Carousell strengthens its safety features with a new acquisition

Carousellapp

(Marketingmagazine.com.my)- By Malati Siniah

In a move many are reporting as an ‘acqui-hire’, Singaporean based e-commerce start-up, Carousell recently hired the entire product and engineering team of Malaysian start-up WatchOverMe.

Watchoverme

A message on Watch Over Me’s website

As a result of this acquisition, WatchOverMe, a personal safety app which allows your loved ones to keep track of your journey, has shut its doors in Malaysia. In light of its closure, the company decided to open source its technology.

“As a coincidence, since we announced our plan to open source the technology on our website, I’ve gotten emails from non-profits and other organizations who are eager to maintain and build on our technology and have it continue to serve users for free worldwide,” Watch Over Me Co-founder and CEO Xin-Ci Chin told tech news site e27.

Chin, who founded the company in 2012 will be a part-time consultant advising Carousell on improving the app’s CRM infrastructure and processes.

Carousell app

Carousell app. Photo credit www.facebook.com/carousell.my

It was reported in Tech in Asia that WatchOverMe’s Chief Technology Officer, Jinny Wong will now be working on ‘features to build trust and safety among Carousell users.’

Apart from its recent acquisition Carousell also announced the appointment of Andrius Baranauskas, formerly with preloved fashion marketplace Vinter, as their new product director.

Earlier this year the start-up brought in Airbnb’s very first Southeast Asian employee Chai Jia Jih as their Vice President (International).

The mobile marketplace which allows people to sell and buy items via mobile made waves last month when it secured a funding of US$35 million to grow the company.


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