Daily Briefing: Singapore unveils plans to build 50-hectare train testing centre; AI sales assistant firm startup Saleswhale raises US$5.3m

And new-gen integrated development Funan obtained its TOP.

From ChannelNewsAsia:

A new integrated train testing centre (ITTC) will soon be built at the former Raffles Country Club site to test rail systems around the clock without disrupting passenger services on the main lines.

Taking up a space of 50 ha, the centre in Tuas is expected "to enhance rail reliability, whilst freeing up limited engineering hours and reducing the need for line closures", said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Wednesday (Apr 24).

Equipped to test trains and other core railways systems such as electrical, mechanical and signalling systems, the centre is similar to facilities in countries such as Germany, Korea and Japan, said LTA.

The ITTC will also act as a hub for LTA and the local rail industry "to develop deeper operations and maintenance competencies and achieve engineering excellence," said the authority in the media release.

For example, rail workers can attend training where they will have a first-hand understanding of the intricacies of new rail systems before they are deployed.

Read more here.

From DealStreetAsia:

Singapore-based AI sales assistant Saleswhale has raised US$5.3m in a Series A round led by Monk’s Hill Ventures, according to a release.

GREE Ventures, Wavemaker Partners, and Y Combinator also participated in the round. All the participating firms also invested in the seed round.

Saleswhale is an automated sales assistant that helps companies follow up with inbound & stale leads, engage them in a two-way conversation and qualify them before routing them to human sales representatives.

The startup will use the proceeds to expand its teams, particularly in engineering and sales & marketing. The investment will also be used to extend the Saleswhale offering to meet demands from its global enterprise customers.

Read more here.

From PropertyGuru:

Singapore’s new-gen integrated development Funan has successfully obtained its Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP).

This milestone puts Funan a step closer to opening its retail and office components in 2Q 2019, as announced last September.

From groundbreaking to completion, the construction of Funan took 27 months – a feat for a development of its scale. At 887,000 sqft in total gross floor area, the new Funan is 405,000 sq ft or about 85% larger than its predecessor Funan DigitaLife Mall.

Funan is owned by CapitaLand Mall Trust (CMT) and managed by CapitaLand.

Read more here.

Photo credit: ChannelNewsAsia