Microsoft Corp is investing in Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm Grab as part of a partnership that the two companies said will allow them to collaborate on technology projects, including big data and artificial intelligence, Reuters reports. The companies did not disclose the deal value. Funding by venture capital (VC) firms in Southeast Asian start-ups has risen to a record so far this year, surpassing the total investments made in 2017, industry data shows. Geographically strategic, start-ups in Southeast Asia have access to almost 60 per cent of the world’s population, making the region hugely attractive to companies who want to truly be born global, writes Lyra Reyes for Yahoo News.