Tech in Asia
Singapore-based startup Moovaz today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Singapore Press Holdings’ (SPH) expat publication The Finder to add content and community-building to its relocation service.
The Finder provides expats with tips, ideas, and inspiration for what to do and buy and where to go in Singapore and around the region. It has more than 300,000 “global-local” users and is circulated in more than 400 locations, according to a statement.
Following the acquisition, Moovaz will be taking over the publication’s assets including its quarterly print and digital magazines, The Finder Kids supplements, web content, and social media content, among others, in Singapore and Malaysia.
Moovaz said the deal will help the magazine reach its relocation clients and build an ecosystem of end-to-end logistics and lifestyle services. At the same time, the startup looks to cater to global-locals as they relocate and settle into local communities.
As part of the transaction, the magazine’s editor-in-chief Sara Lyle Bow will be joining Moovaz as director of The Finder and head of community. SPH will also become a Moovaz shareholder and help with the startup’s regional outreach efforts via its media platforms, according to the statement.
Founded in 2017, Moovaz aims to offer transparency and open access to mobility services worldwide. The company said it currently has a global network of more than 2,000 certified partners.
The acquisition comes after Moovaz raised US$7 million in a series A funding round led by Quest Ventures in April. It previously secured US$1 million in seed funding from Mojo Partners in 2018, followed by an undisclosed amount of investment from Hustle Fund and two former 500 Startups partners last year.
