This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on October 9, 2023 - October 15, 2023

Robotics solutions company Meraque Group has launched the first autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) designed for complex agricultural environments, named Robotic Agroin Complex Environment (RACE).

As an AGV, RACE is designed to navigate the intricate and challenging terrain of agricultural environments. Its features include artificial intelligence (AI)-powered mobility control, long-range (LoRa) real-time data transmission, light detection and ranging navigation, an expansive 500l smart liquid tank, a 12m maximum spray width and a robust 30° terrain-climbing capability.

RACE also comes equipped with 360° vertical and horizontal directional spray functions, autonomous driving capabilities, 700kg maximum load capacity, advanced obstacle avoidance detection systems and an electronic parking system.

Meraque, which commands Malaysia’s largest market share for drone spraying services, has secured patents for the incorporation of real-time kinematic LoRa technology, swarm technology and smart spraying within the RACE system. The AGV is designed to decrease dependence on foreign labour and enhance fertiliser spraying consistency in various crop and plantation fields.

Notably, the Malaysian robotics market is poised for substantial growth, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 17.5%, which is expected to drive it to US$273.61 million (RM1.29 billion) by 2027.

MADCash secures RM5 mil in funding to empower women entrepreneurs

Local fintech start-up MADCash Sdn Bhd has secured RM5 million in investment led by Artem Ventures with support from MSW Ventures and ScaleUp Founders Fund. MADCash provides zero-interest microfunds to women entrepreneurs.

The investment, which was raised during its pre-series A fundraising exercise, will be used to enhance the firm’s online platform using AI technology, cover operational and marketing expenses and explore expansion opportunities within the Southeast Asian region.

MADCash, which stands for Multiply, Assist, Donate Cash, funds and grows unbanked and underbanked women entrepreneurs, aiming to create an alternative credit score to increase their future bankability.

MADCash managing director Nuraizah Shamsul Baharin says that the firm has plans to establish the MADCash Academy. By the end of this year, MADCash is set to have extended its support to over 800 women. Among its partners are Hong Leong Islamic Bank and PayNet.

AI-powered multilingual digital marketing platform NexMind has secured seed funding from venture capital firm 500 Global. The company provides advanced search engine optimisation (SEO) tools to create search-optimised content in 17 languages through its proprietary AI framework.

NexMind simplifies and streamlines how brands create multilingual SEO content that ranks on search engines like Google and Bing, as well as e-commerce marketplaces like Amazon, Lazada and Shopee.

Founded in 2019, NexMind has been self-funded and operating profitably since 2021. The funds will be used to expand its product offerings and accelerate customer acquisition worldwide.

The firm has also launched Text2Social, a new feature that increases user efficiency by allowing them to generate engaging social media posts across multiple channels with just one click. This allows users to create social media posts in any of the 17 languages, ensuring their message is localised and relevant to garner higher engagement.

The tool conducts in-depth audience research to identify multiple data points useful for generating effective social media content, enabling marketers to spend less time on data analysis and more time implementing data-driven decisions that support their marketing and communication goals.

Cloud industry consultancy eCloudvalley Technology Sdn Bhd, which has been operating mainly in Asia-Pacific, is pushing for global expansion in the next 10 years, says country manager Chong Li Sheng.

Recognising the vast opportunities presented by digital transformation, eCloudvalley started expanding to Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Macau in 2020 after seven years of focusing on Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Early this year, eCloudvalley expanded its services in Sydney.

“In fulfilling our AI-oriented mission, we will also be strategically investing in cutting-edge data and AI technologies while simultaneously achieving sustainability and corporate responsibility milestones, pioneering cloud-based solutions and amplifying global presence,” says Chong.

In the last 10 years, eCloudvalley has supported more than 5,000 businesses globally. eCloudvalley is constantly adapting to evolving industry trends to be ahead of the curve as it tailors customer-specific solutions while being committed to better carbon management and actionable innovation for a greener future. — By Arina Musthafa

A provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources, Workday has appointed Simon Tate as its president of Asia-Pacific, effective Nov 6. Tate will report to Patrick Blair, president of global sales.

Tate will oversee the Asia-Pacific sales organisation as the company enters a new phase of growth across the region where more than 800 of its customers are headquartered. Tate joins Workday from Adobe where he served as president for Asia-Pacific. Prior to that, he held senior sales leadership roles at Salesforce, SAP and Dell EMC.

On a related note, Workday announced further investment in Asia-Pacific and Japan, bringing greater focus to the rapidly expanding market in Japan.

Al Rajhi Banking & Investment Corp (Malaysia) Bhd (ARBM) CEO Arsalaan (Oz) Ahmed has resigned from his position, which he held from February 2021, to pursue his personal ambitions in the fintech and social finance space.

Arsalaan was credited with laying the banking group’s foundation as a leading digital and Islamic banking service provider. Under his leadership, ARBM recorded the highest financial success in the bank’s history. Arsalaan also spearheaded the launch of Rize, ARBM’s digital bank, which garnered several prestigious awards including the Financial Technology Award in the Retail Banking Category in the Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards 2023 and the Virtual Bank of the Year for Malaysia Award in the Asian Banking and Finance Retail Banking Awards 2023.

Logitech G, a brand of Logitech and innovator of gaming technologies and gear, has introduced two new products in the Pro line: the Logitech G Pro X TKL Lightspeed Gaming Keyboard and Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 Gaming Mouse.

In the past three years, Logitech G has been working with hundreds of the world’s most skilled professional e-sports athletes to create the next generation of Pro series gear. These new products, when combined with the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed Gaming Headset launched earlier this year, complete the Pro series, offering the highest level of PC performance across mice, keyboards and headsets.

The Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 Gaming Mouse combines precision, performance and reliability, making it an indispensable advantage for elite-level gaming. The new mouse also includes the brand-new Hero 2 Sensor, with tracking at over 500 inches per second and up to 32,000 DPI (dots per inch). Its unique dual array design increases working range and maintains tracking performance, even when lifting or tilting the mouse.

Like the Pro X Superlight 2 Gaming Mouse, the new Logitech G Pro X TKL Lightspeed Gaming Keyboard was designed with and for pros to deliver the highest level of competitive play. Its tenkeyless — a computer keyboard that does not have a number pad — form factor features programmable keys, RGB lighting with Lightsync, dedicated media controls and volume roller, and the trusted performance and reliability of Logitech G’s Lightspeed wireless technology. In addition to the Lightspeed dongle, players can connect via Bluetooth or via the included USB-C to USB-A cable.

The Pro X TKL Lightspeed Gaming Keyboard (RM799), Pro X Superlight 2 Gaming Mouse (RM689) and Pro X 2 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Headset (RM1,099) are available in pink, black and white, and can be purchased from Logitech G’s official Lazada and Shopee pages.

For generations, everything has been getting faster, better and cheaper. Finally, we reached the point where almost anything you could ever want could be sent to your home within days — even hours — of when you decided you wanted it.

America made that happen, but now America has lost interest in keeping it going.

Globe-spanning supply chains are only possible with the protection of the US Navy. The American dollar underpins internationalised energy and financial markets. Complex, innovative industries were created to satisfy American consumers. American security policy forced warring nations to lay down their arms. Billions of people have been fed and educated as the American-led trade system spread across the globe.

All of this was artificial. All this was temporary. All this is ending.

In The End of the World is Just the Beginning, author and geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan maps out the next world: a world where countries or regions will have no choice but to make their own goods, grow their own food, secure their own energy, fight their own battles and do it all with populations that are both shrinking and ageing.

The list of countries that make it all work is smaller than you think. Which means everything about our interconnected world — from how we manufacture products and how we grow food to how we keep the lights on, how we shuttle stuff about and how we pay for it all — is about to change.

In customary Zeihan fashion, rather than yelling fire in the geo-economics theatre, he narrates the accumulation of matchsticks, gasoline and dynamite in the hands of the oblivious audience, suggesting we might want to call the fire department.

A world ending. A world beginning. Zeihan brings readers along for an illuminating — and a bit terrifying — ride packed with foresight, wit, and his trademark irreverence. — Amazon

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