Company briefs: Signum Capital

Venture capital firm Signum Capital, the brainchild of property scion John Ng Pangilinan, has partnered UOB in its latest fund to invest in blockchain technology. To date, some US$40 million (S$54.6 million) has been committed to the UVM Signum Blockchain Fund, with Signum and UOB Venture Management, the bank's investment arm, each committing US$5 million.

Both entities are co-general partners in the fund. Fund raising started in August and is expected to close by the year end or early next month, at US$50 million. Other backers include family offices and institutions in Singapore and South-east Asia.

THE BUSINESS TIMES

---

Wikipedia

A non-fungible token (NFT) - a unique digital object that confers ownership via blockchain technology - memorialising Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales' first edit on the online reference resource 20 years ago as well as an iMac he used when programming the platform sold for almost US$1 million (S$1.37 million) at a Christie's auction on Wednesday.

The NFT is of Wikipedia's debut onscreen image when he posted the first words "Hello world". The strawberry iMac was what he "used for development and research at the time of the website's launch on Jan 15, 2001", Christie's said.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

---

Isetan

Isetan Singapore said it had not gathered enough interest from investors to purchase its space at Wisma Atria shopping mall in Orchard Road.

The department store operator had in July started an expressions of interest exercise to gather interest from target investors, but the exercise has since "run its course without yielding a positive outcome for the matter to proceed further at this juncture", it said on Wednesday. It will continue to explore all other opportunities that can lead to a better yield for the property, including any possible future sale, it added.

THE BUSINESS TIMES