It has been nearly three years since the US-China trade war pushed the electronics supply chain toward Southeast Asia. In addition to the movement of large assembly and installation manufacturers to Southeast Asia, whether or not other component manufacturers would follow has also been a top of discussion.
The number of deals in Southeast Asia tech startup scene in the first half of this year hit a record high, according to Cento Ventures, a Singaporean venture capital.
In a world where "money is cheap," unicorns, the companies with a valuation of more than $1 billion, are born in an accelerated mode during the COVID-19 pandemic era.
Since reopening in early October, export-processing zones and industrial parks in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam have restored production capacity to nearly 70%, while Saigon Hi-Tech Park is also running at 75% capacity, according to media reports.
General director of Samsung Vietnam Choi Joo Ho has confirmed that the company will spend the new investment budget approved each year, and has requested an annual increase of US$100 million to upgrade the group's production lines in its six Vietnam factories, according to a media report.
Children in the US and Europe are going to miss a pair of NIKE shoes for Christmas this year as manufacturing activities in Vietnam are lagging due to COVID. Consumer electronics are seeing tight supply as well. Demand for gaming devices soars in Thailand.
The pandemic has caused Vietnamese workers to flee the city of Ho Chi Minh. About 1.3 million people left for their hometown in the third quarter due to the pandemic, according to an official report released by General Statistics Office of Vietnam.
Many IDMs and pure-play foundries, including second-tier ones, are all poised to expand their fab capacities sparking concerns that the arrival of the additional capacities could result in a glut of processed wafers.
VNG, the first Vietnam-based unicorn that operates mobile communication App, online games, e-commerce, and cloud computing services, in 2017 signed an MoU with Nasdaq but has not yet applied for listing, this is because there is actually no rush for the company to undertake an IPO.
Having co-founded 500 Startups (later rebranded to 500 Global) in 2010, Christine Tsai (CT), CEO and founding partner of the company started out with a very different strategy from other venture capital firms in the Silicon Valley which were predominantly focused on the US market. She built a diversified portfolio in different industries and invests in founders across geographies and ethnic backgrounds and in emerging countries.
Established in Bangkok, Thailand in 1967, Charoong Thai Wire & Cable (CTW) is the largest telecommunication cable manufacturer in Thailand and a subsidiary of Pacific Electric Wire and Cable.
Established in Bangkok in 1988, Fine Metal Technologies was formerly known as Furukawa Metal (Thailand) and went public in Thailand in 1996. Fine Metal Technologies produces and sells copper tubes used in refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners.
UnaBiz, a Singapore-based Internet of Things (IoT) service provider, has raised over US$25 million in its Series B funding round led by SPARX Group. The round was oversubscribed, with participation from CDIB, G K Goh and Thaioil, according to the UnaBiz.
Thailand's gaming industry raked in more than US$1 billion in revenue last year amid COVID-19, according to Thailand Business News citing data from NewZoo, with the number of gamers increasing to 32 million in the country.
Taiwan-based metal chassis maker Catcher Technology is reportedly in talks with Malaysia-based medical equipment suppliers for cooperation, and may choose Malaysia as its regional factory site for healthcare applications.
