Goodbye Garage, hello Tech in Asia: How BT’S startup coverage is evolving
IN MAY 2019, The Business Times (BT) launched its Garage portal with the aim of providing in-depth coverage of South-east Asia’s rapidly growing startup ecosystem.
Garage’s debut was well-timed, coinciding with a rise in investor interest in private markets and the region’s e-commerce boom. With so much going on, Garage’s brand of insightful journalism was a useful resource for BT readers looking to cut through the noise and get the unfiltered inside scoop on the scene.
The Garage team’s hard work was recognised when it took home the Gold award at the 2019 WANIFRA (World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers) Asian Digital Media Awards. Since then, its coverage has spanned topics ranging from startup funding during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, the rise and dip of “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) services and Singapore’s emerging artificial intelligence companies. The team’s “5 Questions” interview series, whose subjects include business founders and figures in the venture capital industry, has also become synonymous with the Garage vertical.
Just as the startup world is constantly evolving, so too is BT’S approach to covering the scene. With SPH Media’s recent acquisition of Tech in Asia (TIA), the Singaporebased tech news outlet, BT will be tapping on TIA’S regional coverage and readership base – which is currently spread across South-east Asia, India and the US, to boost its presence as a regional financial news publication.
What all this means for BT subscribers is that they will soon have access to a selection of TIA content via the BT website (located under the “Startups” tab on the BT homepage). This refreshed take on the startup scene will include deep dives into the latest trends, deals and developments in the industry.
“TIA is a well-known brand in the startups and venture capital community, known for their data stories and scoops. We believe BT readers and subscribers will find their coverage insightful and, more importantly, useful,” says BT’S editor Chen Huifen.
Regarding the content partnership between the two publications, TIA’S co-founder and editor-inchief Terence Lee says: “We see TIA’S offerings as a perfect complement to BT’S brand of business journalism. TIA prides itself on breaking industry stories and producing data-informed content, both of which I’m confident will resonate with BT’S audience.”
While BT’S Garage vertical will be discontinued later this month, past articles will still be accessible via the “Startups” tab or at www.businesstimes.com.sg/startups-tech.
For BT subscribers who have been following past issues of the weekly BT Garage newsletter, past issues will still be available on the newsletter archive page.
We believe BT readers and subscribers will find TIA’S coverage insightful and, more importantly, useful.” Chen Huifen, editor, BT