emotionally resonant gemstones.  Benny Lum, Founder, Benny’s Gems Creations and Isabelle Lum, General Manager, Benny’s Gems Creations share more about the realm of bespoke jewelry.