Korea Household Debt Jumps Most Since 2021 Before BOK Rate Call
Total household credit rose by 24.6 trillion won ($17.7 billion), or 1.3%, in the April-June period, compared with the previous quarter, according to data released Tuesday by the central bank. That was the highest quarterly gain since third quarter of 2021.
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Firebolt Expands in APAC with Singapore Hub, Appoints Deepak Ajmani to Lead Regional Growth
PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Firebolt, the analytical database for real-time applications, today announced a major expansion across APAC, driven by unprecedented demand from organizations accelerating their data and AI initiatives. As part of this growth, Firebolt has opened a new regional hub in Singapore to strengthen its presence across the region. To lead this effort, Firebolt has appointed Deepak Ajmani as Head of Asia & ANZ. With over 20 years of leadership experience in the technology industry — including senior roles at Oracle, Dell, Google, and most recently as Vice President of A/NZ & Emerging Markets at Confluent — Deepak brings a deep understanding of enterprise data and cloud strategies, along with a proven track record of scaling go-to-market teams across APAC. His appointment deepens Firebolt's presence while accelerating growth in key verticals like financial services, e-commerce, and technology. Firebolt was built for engineers running mission-critical analytics and AI workloads, delivering strong price/performance even for complex, high-concurrency demands. With Postgres SQL compatibility and native Iceberg support, Firebolt runs low-latency analytics, scalable batch ELT, and AI workloads efficiently. "Organizations across APAC are pushing the limits of analytics and AI workloads," said Deepak Ajmani. "Firebolt's ability to process massive volumes of data at low latency and high concurrency — all while optimizing for cost — is a game-changer. I'm excited to partner with forward-thinking companies across the region to unlock new possibilities with Firebolt." As investment in AI-driven analytics, cloud infrastructure, and cost-optimized data platforms accelerates across the region, Firebolt's expansion comes at a pivotal moment. Earlier this year, Firebolt launched operations in Bangalore and has since made several key executive hires, underscoring the company's momentum across the region. "We're seeing demand in APAC accelerate faster than in any other market we've entered," said Sandeep Mathur, Managing Director of APAC. "With Deepak joining the team, we're well-positioned to meet the region's surging need for analytical infrastructure that can power the next generation of real-time applications." "Our mission is to give engineers an analytical database that delivers unmatched performance, flexibility, and control," added Hemanth Vedagarbha, President at Firebolt. "Deepak's track record in scaling high-performing businesses and teams will be instrumental as we enter our next phase of growth, ensuring we deliver greater efficiency and value across the region." This expansion reinforces Firebolt's leadership in enabling low-latency analytics, high-concurrency performance, and AI-ready capabilities for organizations across a wide range of industries. About FireboltFirebolt is the analytical database for real-time applications. Built for production-grade data and AI workloads, Firebolt gives engineers the performance, flexibility, and control they need. Firebolt has Postgres-compatible SQL, can run on Iceberg, and delivers unmatched price-performance even on complex, high-concurrency workloads. Whether fully managed in the cloud or self-hosted, Firebolt runs low-latency queries, complex joins, and heavy batch ELT efficiently in one place. For more information, visit and follow on LinkedIn. Media ContactJosh TurnerSi14 Global Communicationsfireboltpr@ (917) 231-0330 View original content: SOURCE Firebolt Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
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Singapore SMEs Lose 9 Hours a Week to Inefficiency, Harvest Point Consulting Says Fixing Bottlenecks is Key to Growth
Productivity drain costs SMEs billions annually. At Business Show Asia 2025, Harvest Point Consulting launches a results-first initiative to help business leaders reclaim time and scale smarter. SINGAPORE, Aug. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Singapore's economy, yet many are caught in a cycle of wasted time and stalled growth. Research shows that small business leaders spend nearly 9 hours every week battling inefficiencies, the equivalent of a full workday lost ( If extrapolated across Singapore's 280,000 SMEs, this translates into billions of dollars in lost productivity annually. Harvest Point Consulting (HPC), a Singapore-based business consulting firm, is tackling this head-on. At The Business Show Asia 2025, Booth #715, HPC will launch a national initiative to help SMEs identify and fix their most pressing bottlenecks. Founder and Lead Consultant Clifford Tan said: "Every SME leader I meet says the same thing: they're running hard, but growth feels stuck. That's exactly what we're here to change." A Results-First Initiative for SMEs As part of its launch, HPC will be inviting 20 SMEs for a focused post-show session. Conducted after the show, each engagement provides: A streamlined process map tailored to the SME The top three bottlenecks blocking growth A Fix-First Roadmap with immediate actions An Improvement Score to measure progress Visitors to the booth will also be able to try the Bottleneck Buster™, a rapid diagnostic tool designed to spotlight operational inefficiencies in minutes. Clifford Tan added: "We believe clarity always comes before scale. If leaders can see what's truly holding them back, fixing it becomes simple. That principle guides every engagement we run." From Fixes to the Future Insights from these Clarity Sessions will also fuel the development of SMEOS, HPC's AI-driven operating system for SMEs, currently in development. SMEOS is designed to provide continuous tracking of bottlenecks, improvement scoring, and data-driven recommendations, giving leaders a system for sustainable growth. Why It Matters Nationally With SMEs contributing nearly half of Singapore's GDP and employing two-thirds of the workforce, eliminating inefficiencies at scale represents not just business survival, but a competitive edge for the nation's economy. SMEs interested in the Clarity Sessions can register at Booth #715 during the event. Additional details are also available at About Harvest Point Consulting Harvest Point Consulting (HPC) is a Singapore-based firm that helps SMEs eliminate bottlenecks and achieve operational clarity. HPC combines process optimization expertise with AI-powered tools to deliver fast, practical results. Its upcoming platform, SMEOS, is being developed in partnership with real SMEs to ensure relevance, credibility, and measurable impact. Sandler, S. (2025, June 23). Time trapped: The productivity crisis facing small business leaders. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Harvest Point Consulting Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
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US commerce secretary says trade documents wanted by Japan are 'weeks away'
TOKYO (Reuters) -U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a CNBC interview on Tuesday that documents memorializing trade agreements with Japan and South Korea -- a sensitive topic in Tokyo -- are "weeks away" from being ready. Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba, who is facing calls to step down after the ruling coalition's loss in the July upper house election, has come under attack for not insisting on getting the details of the U.S.-Japan trade deal in writing. He has said Japan skipped this to avoid delaying a reduction in U.S. tariffs on Japanese goods. Lutnick told CNBC the United States has reached a common understanding with both Japan and South Korea on these trade agreements. Under the deal reached last month, the U.S. agreed to reduce tariffs on Japanese car imports to 15% from the previous 27.5%, but did not announce when the change would take effect. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
