From transport to video streaming services, to health and fitness aggregators, to fintech companies, Southeast Asia has witnessed the rise and growth of multiple startups, including the likes of GO-JEK, Grab, iflix and KFit.
Continue reading7 Top Collectors Look Back On The Artworks That Got them Hooked, From A Miró Print To A Warhol T-Shirt
How does an art collection begin? We asked seven collectors to tell us the story of the work that started it all, and how their first acquisitions shaped their collecting habits for the future. Their influential early acquisitions range from an Aaron Young video to a lithograph purchased with winnings from dorm-room poker. Together, their stories reveal that art collecting is all about paying close attention—and being open to adventure.
Continue readingCentury Properties Pre-sells Batulao Artscapes
by The Philippine Star
Listed property developer Century Properties Group Inc. (CPG) has already presold P1.7 billion worth of residential units of its Batangas mixed-use tourism development.
CPG managing director Robbie Antonio told reporters the Batulao Artscapes project in Nasugbu, Batangas was well-received by the market as it has already sold a chunk of its units before its official launch.
“We’re above what we expected,” Antonio said.
CPG held an exclusive launch of the first phase of the 142-hectare mixed tourism property in Batangas, which covers around 54 hectares of the entire property, last Saturday.
The Batulao Artscapes, the company’s first foray in the tourism and leisure market, offers an active retirement village component featuring designer homes from Revolution Precrafted, world -class village-exclusive vacation amenities, a man -made beach with club-house, and a lake with a charming wedding chapel.
Art cum adventure or ‘artven-ture’ facilities include a sports park, flavor park, and art park with museums designed by Pritzker Prizewinning archi-tects, according to CPG.
The project dubbed as the world’s first livable art park, will showcase a fine collection of ‘livable art’ exceptional designer homes. Total sales value of the first phase amounts to P19 billion.
Antonio said with the Batulao Artcapes only covering about a third of the 142- hectare Batan-gas property, the entire mas-terplanned project is estimated to rake in a total sales value of over P55 billion.
Meanwhile, with the project targeting the foreign retirees market, Antonio said residential units of the project operate like a condominium, as it offers shared amenities, but in a horizontal manner, unlike high rise condominiums with vertical shared amenities.
Leaders Gather To Brainstorm Today’s International Context
by Cao Yingying, China Daily

Guangzhou, a centuries-old international commercial hub, gathered leaders of the global innovation economy at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech International Conference that opened on Tuesday.
Focusing on technological innovation, the first-ever Fortune Brainstorm Tech International Conference is huge in its own right, but is also the curtain raiser event for the Fortune Global Forum, which runs from Wednesday to Friday in the capital city of southern Guangdong province.
For its part, the earlier brainstorm tech conference is a meeting for the world’s top technology and media thinkers, operators, entrepreneurs, innovators and influencers, according to the event’s organizers.
They said the two-day event is a showcase for innovation in China and the major trends in technology in the international context, as well as an opportunity to build up Guangzhou as a China-based community for global tech and innovation leaders.
“Guangzhou is fast becoming a global leader in science and technology innovation,” said Alan Murray, president of Fortune and chief content officer of the United States-based group Time Inc.
“The city is the ideal location for the conference,” Murray added. Fortune is a multinational business magazine published and owned by Time Inc and headquartered in New York City.
Murray said that Guangzhou has established commercial and trade links with more than 200 countries and regions.
“It is China’s southern gateway to the world and an emerging center for tech innovation,” he said.
The Fortune Brainstorm Tech International Conference brings together some of China’s most promising startup companies and emerging technology leaders.
The program features exchanges between innovators in China who are finding new pathways to success, and tech leaders from around the world, including those from Silicon Valley in the United States, Israel, Europe and other parts of Asia.
John Needham, managing director of the Fortune Global Forum, said that China has made great progress in innovation in the fields of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, financial technology, virtual reality, the shared economy and mobile technologies-instead of being an imitator of science and technology.
He added that Guangzhou is one of the leaders in China in reforms driven by globalization and digitization, and the city was showcasing its innovation results through the conference.
“We are honored that Guangzhou Automobile Group, a company that is highly respected for its innovative research and development, is our partner sponsor,” said Needham.
The company, one of China’s homegrown automakers, is providing official vehicles for the Fortune Global Forum.
Another sponsor, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group, has promoted its development scale and international influence in recent years through its innovations.
Li Chuyuan, chairman of the group, said that cooperating with the world-leading economic forum provides a good opportunity to promote the brand’s international influence and seek more global partners.
Hydration and Coordination: How 6 World-Class Art Collectors Prepare For Art Basel Miami Beach
Art fairs can be intimidating places in general, but an event with the vast size of Art Basel Miami Beach poses particular challenges. In the lead up to this week’s edition, we consulted five leading international collectors to help navigate the Miami madness. Below, our art world veterans reveal strategies for maximizing what you are getting out of the big fair, whether you’re buying or just browsing.
Continue readingBling It On: Children Of Asia’s Richest Not Shy About Flaunting It
by Harper’s Bazaar Singapore
They live their lives online, and are not shy about showing off their precious toys and presence at exotic places that most other people can only dream about.
Meet the princelings and princesses of regional political and business leaders.
While in the past only their closest friends and family members got to see these lifestyles of the rich and famous, social media platforms now bring these bling bling images to everyone.
This gilded lifestyle became fodder for Malaysian newspapers two weeks ago, when they zoomed in on Ms Meera Alyanna Mukhriz, a granddaughter of the country’s former prime minister and now opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad.
The government-backed media showed her living what they said was a “celebrity lifestyle”, showing her wearing designer clothes, travelling on a yacht and holidaying abroad. She is the daughter of Mr Mukhriz Mahathir, former Kedah menteri besar who is also in the opposition today.
Apart from being easy prey for political attacks, these young people could perhaps also be more circumspect about what they show off to the public.
In Malaysia, where many Muslims are turning deeply conservative, Instagram pictures by TV personality Rozita Che Wan lightly kissing her husband Zain Saidin at Paris’ Eiffel Tower in 2014 and on Greece’s Mykonos island in 2016 led to dozens of angry comments. She said she had to block hundreds of these netizens from her account.
In Indonesia, a tweet in August of a picture of a Koenigsegg – a Swedish sports car – by a friend of local celebrity Raffi Ahmad described the car as Raffi’s new ride.
In response, a tweet from the account of the Directorate-General of Tax said: “Please inform Raffi to report on his annual tax filing if he has new asset.”
Here are some other children of prominent people who like to post on their eye-catching adventures.
1. CHRYSEIS TAN

Daughter of tycoon Vincent Tan of the Berjaya group.
Chryseis often documents her travels through Instagram stories.
The heiress is chief executive of Berjaya Times Square, a giant shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur. Forbes valued her father Vincent Tan, one of Malaysia’s most recognisable tycoons, at US$820 million (S$1.1 billion) this year.
Chryseis was recently engaged to Mr Faliq Nasimuddin, 32, a son of the founder of large Malaysian conglomerate the Naza Group.
She had her pre-wedding photoshoot in Venice. Dressed in a Monique Lhuillier gown, her photos were taken by Greg Finck, one of the top wedding photographers listed by Harper’s Bazaar.
She celebrated her 29th birthday last month in Venice, with dinner in an emptied-out hall at the Aman Venice, where George Clooney tied the knot with Amal Alamuddin.
2. ISABELLE DUTERTE

Granddaughter of President Rodrigo Duterte
Isabelle, 17, stirred a hornet’s nest when she posted on Instagram photos of herself in expensive, designer garb as her father was being investigated over 6.4 billion pesos (S$170 million) worth of smuggled methamphetamine.
The teenager is the daughter of Davao Vice-Mayor Paolo Duterte, 42, the elder of President Rodrigo Duterte’s two sons. Davao is located in Mindanao and is also the home city of President Duterte.
Paolo’s name came up in testimony given in August to the Senate by a Customs “fixer” being investigated for allegedly facilitating a shipment of 604kg of crystal meth in May. Paolo has professed his innocence.
While this was happening, Isabelle posted the photos that showed her with a US$3,100 (S$4,200) Celine bag and donning a US$750 pair of Chanel ballerina flats. She has another Celine bag, worth about US$2,700, and US$620 Gucci Ace sneakers.
Critics say the photos betray a legacy of ill-gotten wealth while supporters have told the critics to leave the girl alone.
Isabelle has managed to parlay the attention into a career in show business.
3. RICHARD MULJADI

Grandson of entrepreneur Kartini Muljadi
Lawyer-turned-entrepreneur Kartini Muljadi was the only Indonesian woman in Forbes Indonesia’s 2016 50 Richest individuals, with a net worth of US$760 million (S$1 billion). Her family controls listed pharmaceutical firm Tempo Scan Pacific.
Her grandson Richard, 29, regularly shows his audience how some of that money was spent.
In one picture, he is standing astride two red Ferraris.
A short video highlights how he spends a day at home, showing him starting the engine of his red Porsche 911 Carrera, then his yellow Lamborghini, before cruising around his swimming pool in a Yamaha WaveRunner jet boat.
In another photo, Richard shows he has not one, but two, vintage watch collectors’ items – the 1970s Rolex Military Submariner.
He is married to former model and actress Shalvynne Chang, 27.
4. ROBBIE ANTONIO

Scion of Century Properties
Robbie, 39, is the son of Century Properties’ owner Jose Antonio who is a business partner of US President Donald Trump.
The property scion is friends with Mr Trump’s children Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr. Those ties have led to a US$150 million (S$200 million), 57-storey, Trump-branded tower in Manila.
In 2013, Robbie commissioned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas to build him a US$15 million Manila home to house a museum for his art collection, including a series of 35 portraits of himself by some of the world’s top contemporary artists, dubbed in a Vanity Fair story as his “Museum of Me”.
While Robbie keeps a low profile on social media, his Instagram account has him posing with celebrities he considers close friends, such as Adrien Brody and Lenny Kravitz. He has also been photographed with Paris Hilton, who designed an artificial beach for him, and, of course, with Mr Trump.
The self-promotion and networking are part of a successful business model that Century Properties has latched on to. It builds luxury properties and has celebrity partners like Ms Hilton.
5. NORASHMAN NAJIB

Son of Prime Minister Najib Razak
Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai last week created a stir amid reports that several models had been denied entry into China.
One person unaffected was Mr Norashman Najib, 27. The son of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had a seat at the show which featured models in scintillating lingerie.
He also posted a selfie with one of the models, Josephine Skriver.
His fashion show buddy? Singapore’s Kishin RK, heir of property giant RB Capital.
Ashman, as he is known to friends, is well known to social media users.
He frequently documents his love for music on Instagram.
But most posts show him trailing his father on official business trips, including the ministerial meeting with US President Donald Trump in September.
This article originally appeared in The Straits Times.
These 5 Trends Are Changing The Construction Industry
by MarketLine
Long regarded as being averse to change, the construction industry is entering a period of substantial adjustment.
How construction companies operate in the near future will be very different.
Prefabricated construction is now being used to erect high-rise buildings, and Chinese companies are setting speed records in modular building techniques.
Sophisticated technology appears set to change the modern building site. 3D printing means complex components can be made much cheaper and quicker than ever before.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is now providing opportunities to eradicate costly errors and integrate changes in building design before construction even begins.
Construction companies are finding harnessing the potential to be highly beneficial.
Consolidation in the construction industry will continue due to the pressing need to take advantage of economies of scale.
Green buildings are growing in popularity and have government backing. Mastering the use of natural materials will soon be an important trait of leading construction firms.
1. Prefabricated buildings are gaining in sophistication and popularity
Prefabricated buildings are growing in popularity as construction companies, buyers and governments seek lower costs. No longer limited to single-story buildings, prefabricated construction is now used in high-rise housing blocks.
Desirability of prefabricated homes has soared of late and is predicted to grow in popularity. Designer prefabricated homes are changing perceptions. Revolution Precrafted, a Filipino start-up, was recently valued at over $1bn after succeeding in selling innovative designer prefabricated houses.
Factories are now capable of creating homes too, enabling Japanese companies to successfully produce homes to a low cost – a capacity that provides important competitive advantages.
2. Technology is changing construction methods – leading companies must keep up
3D printing has found a home in construction. Complex molded components can be produced far quicker and at a much reduced cost than was previously possible.
Such technology can already lay claim to have created a bridge and been responsible for dramatic cost savings on major infrastructure projects, making it attractive to construction firms.
Robotic technology is predicted to vastly improve efficiency. Capable of laying 3,000 bricks in a day, the Semi-Automated Mason marks an important development in automation for the construction industry which the industry must accommodate.
3. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is changing how buildings are planned
Building Information Modeling promises a joined up approach to building design which will benefit the construction industry by eliminating design problems and integrating changes at an early stage, preventing costly over-runs on building sites.
Keeping ahead of legislation is of growing importance. Governments around the world are imposing rules on use of BIM, making it commonplace.
Globally the trend is towards greater use; however, some areas such as Hong Kong have been slow in adapting.
4. Long fragmented, construction could soon consolidate further
The construction industry is relatively fragmented; most workers in the US work for small companies. Consolidation has been a growing trend and will likely feature more prominently in the near future.
Creating larger entities will be essential. Large Chinese companies have entered the industry, buying up smaller rivals; to compete successfully existing players need to take advantage of economies of scale.
5. Green buildings: A growing global construction trend
Due to increasing concern about environmental sustainability, the construction industry will make greater use of green materials in the near term. Large buildings made from timber are now possible.
To take advantage of the opportunities greener materials provide, construction companies must become more adaptable in the type of building they are capable of erecting.
Not only is the design of buildings forecast to become more sustainable but the means of construction will too. Intelligent lighting systems and improved planning on power generation will reduce environmental damage.
Philippines’ First $1 billion Startup Hopes To Inspire Entrepreneurs
by Cathy Yang and Jessica Fenol, ABS-CBN News
MANILA – The founder of the Philippines first “unicorn” or $1 billion startup said he hoped his success would inspire more Filipino entrepreneurs to think out of the box.
Revolution Precrafted, builder of designer modular homes, is led by Jose Roberto Antonio, one of the heirs of luxury developer Century Properties Group.
“I hope that inspires Filipino entrepreneurs, brilliant minds out there. Hopefully in our own little way, the company inspires some people going forward,” Antonio told ANC on the sidelines of the ASEAN Business & Investment Summit.
Antonio said he had to be “flexible” with pricing in Southeast Asia to lure more buyers.
“The house is still the biggest purchase of a human being, our business plan is to really establish formidable joint ventures with local business people, developers to streamline business further,” he added.
At Revolution, homes can be built from 3 months to 2 years using advanced robotics, he said.
Read More: ASEAN 2017 ASEAN Business and Investment Summit
Filipino Unicorn Sets Eyes Outside ASEAN
Revolution Precrafted, the first Filipino startup valued at more than $1 billion, wants to establish a presence in 18 countries
Continue readingMeet Philippines’ First Unicorn Startup
by Adelaida Salikha, SEASIA
The Philippines has hit a huge milestone: it just got its first unicorn startup.
Revolution Pre-crafted, a developer of prefabricated designer homes, has raised its series B round co-led by Singapore’s K2 VC, valuing the company at over US$1 billion, according to two sources familiar with the deal.
That makes Revolution – which is just about to turn two years old in December – one of, if not, the fastest to achieve billion-dollar status in Southeast Asia, one of the sources said and this was confirmed by Tech in Asia data.

The startup’s new prominent investor K2 was founded by venture capitalist Ozi Amanat, who’s known for his investments in Alibaba and Twitter before their public offerings.
K2 counts several unicorns in its portfolio – Spotify, Magic Leap, Paytm, and Palantir.
“Large international family offices have participated in the round as well,” the other source stated. We’ve reached out to Revolution and K2 for their statements.
It is a rare breakout story for the Philippines’ nascent technology scene where startup programs and policies, as well as funding are yet to catch up with neighbor markets.
“We need more success stories like Revolution to inspire other young people to take a risk and start their own companies,” said Butch Meily, president of Filipino incubator-accelerator Ideaspace and Qbo Innovation Hub.
The man behind the startup, Robbie Antonio, belongs to one of the Philippines’ wealthiest families that has built its fortune in real estate.

A voracious art collector, Antonio is the brains behind billions worth of his family’s projects done in collaboration with big names such as Forbes Media, Armani/Casa, Versace Home, Paris Hilton, and the Trump group.
He’s turned to entrepreneurship to make designer homes accessible to more people.
His company sells prefab homes conceived by world-renowned architects and designers like Zaha Hadid, David Salle, Tom Dixon, and Marcel Wanders. The homes are priced at an average of US$120,000. They can be ordered from the company’s site and shipped anywhere in the globe in at least 90 days.


It had booked US$110 million in orders and just raised a US$15.4 million round from investors like 500 Startups, which fought hard to get into the deal. “The company didn’t need to raise. I had to convince them to take my money for value-add, not cash,” 500 managing partner Khailee Ng previously said.
“This is truly a milestone for the Philippine startup ecosystem. Hopefully, this will put us on the map as a country able to produce intellectual property and product-based technologies,” said Jojo Flores, co-founder of accelerator Plug and Play. “I’m also expecting this event to unleash some of the investment capital from traditional brick and mortar businesses to our tech startups and our corporations to begin integrating startups into their businesses.”
“This achievement is a clarion call to the first, second, and third generation families invested heavily in the Philippines to look closely at how they can innovate in their present markets and open up new markets and segments for themselves,” commented Paul Pajo, co-founder of Smart Developer Network, a developer community program in the Philippines.
Source : TechInAsia, http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/11/14/17/philippines-first-1-billion-startup-hopes-to-inspire-entrepreneurs