LAST YEAR SAW A NUMBER OF INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS FOR GROUP DIGITAL LIFE. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES GOING FORWARD?

Samba: The developments in our businesses last year have really strengthened their foundations for growth in the coming financial year. Acquiring Videology and integrating it into Amobee’s platform makes Amobee one of the first in the advertising technology market to unify TV, digital and social into a single platform. HOOQ’s strategic digital partnerships with Grab and Hotstar will enhance its ability to scale in their respective markets, while DataSpark’s focus on out-of-home advertising, transport and telco network planning is gaining greater market acceptance in Southeast Asia and Australia.

As we continue to build operating momentum, we are turning our attention towards value realisation for these businesses. This could be in the form of additional strategic partners coming on board as stakeholders in the entity, or through an IPO. We also look to better inform the investment community on the real value of these businesses, as they are quite different from our traditional core businesses and should be valued with metrics appropriate for their respective industries.

In addition, we are constantly evaluating digital opportunities as new growth engines for the Group, in current verticals and new verticals such as digital health and fintech.

AMOBEE HAD AN EVENTFUL YEAR WITH ACQUISITIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS. HOW WILL THESE DEALS HELP DRIVE GROWTH?

Samba: We are focused on developing a leading platform for omnichannel advertising. The acquisition of Videology and our partnerships with data providers such as Oracle Data Cloud and Nielsen, will help us to grow our business with agencies and our strategic accounts.

We also hope to do more broadcaster deals like the agreement we reached with the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster, ITV, to create their own “walled garden” for advertising, exclusively within the Amobee platform. Our technology enables broadcasters to digitally upgrade their TV and video advertising capabilities to create value for advertisers, and be competitive in digital advertising markets where Google and Facebook dominate.

HOOQ HAS SHOWN POSITIVE MOMENTUM IN THE YEAR, HOW DO YOU INTEND TO KEEP IT UP?

Samba: We are now beginning to leverage telco and non-telco partners in our quest to become one of the largest OTT video providers in Southeast Asia.

HOOQ has entered into a partnership with Hotstar which gives us access to the huge Indian market where Hotstar has more than 300 million monthly active users. We have also entered into a partnership with OVO in Indonesia and a regional agreement with Grab, where HOOQ’s streaming service will be integrated within Grab’s environment and their customers will enjoy a seamless video experience during their Grab interaction. These partnerships let us expand our audience, and when combined with the assets we’ve built, place us in a strong position to grow.

SINGTEL HAS MADE SOME INTERESTING INVESTMENTS THROUGH INNOV8 THIS YEAR. CAN YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT THEM AND YOUR INVESTMENT STRATEGY?

Samba: In this fast-changing digital age, we must continue to evolve to stay relevant. Our investment strategy for our digital businesses has often taken the form of in-house development and strategic buys that may accelerate our leadership in the marketplace.

In addition to acquisitions and organic growth, we are also looking at other investment strategies in which we identify and invest in emerging growth companies through Innov8, especially those that are filling the gaps left by traditional infrastructure or are disrupting and improving service delivery through their digital solutions. These are companies that create value for our customers, particularly in emerging markets. Given our footprint, we can by extension, help them scale their business and expand in the region.

An example this year is Halodoc, an Indonesian digital health platform that aims to simplify access to healthcare by building an ecosystem that caters to the entire patient journey. We are working closely with our investee companies to support their development, including providing access to data analytics and advertising capabilities to enhance their digital offerings.