Start@Sg: Byte Academy sets up HQ in Singapore

Byte Academy sets up HQ in Singapore

American computer skills school Byte Academy has set up its regional headquarters in Singapore with $3 million in funding from Tri5 Ventures. The Singapore operations - the firm's first international subsidiary - will hold exclusive territorial rights over all Byte operations in Asean. The school will offer software development, fintech and data science courses similar to those at its New York school.

"Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shamuragatnam visited our school in New York and personally gave us the exciting prospects of Singapore's focus on Smart Nation, in particular finance technologies," said Byte Academy co-founder Rak Chugh. "I was further convinced of this on my recent visit to Singapore, where there is a growing finance community of programmers and start-ups, similar to New York in its early stages."

Appknox raises $875,000 for growth

Appknox, a Singapore- based mobile security firm, has raised $875,000 in a funding round led by SeedPlus, a new seed stage venture capital firm backed by Jungle Ventures. Infocomm Investments, Accel Partners and RNT Associates also invested in it.

Appknox is using the new fund to start its cloud-based mobile security solution for businesses in South-east Asia. Its software helps developers and start-ups identify and fix security problems within their software and apps. The solution was launched last year and the firm is working with e-commerce and payments firms, including Paytm and CitrusPay.

$336k fund for home services concierge

On-demand home services concierge FIX8 has received US$250,000 (S$336,000) in funding from private investors that will go towards marketing and enhancing its technology platform.

The firm has over 500 partners in its database, including firms specialising in air-conditioning, cleaning and moving. Said co-founder Daryl Lim: "One of our goals is helping the FIX8 customer remove the stress and hassle of creating a happy home environment while freeing up their time so that they can enjoy the other important aspects of their lives."

Chia Yan Min

•Singapore's burgeoning start-up scene punches above its weight for vibrancy, funding and market reach, and we want to give it deeper coverage. The Straits Times is on the lookout for interesting start-ups and inspiring founders to feature in Start@SG. E-mail your stories to chiaym@sph.com.sg

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 18, 2016, with the headline Start@Sg: Byte Academy sets up HQ in Singapore . Subscribe