AsiaPay Champions Women-Led Ventures Across APAC with A$40K in Prizes

Second Year of Support for Women Entrepreneurs Driving Positive Change

MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LIFTWOMEN®, the global platform empowering female entrepreneurs, is thrilled to announce the return of its LiftHER Female Founders Grant Challenge, supported once again by AsiaPay Capital. This year, AsiaPay's continued sponsorship amplifies its commitment to fostering innovation and inclusion, with A$40K in prizes for finalists and winners. Following the success of last year's inaugural challenge—which received over 300 applications from five APAC regions—the LiftHER initiative remains dedicated to supporting women-led ventures that drive positive social and environmental impact.

The previous LiftHER cohort celebrated diverse founders from Australia, Vietnam, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, and the Philippines, showcasing businesses across MedTech, sustainable consumer products, and digital platforms. These finalists have not only made strides in their industries but have collectively engaged audiences of over 500,000 across social media and earned coverage in major media outlets, including Forbes, CNN, and LinkedIn Top Voice.

In 2024, nine finalists will again be selected to participate in an intensive 8-week business and crowdfunding coaching program. Last year's winners included OVUM (Australia), an AI-driven women's health assistant, La Foundary (Australia), which transforms waste into biomaterials, and Urban Farmer TV (Philippines), dubbed the "Netflix for urban gardening."

Irene Tsang, Founder and CEO of LIFTWOMEN®, emphasised the vital role that AsiaPay's support plays in sustaining the challenge and uplifting these visionary founders. "AsiaPay's partnership is instrumental in ensuring that female founders have access to resources that are often out of reach," said Tsang. "Their commitment goes beyond sponsorship; it is a powerful affirmation that women-led ventures are key to creating a sustainable and inclusive future. The LiftHER Grant Challenge is more than just a competition—it's a platform to break down systemic funding barriers, empowering women to lead impactful change."

Joseph Chan, CEO of AsiaPay Capital, added, "AsiaPay Capital is honoured to support LIFTWOMEN® again this year, backing a program that aligns with our values of innovation and inclusive growth. The quality of last year's applicants was inspiring, and we look forward to seeing new ideas that merge technology, sustainability, and gender equality to shape the future of business in Asia."

Applications for the LiftHER Grant Challenge opened on 11 November 2024 and will close on 3 January 2025. Finalists will be announced in late January and will start their journey with international mentors in February, leading up to the Pitch Night in April 2025, where A$40,000 in grant funding will be awarded across four categories: Sustainable Future, Innovation & Impact, Digital Commerce, and People's Choice.

For more information about the LiftHER Female Founders Grant Challenge or to apply, please visit: https://www.lifther.liftwomen.com/ 

About LIFTWOMEN®

LIFTWOMEN® Group, founded in 2021 by Irene Tsang, is a global start-and-scale platform for women-led businesses. Designed to bridge the gender funding gap, the platform provides female entrepreneurs with equity-free and debt-free capital, along with the tools, mentorship, and community support they need to succeed. With operations across Australia and Asia, LIFTWOMEN®'s mission is to foster financial inclusion, promote sustainable business growth, and empower women to achieve financial independence.

https://www.liftwomen.com/ 

About AsiaPay Capital

AsiaPay Capital, an incubation arm of the AsiaPay Group, a leading digital payment player in Asia, strives to accelerate the growth of startups in the new economy and digital sectors in Asia. Through financial backing, local operational resources and facility access, mentorship, and innovation synergy, investees benefit from a streamlined pathway to expand and grow. AsiaPay Capital offers startups a comprehensive range of advanced payment solutions, and gain access to a broad capital, client and partner base, ensuring a faster and more secure regional expansion in Asia.

https://www.asiapaycapital.com/

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

AsiaPay Champions Women-Led Ventures Across APAC with A$40K in Prizes

BUSAN, South Korea, Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The MICE industry is one of the many contributors to environmental degradation. The air and ground travel that bring visitors to MICE events around the world contributes to carbon emissions, while the waste generated at MICE events is another major pollution factor. Recognizing these issues and understanding the need for sustainability, Busan and the BTO CVB are striving to operate MICE events in ways that align with ESG management principles. The goal of Busan's sustainable MICE approach is to prepare environmentally-responsible events, while maximizing community participation and overall impact. Fulfilling social responsibilities during MICE events and reporting the effectiveness of ESG at MICE events are also key objectives.

In 2022, the "2022 Busan Sustainable MICE Event Management Guidelines" were released, capturing the attention of the MICE industry. These guidelines offer a range of useful measures for protecting the environment while hosting successful MICE events. The guidelines provide detailed examples and recommendations to assist companies that may encounter challenges when establishing ESG strategies and goals for events, as well as assistance in preparing operational manuals. As they are presented in a checklist format, the guidelines list key considerations for sustainability practices, tailored to those involved in events, enhancing their usability. Practices include selecting eco-friendly accommodations within walking distance as the official lodging, minimizing food waste and carbon emissions, and using reusable materials in exhibition halls.

In line with agreements made with MICE businesses, government offices, and other companies, the BTO CVB held a sustainability management declaration ceremony and conducted environmental campaigns. In addition, the BTO CVB is actively conducting sessions for MICE companies in Busan on ESG management through initiatives such as MICE Alliance Day and meetings with the Busan MICE Alliance (BMA).

During COSPAR 2024, which was held from July 13 to 21, the BTO CVB set up a tourism promotion booth made of recyclable timber. This eco-friendly booth was also reused during IGC 2024 in August, promoting "paperless conferences." The IT services provided were instrumental in reducing paper usage, and also contributed to a high level of participant satisfaction. Efforts to operate a waste-free booth continued at the 27^th IAVE, which was held in Busan on October 22. In this way, Busan and the BTO CVB have consistently demonstrated a proactive model for eco-friendly MICE events.

With the hope of establishing itself as a MICE city known for sustainable growth, Busan —at the forefront of the MICE industry—will continue to strive to make all visits to the marine city truly memorable. See you in Busan!

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Busan's Efforts to Protect the Earth Through MICE Sustainability