Poptron raises US$1M in strategic investment

Kuala Lumpur: Poptron, a lifestyle social commerce platform in Malaysia, has secured US$1 million in strategic investment from an unnamed NASDAQ-listed company.

These investments will be used to develop the platform’s version 2.0 (expected to be rolled out in January 2021) as well as expand the team and begin operations in Singapore by Q1 2021.

The Kuala Lumpur-headquartered tech startup said in a statement that it is planning to raise an additional US$375,000 via pitchIN, a local equity crowdfunding platform, in Q1 2021.

Launched in September 2019, Poptron is a curated e-commerce platform that connects microbrands — selling high-quality, natural, and eco-friendly products or artisanal goods — with like-minded global users.

The firm helps sellers overcome key pain points in customer acquisition, business management, and regional growth by using a single platform to handle everything from inquiries to shipping.

Users will also be able to discover, follow, and shop with peace of mind through an intuitive user interface while tracking each delivery straight to their doorstep.

Founder Brian Johnson Lowe said: “Before the Movement Control Order (MCO), I used to frequent local arts bazaars and discovered a lot of interesting, high-quality products from small brands and businesses. Due to the pandemic, bazaars came to a halt, so these brands are depending on online sales, usually gathered from various social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Online demand generation became a critical area of focus, and it became quite evident that securing new customers online isn’t as easy as it seems.”