Posts by Mark Darwin
European shares rise as banks, healthcare rally; investors weigh geopolitics, AI impact
The fresh AI-driven jitters have rippled across sectors, including software, insurance and trucking Published Wed, Feb 18, 2026 · 06:30 AM [BENGALURU] European shares closed higher on Tuesday (Feb 17) as financials and healthcare stocks led the market rally, while investors tracked geopolitical negotiations and assessed how AI disruptions could reshape business models. The pan-European…
Read MoreEvery time a startup stalls, these 5 blind spots are to blame
You know the feeling. Growth flattens. The energy dips. The metrics are not terrible, but they are not moving. You tell yourself it is just a slow month, a weird cycle, the market. But deep down, you sense something is off. Most startups do not stall because founders are lazy or untalented. They stall because…
Read More7 hard truths about the loneliness of early entrepreneurship
You expected the late nights. You expected the financial risk. You expected your friends to not fully understand what a pre seed round actually means. What you probably did not expect was how quiet it would feel. How the Slack notifications slow down after 7 pm. How your group chat stops buzzing when you skip…
Read MoreWhy Outsourcing Customer Service is a Smart Growth Strategy
Customer expectations in today’s society are higher than ever before; customers expect an answer immediately at any time, day or night, and through multiple channels. Managing the never-ending flow of customer contact and assistance is difficult. This is especially true for a developing company with an already stretched-thin, small workforce and so many other priorities.…
Read MoreBarging blindly into Singapore’s construction boom could be a bust for some investors
Those dipping their toes in now are no longer buying the boom, but betting that these companies can manage their costs FOR years, Singapore’s construction sector was the proverbial “ugly duckling” of the local bourse – a messy, low-margin business plagued by labour crunches, fluctuating raw material costs, and the lingering hangover of pandemic-era delays.…
Read MoreAmova bets on ‘new Singapore’ sectors as MAS expands EQDP
It believes these industries represent the structural future of the country’s economy [SINGAPORE] Renewable energy, innovation-driven healthcare, technology-led infrastructure and financial services are among the key sectors Amova Asset Management is targeting under the Singapore’s Equity Market Development Programme (EQDP). The programme was expanded from S$5 billion to S$6.5 billion during Budget 2026. Amova was…
Read MoreSaic’s India venture to invest up to US$440 million on expansion, deepen bet on hybrids, EVs
Published Mon, Feb 16, 2026 · 11:58 AM [NEW DELHI] JSW MG Motor, a joint venture between China’s Saic Motor and India’s steel-to-cement JSW Group, plans to invest up to US$440 million to expand its India factory and launch new cars with a focus on hybrid and electric models, its managing director said. The loss-making…
Read MoreMacquarie-led group to buy Qube Holdings for A$11.7 billion
Published Mon, Feb 16, 2026 · 10:54 AM [SYDNEY] A group led by Macquarie Asset Management will buy Qube Holdings in a deal worth around A$11.7 billion (S$10.5 billion), as the Australian firm adds a ports and rail operator to its vast swath of infrastructure assets. The consortium will pay A$5.20 per Qube share, according…
Read MoreA family fights to keep control of 157-year-old firm in Japan
Nearly half of Japan’s listed companies are tied to a founding family, many of which no longer have enough equity to guarantee control [TOKYO] Ishikawa is a remote, mountainous prefecture bordering the Sea of Japan, but the fate of a drug store chain whose local roots go back to 1869 has implications for Tokyo’s financial…
Read MoreRampant AI demand for memory is fuelling a growing chip crisis
The fundamental reason for the squeeze is the buildout of artificial intelligence data centres [TAIPEI] A growing procession of tech industry leaders, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, are warning about a global crisis in the making: A shortage of memory chips is beginning to hammer profits, derail corporate plans and inflate price tags on…
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