GrabTaxi may have won the first rounds. At the end of 2014 Easy Taxi pulled out of Indonesia and was laying off staff in Malaysia, while GrabTaxi Holdings had raised almost $340 million in venture capital and loans; Japan’s SoftBank is its biggest investor.
* Rocket’s Asian Ups and Downs—Forbes Asia
By Susan J. Cunningham Forbes Asia Philippine Long-Distance Telephone's 8.6% stake in Rocket Internet is a no-brainer: Telecom and Internet giant PLDT is a pioneer in online and mobile payments, and Rocket’s own payment system, Payleven, quickly foundered in 2012 when the first Rocket e-commerce sites were being established in Asia. For many poorer residents... Continue Reading →
* 48 Heroes of Philanthropy 2014—Forbes Asia
By John Koppisch Forbes Asia For the eighth straight year we spotlight notable philanthropists in the Asia-Pacific region, especially those who made news in the past year by launching new and innovative projects. The 48-member honor roll ranges from billionaires with expansive visions of how best to help society to less well-known business people whose... Continue Reading →
* Thai Union Frozen is the Big Kahuna of Tuna—Forbes Asia
Thai Union accounts for 21% of the world's processed tuna production. "We can now claim to be the only global tuna company, and can claim a global production base," says Thiraphong.
* Thai Beverage Man Tan Passakornnatee Is On a Mission—Forbes Asia
Each day, after he announces a winning number, there’s another human interest story for the 2.7 million fans of his TanMaiTan, the most popular Facebook page in Thailand.