PHNOM PENH: Haystack Fund is proud to announce that KhmerDev, its recently acquired IT company through Haystack LABS, is working with researchers on MapItKH, a pioneering health-safety website that delivers the latest Covid-19 information in Cambodia.
MapItKH was launched this year by experts on public safety and emergency management, including Nak Srey, a graduate student in Sweden, and David Benaim, founder of Xlconsulting (Cambodia).
As the Covid-19 pandemic has intensified, Cambodian residents — as well as officials and media outlets — have turned to MapItKH for up-to-date information on restrictions, curfews, masks, vaccine locations and other crucial aspects of the health crisis. The website, which publishes in Khmer and English, has quickly reached 650,000 visits.
When the MapItKH team needed some digital help, they turned to KhmerDev.
“MapItKH was created for the sole purpose of contributing to people’s safety from Covid-19 in Cambodia by providing a platform of collected information with reliable sources”
Nak Srey, co-founder of MapItKH
“We approached KhmerDev to find ways to make our website easy to read and available on all mobile devices. We were aware our previous site did not offer the best user experience.”
‘WE ARE GRATEFUL’
MapItKH is compiled from various media and government sources, but is not affiliated with the Royal Government of Cambodia. As traffic on the website exploded, MapItKH team sought some technical help from KhmerDev, which was acquired by Haystack Fund in March, making it easily available on all mobile devices.
“We’re all in the fight against Covid-19 together, so KhmerDev was happy to lend a hand for a positive project like MapItKH”
Jeff Laflamme, CTO at Haystack Labs
“We were able to improve the usability of the site, make it more engaging and increase the number of visitors,” added Laflamme.
KhmerDev was founded in 2001, becoming one of Cambodia’s earliest IT companies. Over two decades, KhmerDev has managed more than 200 projects and worked with more than 150 national and international partners. Public sector partners include UNESCO, UNDP, the French Embassy and several Cambodian government ministries.
The KhmerDev team helped to not only improve our website but also provided a great way for users to view restrictions by province,” Nak Srey said.
“We are grateful. The new website helps contribute to our purpose of keeping Cambodia safe.”
HAYSTACK ACTIVITY
Haystack LABS, the Phnom Penh-based incubator of Haystack Fund, acquired KhmerDev in March. The partnership with MapItKH is one of the first projects initiated by KhmerDev since it was acquired by Haystack LABS.
Haystack Fund has been active and strategic across multiple business sectors. Wonderpass, a smart-ticketing venture approved by the Ministry of Tourism. Bong Tees, a Phnom Penh-based clothing and design brand, opened its first retail outlet on April 15.
Haystack Fund continues to develop Huggr, a person-to-person activity-sharing platform scheduled to launch by the end of 2021 in a number of regional markets.
Haystack Fund has invested in a range of land development projects, including Breathe Wild, an eco-lodge and coffee plantation in Mondulkiri province, and a green villa project in Kep.
Visit mapitkh.com
Visit khmerdev.com
For more information, please visit the Haystack website at haystack.fund.
