Daily Briefing: Singapore steps up hiring for foreign tech talent; Esports company Team Flash secures $2.08m in seed round

And SIA is offering wellness dishes on selected flights.

From Reuters:

Singapore is pursuing more foreign tech talent as it ramps up efforts to grow the sector, its trade minister said, adding that locals would also benefit from the plans amidst concerns about preserving jobs as the economy sours.

The Asian city-state is already home to the regional offices of hundreds of tech companies like Facebook and Google, a cluster it hopes to grow into a global tech hub and make the “linchpin” of its future economy.

“Demand for tech talent is far outstripping the local supply... We need to complement our local pipeline with skilled workers from all around the world.”

Chan was responding to a question about whether a scheme aimed at helping firms hire foreign tech talent, called Tech@SG, was necessary given slowing growth and the government’s stated focus on hiring and developing local jobs.

Singapore has been tightening conditions for hiring foreign professionals in recent years, and said in February quotas for foreign workers in the services sector would be further reduced.

Read more here.

From e27:

Singapore-based esports company, Team Flash, has secured $2.08m in its first round of seed funding led by country-based family office Octava.

The money will be used mainly for international expansion, further grow its business in Vietnam, recruit esports players and content creators across the region, and also to focus on bringing in brand sponsorships and media partners. The startup also plans to launch a dedicated merchandising arm later this year.

Founded in October 2017 by Terence Ting and Samson Oh, Team Flash is an esports franchise that empowers talented athletes to pursue a professional career in competitive gaming.

Team Flash currently employs more than 30 professional esports athletes and content creators in various game titles, including Arena of Valor (AOV), League of Legends (LOL), FIFA and PUBG Mobile across Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia.

Read more here.

From TTG Asia:

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has teamed up with Singapore-based wellness brand Como Shambhala to offer specially curated wellness dishes on selected SIA flights from this September, an extension of their partnership inked earlier this year to enhance customers’ holistic well-being and travel experience.

The wellness dishes are reportedly aimed at enhancing customers’ holistic well-being and travel experience. Customers can look forward to a menu of healthy and flavourful dishes, each dish carefully tailored to nourish the body and alleviate travel-induced stresses such as fatigue.

First class and business class customers will be able to enjoy the wellness in-flight menu on selected flights departing Singapore to Hong Kong, Frankfurt, London, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

These will be launched concurrently with the co-developed wellness dishes from September 1, 2019, and will be exclusively available for download via the SIA mobile app.

Read more here.