AppWorks Announces Key Promotions, and Establishment of Two New Business Arms for Southeast Asia and Beacon Funds

AppWorks

March 15, 2023

Today, we have some good news and major developments to share. We at AppWorks have recently completed a new round of institutionalization and internal promotion. Following the establishment of Accelerator and web3 arms in 2022, AppWorks has further upgraded our Southeast Asia venture practice and Beacon Funds as business arms. To support this process, we have made a number of promotions, including (L-to-R): Sophie Chiu, Principal for AppWorks Southeast Asia; Jun Wakabayashi, Principal of AppWorks Beacon Funds; Jack An as Associate; and Vanessa Lu as Operations Director.

With over a decade of continuous development, AppWorks offers a dynamic startup community with 472 active startups and 1,522 entrepreneurs, dedicated to providing founders with the capital and support they need to realize their entrepreneurial dreams and promote sustainable growth for the venture community in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and beyond. This institutionalization process is designed to enhance the professional service capabilities of AppWorks to provide targeted support for entrepreneurs operating in different verticals and geographies.

A Dedicated Southeast Asia Practice

By establishing a formalized Southeast Asia arm and building off the firm’s successful track record in the region, AppWorks aims to deepen the firm’s presence throughout the region, continue to recruit outstanding startups in Southeast Asia to join the AppWorks Accelerator, and support founders throughout the value creation lifecycle via AppWorks flagship funds. With its unique position in Taiwan, AppWorks bridges opportunities between Southeast Asia and Taiwan’s digital economies, providing natural opportunities for market expansion, talent development, and capital-raising for entrepreneurs in both markets. AppWorks’ notable Southeast Asia portfolio companies include: Lalamove, ShopBack, Carousell, Tiki.vn, and EdenFarm, among others.

The formalized Southeast Asia arm is overseen by Principal Sophie Chiu.

AppWorks Beacon Funds

The Beacon Funds arm has become an important bridge connecting AppWorks with venture capital peers in Southeast Asia and around the world. Over the past few years, AppWorks has invested in over 20 successful venture capital firms, such as AC Ventures, Openspace Ventures, Ascend Vietnam Ventures, Foxmont Capital, Pantera Capital, Animoca Ventures, and others—focusing on a variety of different strategies including Southeast Asia regional, country-specific, vertical-specific, and web3 mandates—sharing the firm’s knowledge and expertise to source new investment opportunities, generate upround capital for AppWorks portfolio companies, support due diligence, and exchange best practices. Currently, more than one-tenth of all AppWorks investments are sourced from Beacon Funds-backed VC firms. In the future, AppWorks is expected to invest in more than 10 venture capital funds per year to accelerate the growth of the Beacon Funds ecosystem and expand AppWorks’ reach.

The AppWorks Beacon Funds initiative is led by Principal Jun Wakabayashi.

To support the institutionalization of the AppWorks ecosystem, we have made the following promotions, recognizing their hard effort and contributions to the firm.

Sophie Chiu (Principal – AppWorks SEA)

Sophie oversees AppWorks’ Southeast Asia investment practice, leading efforts to source, invest in, and support outstanding entrepreneurs in the region. Sophie joined AppWorks as an Associate in 2020 and was promoted to Principal in 2023. Before joining AppWorks, Sophie covered public equities for over a decade. She was part of the portfolio management team at Neuberger Berman, focusing on emerging market opportunities. Prior to that, she served as a research analyst at Credit Suisse, JPMorgan, and London-based Autonomous Research. Sophie holds a Master of Finance with distinction from Warwick Business School and BS Finance from National Taiwan University. At AppWorks, Sophie has worked on several notable investments, including 91APP, KKday, Tiki.vn, and EdenFarm.

Jun Wakabayashi (Principal – AppWorks Beacon Funds)

Jun is a Principal leading the Beacon Funds arm—in charge of meeting, helping, collaborating with, and investing in emerging venture capital managers to grow the venture ecosystem in Southeast Asia and web3. Joining as an Analyst in 2017 and then promoted to Associate in 2022 and to Principal in 2023, Jun has been pivotal in turning AppWorks into a household name across the region. By immersing himself in local markets and engaging with both founder and investor communities across Southeast Asia, Jun has established an extensive network that keeps AppWorks top of mind for startups seeking funding, community, and support. Prior to AppWorks, Jun attended NYU’s Stern School of Business where he received a B.S. in Finance, and spent the following several years conducting sector-based market research at Focus Reports. Outside of work, Jun is an avid meditator and invests meaningful time maintaining both his physical and spiritual wellness.

Jack An (Associate – AppWorks)

Jack became an Associate in 2023 and focuses on meeting, helping, and investing in promising web3 founders. Before joining AppWorks in 2019 as an Analyst, he co-founded an InsurTech startup and through the experience, he developed a deep interest in product design and user experience, and has since been passionate about these areas. During his time as a founder, he purchased his first BTC as well as ETH, yet subsequently paid dear tuition to the 2017 go-go ICO era. Prior to embarking on the entrepreneurial path, he worked as an underwriter at Chubb Insurance in New Zealand. Jack earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Waikato University, where he studied classical piano and developed a deep appreciation for Mozart. He loves to cook, read, and is a practicing stoic. He’s on the hunt for the next web3 application that will onboard millions of users and make the world more open, permissionless, censorship-resistant, and trustless.

Vanessa Lu (Operations Director – AppWorks)

Vanessa is an Operations Director at AppWorks. Before that, Vanessa held the role of Operations Manager at Foxconn Group’s Sytrend Startup Foundation, where she spearheaded their incubator, co-working space, and community events planning programs. Prior to that, she covered lead generation and premium customer support for the APAC region at Evernote. Vanessa joined AppWorks in 2018 as Space Director and was promoted to the role of Operations Director in 2023. Vanessa holds a Master Degree in Russian Studies and a Bachelor Degree in Russian Language, both from National Chengchi University. As a devoted mother of a son, she delights in discovering innovative ways to spend quality time with her family, all while ensuring that her work is of the utmost quality.

WE ARE HIRING!

As the AppWorks organization continues to grow, we warmly invite outstanding talent to join us.

Our latest openings include: associate, analyst, crypto native analyst, and fund finance and administration manager.

In addition to providing generous salary packages in line with international industry standards, We have created an open, transparent working environment that rewards hard work and effort—appreciating the contributions of every team member and allowing them to reach their potential. As a collaborative platform, we strive to find consensus among investment and operational decisions from all team members, encouraging constructive feedback and diverse opinions, and reaching alignment with the firm’s mission to better serve founders. At the same time, we are striving to create a system that allows colleagues to balance work, life, and family, including unlimited annual leave, flexible remote work, annual health checks, annual employee travel, and providing a 0-6 years old per child annually subsidy of US$12k—as we have welcomed five AppWorks babies over the past three years, reinforcing AppWorks’ commitment to supporting the families of our team members.

The lodestar of AppWorks has remained consistent since day one—to help entrepreneurs reach their potential and create more successful businesses, and improve the competitiveness of GSEA’s digital economy—bringing together an institutional-grade team under one mission.

“A well-deserved congratulations to Sophie, Jun, Jack, and Vanessa for their promotions—they will play a more prominent role in the next stage of AppWorks’ development. Looking ahead, AppWorks can make a more systematic effort to support founders and create greater impact for the development of Taiwan and Southeast Asia. We sincerely welcome more experts to join us, and work together to make the region’s startup ecosystem stronger, and into a tech powerhouse admired by the world,” remarked Jamie Lin, Chairman, AppWorks.

AppWorks 宣佈新成立 SEA、Beacon Funds 兩事業單位，並完成新一輪內部晉升，在熊市中持續擴大招募人才

AppWorks

in General

AppWorks 今天宣佈完成新一輪組織機構化及內部晉升，並擴大對外招募優秀人才。繼 2022 年分別成立加速器與 Web3 事業單位後，AppWorks 在 2023 年初進一步將 SEA 與 Beacon Funds 升級為事業單位，同時內部晉升 4 位同事 (由左至右)：Sophie 邱敬媛由投資經理升任協理，將帶領 SEA 事業；Jun 若林純由投資經理升任協理，將帶領 Beacon Funds 事業；Jack 安良方由分析師升任投資經理；Vanessa 呂瑾玟由空間總監升任營運總監。

AppWorks 長期經營新創的社群，累積達 472 家活躍新創、1,522 位創業者，在對的時間、為對創業者帶來對的幫助，是推動這個社群持續成長茁壯的核心工作，透過本次組織升級，我們期望系統化的擴大服務能量，讓不同領域的 AppWorks 創業者，都能得到最專業的支持。

AppWorks SEA 事業單位的策略目標，是深化 AppＷorks 在東南亞數位經濟的佈局，持續招募東南亞的優秀新創團隊加入 AppWorks Accelerator，並透過 AppWorks Funds 資金支持這些優秀創業者，以及持續發展 AppWorks 的大東南亞生態系與創業者社群，幫助台灣與東南亞數位經濟的連結，讓台灣的企業、新創與人才，有更多元機會參與蓬勃發展中的東南亞市場，打造國際化格局。

AppWorks Beacon Funds 事業單位的策略目標，則是成為我們與創投同業連結的重要橋樑。過去幾年來，AppWorks 以管理公司自有資金，陸續投資包括 AC Ventures、 Openspace Ventures、Ascend Vietnam Ventures、Foxmont Capital、Pantera Capital、Animoca Ventures 等在內，專注 Web3 與東南亞不同國家、領域、階段的超過 20 支創投基金，除了輸出 AppWorks 長期經營創投、加速器、新創生態系的 Know-how 外，也透過與各創投的合作，掌握優異投資機會，交換盡職調查成果，並協力輔導共同投資的新創。目前，AppWorks Funds 超過十分之一的投資案，案源來自 Beacon Funds 所投資的創投基金。未來，AppWorks 預計將以每年投資超過 10 支創投基金的速度佈局，加速 Beacon Funds 生態系成長，擴大 AppWorks 的觸角。

AppWorks 本輪 4 位獲得晉升的同事，簡介如下：

Sophie 邱敬媛 (AppWorks SEA 事業協理)

東南亞事業負責人，主導在該地區結識、幫助與投資優秀的創業者。2020 年加入 AppWorks 擔任經理、2023 年升任協理，加入 AppWorks 前在倫敦、香港、台灣金融圈有十年的證券投資、分析經驗。曾經在瑞士信貸、摩根大通、英國 Autonomous Research 擔任分析師，在美商路博邁基金擔任新興市場投資經理。英國華威大學財務碩士、台灣大學財務金融系學士。在 AppWorks 期間，代表主導 91APP、KKday、越南最大本土電商平台 Tiki、印尼最大 AgriTech 平台 EdenFarm 等重要投資案；經常往返大東南亞地區，透過講座、活動，經營 AppWorks 大東南亞創業者社群。

Jun 若林純 (AppWorks Beacon Funds 事業協理)

Beacon Funds 事業負責人，主導結識、幫助、投資區域與 Web3 新興創投基金經理人，並與他們充分合作。2017 年加入 AppWorks 擔任分析師、2022 年升任經理、2023 年升任協理。長期經營東南亞新創社群，贏得創業者、投資人、生態系建立者信任，使 AppWorks 成為區域內創業者尋求各種創業支持的首選。擁有紐約大學史登商學院財務學士學位，畢業後任職於 Focus Reports 完成多個深度市場研究。工作之餘熱衷冥想以維持平衡的身心。

Jack 安良方 (AppWorks 投資經理)

負責結識、幫助與投資 Web3 創業者。2019 年加入 AppWorks 擔任分析師、2023 年升任經理。加入 AppWorks 前，曾在 Insurtech 新創擔任共同創辦人，對用戶體驗與產品設計充滿熱情，在此期間，首次買入比特幣、以太幣以及多種 ICO Tokens，當然，損失不少。更早之前則在紐西蘭 Chubb Insurance 服務。畢業於紐西蘭懷卡托大學，主修古典鋼琴，最喜愛莫札特。熱愛煮菜、閱讀以及實踐斯多葛哲學。正在尋找下個百萬用戶等級的 Web3 應用，讓人類社會更開放、無需許可、抗審查、無需信任。

Vanessa 呂瑾玟 (AppWorks 營運總監)

負責加速器相關營運工作，確保我們能提供最貼心的服務給創業者，同時經營 AppWorks Coworking 共同工作空間，打造最符合創業者需求的工作環境。曾任職於鴻海集團三創育成基金會，除了維運與調度共同工作空間和活動場地，也協助引薦專業顧問輔導進駐的新創團隊、提供資源串接及社群經營。此外，是矽谷新創 Evernote 在台灣的第三號員工，從此著迷於以高轉速的工作效率完成團隊目標。2018 年加入 AppWorks 擔任空間總監、2023 年升任營運總監，畢業於政治大學俄文系及俄羅斯研究所。2020 年升級為新手媽媽，積極在育兒及工作之間找到事半功倍的方式，營造親子間的精心時刻。

歡迎加入！

隨著 AppWorks 組織持續升級，我們熱情邀請優秀人才加入，最新開出的職缺包括：投資經理、分析師、Crypto Native 分析師、基金財務經理。

在公司文化以及各個工作環節上，我們對人才有高度的重視與誠意，除了提供持續拉齊國際同業機構的薪資待遇，同時也強調內部資訊公開、制度透明、比想法不比位階的工作環境。例如，從每一支加入 AppWorks Accelerator 的新創團隊、每一個投資案，到內部的政策與制度，我們每一個策略與行動，非常重視大家的意見而採取共識決議，同事們不受限職稱皆有提供建議、表達不同意見的平等權利，藉由充分的溝通與交流，讓擁有不同專業與工作內容的同事們，都能因為共同參與、且完全理解團隊的所有決議，一起準確對齊目標，方能加速前進。同時，AppWorks 也努力打造讓同事們可以兼顧工作、生活、家庭平衡的制度和福利，包括年假無上限、彈性安排遠距工作、年度健康檢查、年度員工旅遊，以及提供 0-6 歲每胎每月 3 萬新台幣的生育補助，過去三年來已「催生」了 5 位 AppWorks 寶寶，為逆轉台灣的人口危機貢獻綿薄之力。

「透過幫助創業者成為更優秀的自己、開創更成功的事業，進而讓台灣成為數位強國」是 AppWorks 自成立以來就不曾改變的北極星，所有同事也是因為認同這個理念而聚集在一起。因為當台灣有一波又一波的優秀創業者出現，可讓新創因此而生生不息的發芽與茁壯，台灣的經濟與社會才得以加快新陳代謝，快速疊代出新產業內涵，並會帶來財富的重新分配、大量的優質就業，以及年輕世代上進的機會，為國家與社會帶來希望。在 AppWorks，我們每位同事都必須不斷思考，如何在自己日常的工作中協助創業者，除了個人可因此與掌握科技最前緣變化的創業者共同交流、學習與成長，也在這樣的過程中，透過每一次、協助每一位創業者將事業往前推進一些，點點滴滴匯聚成讓改變發生的力量。

AppWorks 董事長暨合夥人林之晨表示：「在此恭喜 Sophie、Jun、Jack 與 Vanessa 獲得晉升，將在 AppWorks 下階段機構化過程中，扮演更重要角色。展望未來，AppWorks 將有更大的力量，支持更多創業者、為台灣與東南亞發展創造更大 Impact，在此誠摯歡迎更多好手加入我們的行列，一起努力讓台灣新創生態更蓬勃區域化，成為國際稱羨的數位強國。」

WeMo Raises Series A+ Round to Accelerate Southeast Asia Expansion, Led by AppWorks

AppWorks

February 2, 2023

in Investments

WeMo CEO – Davidd Liu 劉于遜 (Left), WeMo Co-Founder & Vice Chairman – Jeffrey Wu 吳昕霈 (Right)

Editor’s note: We’re thrilled to back WeMo Scooter, a pioneer in urban mobility technologies. With its proven track record in smart transportation and fleet management, WeMo is working with partners in Southeast Asia and around the world to realize net zero carbon emission transportation. The press release from WeMo is below:

(漢文在下) WeMo Corp, a pioneer in urban mobility technologies, announced the completion of a Series A+ round led by AppWorks, with participation from Taiwan National Development Fund.

With its mission to reduce dependency on privately-owned vehicles and decrease carbon emissions, WeMo has amassed a user base of over a million members in its seven years of smart vehicle operations, and has gained a dominant position in the Taiwan market. The company has made dramatic adjustments throughout the pandemic to meet ever-changing consumer needs, and positioning itself for long-term growth, including investments in product and technology that are intended to help governments, businesses, and communities embrace more sustainable ways of transportation and living.

In 2022, WeMo launched a number of new products and services based on emerging consumer demand following Taiwan’s reopening, including: WeMo RenTour, which offers app-based rentals for electric cars, scooters, and bicycles; and WeMo PASS, offering free and discounted rides of electric scooters and other benefits on a subscription basis. Revenue has returned to pre-pandemic levels, recording double-digit growth. The company anticipates accelerated growth over the next few years, building off increasing demand for shared transportation, electrification, fleet management, and resumption of normal economic activity.

In addition to its convenient roadside rent-and-return services, WeMo offers a comprehensive Mobility-as-a-Service platform with a focus on fleet and operations management under one integrated system, which intimately aligns with global market urbanization demand and greenification trends. With WeMo’s modular, efficient, and all-in-one tool “Smart Mobility Center,” fleet operators are able to gain access to historical and real-time data, accurate forecasting, and analytics to improve fleet management. Data and module specifications can be customized to each operator’s region, vehicle type or other needs to help achieve sustainability goals and seamlessly manage vehicle fleets.

“As a pioneer of shared e-mobility in Taiwan, WeMo has gained significant momentum in the island country known to have the highest motorcycle per capita. Over the past seven years, we accumulated valuable experiences in product development, user experience design, and AI / IoT technologies. As WeMo emerges from the pandemic in a position of strength, we are excited to expand our footprint to Southeast Asia where we can help governments and businesses achieve greener transportation and effectively manage their electric fleets,” said Davidd Liu, CEO of WeMo.

With this round of financing, WeMo plans to expand its service to Southeast Asia, with an emphasis on Indonesia and Thailand. In anticipation of rapidly growing demand for electric vehicles and alternative transportation solutions, the company is building partnerships with governments, investors, businesses, and transportation providers throughout Southeast Asia to offer green transportation and fleet management services to support the region’s transition to zero emission.

“In recent years, accelerating impact of climate change and severe weather has created greater impetus to transition to net zero economic and societal models. Throughout the pandemic, the WeMo team has demonstrated amazing resilience and execution through operations excellence, product innovation and a focus on seamless consumer experiences, leading to a sound financial performance that will allow them to expedite expansion and contribute to Taiwan and the Greater Southeast Asia region’s pursuit of zero carbon societies. As an early believer in WeMo, AppWorks has great confidence in this team’s future under the leadership of Jeffrey and Davidd,” said Jamie Lin, Chairman, AppWorks.

“Sustainable green energy development is the predominant global trend for energy and transportation, and is the core spirit of WeMo from inception. Building off the continuous and steady growth of WeMo, we will leverage our proven expertise in electric and shared vehicles to offer sustainable solutions for smart transportation throughout the Greater Southeast Asia region,” said Jeffrey Wu, Founder and Vice Chairman, WeMo.

About WeMo

WeMo Corp is an urban mobility solutions provider developing technology and services with the goal of decreasing dependency on privately-owned vehicles, reducing pollution, and improving urban life for all. WeMo empowers urban residents to enjoy zero carbon transportation on their own terms, including mobile-based rentals for automobiles, scooters, and bicycles. Understanding the importance of mass adoption of green technologies, WeMo’s fleet technology offerings help businesses manage their electric vehicle fleets in real time. As of 2022, WeMo has contributed to positive growth and resolving issues through reducing CO2 emissions by 3.5 million kg.

For more information, please visit http://www.wemoscooter.com

[If you are a founder working on a startup in SEA, or working with web3 / DAO and AI / IoT, apply to AppWorks Accelerator to join the largest founder community in Greater Southeast Asia.]

WeMo Scooter 疫情後穩健成長，AppWorks 2023 年開春加碼增資助攻開啟國際拓展

2020 年初疫情趨峻以來全球經濟市場受到衝擊，亞洲智慧共享運具先驅 WeMo Scooter 憑藉高度彈性應變能力並掌握即時數據，迅速針對消費者需求調整產品與盈利模式，在後疫情時代擴張用戶族群及數量、營收反彈成長，持續穩健發展。此外，WeMo Smart Mobility 團隊擁有三大優勢與核心智慧車聯網技術，既有投資人 AppWorks 看好其團隊具備跨域、跨運具營運能量，可望進軍商機龐大的東南亞智慧運輸市場，於 2023 年開春完成加碼增資數百萬美元助攻，以此展開拓展東南亞市場的初期工作，並啟動更多國際合作並募集海外資源挹注。

後疫情時代市場詭譎多變，WeMo Scooter 在短期內針對消費者需求調整產品與消費模式，2022 年底用戶數成長驚人，其活躍使用率更是提升逾 10%，不管是新舊用戶黏著度正不斷地升高，顯示疫情後大眾的移動習慣已產生改變。此外，因應消費者及企業端跨域、跨運具需求，WeMo Smart Mobility 團隊在 2022 年第三季推出子品牌 WeMo RenTour，是台灣首個結合手機 App 租賃，整合橫跨汽車、機車及電動自行車等多元運具與不同租賃品牌的服務。並且，團隊觀察到市場對共享運具的需求與使用習慣改變，於 2022 年第四季推出全台首創共享機車訂閱制 WeMo PASS，消費者不再受限過往訂閱的趟次與時數限制所綑綁，訂閱數在首月即獲得佳績，超越預估並翻倍成長。WeMo Scooter 在 2022 年整體營收相較去年以雙位數百分比成長，並回到疫情前水準，可望在未來三至五年再以倍數成長躍進。

WeMo Smart Mobility 團隊三大優勢及核心技術對齊市場剛需及趨勢，既有投資人 AppWorks 看準團隊應變效率與跨域、跨運具適性，加碼增資助攻海外：

後疫情時代大環境受到衝擊，WeMo Scooter 在一片紅海中非但不以變相削價方式競爭，更打破市場傳統框架推出 WeMo PASS，用戶黏著度創新高，營運含金量再提升。「智慧城市調度」管理也高度提升資源有效利用，不但滿足用戶需求，更符合 WeMo Scooter 一直秉持的綠色永續發展精神。
WeMo 為智慧運輸車聯網公司，主力產品 WeMo Scooter 在台灣三大城市經營 7 年以來，已打下深厚基礎，擁有豐富第一線營運及服務經驗，並具備完整「數據累積和即時運用」能力，成功應用在跨域及跨運具營運平台及整合租賃業者資源，有足夠成熟能量向海外擴展。
WeMo核心能力不單是提供路邊隨租隨還的便利服務，其完備的車聯網技術與車隊整合系統精準對齊全球市場剛需及趨勢，並在每個開發階段所累積的數據與模組規格能夠彈性應用，達到車聯網服務最大化效能，不再侷限地域及運具，達到環境永續目標。

在經歷三年疫情的衝擊後，產業界開始面對 2023 年全新的政經局勢。國際貨幣基金 (IMF) 預期 2023 年全球將面臨嚴峻挑戰，美國、歐洲及中國三大經濟體將持續呈現衰退，將導致至少 1/3 其他國家陷入景氣衰退。

AppWorks 董事長暨合夥人林之晨指出：「近幾年大家都感受到氣候變遷與劇烈氣象，對生活帶來的衝擊，認知到實現淨零碳排的必要，其中，加速共享、綠色運輸的發展，至為關鍵。因此，AppWorks 長期支持 WeMo Smart Mobility，期望加速其在台拓展與區域化的腳步。過去三年，在疫情反覆衝擊的營運環境下，WeMo 經營團隊展現出驚人的韌性與執行力，不僅在產品與服務上能持續創新，提供用戶更多選擇、更好體驗，在 WeMo PASS 助攻下，財務表現更是屢創新高。AppWorks 相信，進入後疫情階段，經過淬鍊的 WeMo 團隊，結合自身的經驗與優勢，必定能在大東南亞舞台寫下美好的新篇章。」

WeMo 執行長劉于遜表示：「身為台灣綠色共享運具先驅，過去 7 年以來在台灣本土深耕獲得許多寶貴經驗，也累積成熟能量發展各種盈利模式，並隨時保持敏捷滾動式調整策略與腳步，在最壞也是最好的時代從台灣出發，期盼能在海外市場取得更多國際合作與資源挹注。」

全球及亞太智慧運輸市場需求激增，依據 kbvresearch 調查，全球智慧運輸市場正以 8.7％複合成長率擴張，將在 2023 年達 571.95 億美元的市場規模。越南、菲律賓、泰國、新加坡、印尼、印度等亞太多國皆有重大交通建設工程。WeMo 副董事長暨創辦人吳昕霈強調：「綠能永續發展亦是全球焦點趨勢，也是 WeMo 營運發展核心之一，WeMo 在持續穩健成長之下，將挾三大優勢跨海強攻，並在 AppWorks 加碼增資助攻之下，目標在數位經濟時代以跨國界、跨運具之強大策略武器打開所有可能，建立亞太智慧運輸永續生態圈。」

【歡迎 Web3 / DAO、AI / IoT 以及目標 Southeast Asia 市場的創業者，加入 AppWorks Accelerator】

Indonesia’s Largest AgriTech Platform EdenFarm, Raises $13.5M Pre-Series B Round Co-led by TMI, AppWorks, and AC Ventures

AppWorks

January 23, 2023

in Investments

Editor’s Note: We’re proud to back EdenFarm, the largest agritech platform in Indonesia. EdenFarm has secured $13.5 million in its latest Pre-Series B round. The press release from EdenFarm is below:

Led by Telkomsel venture arm, TMI, with AppWorks and AC Ventures among other investors.
EdenFarm has raised $13.5 million in their new Pre-Series B funding round; proceeds from this round will advance EdenFarm’s proven profitability track record in improving farm-to-table sustainability and providing tech-based solutions to B2B food supply chain’s most pressing problems.
This new round demonstrates TMI’s commitment to supporting the empowerment of leading digital players while accelerating digital transformation in the country’s agricultural sector to strengthen an impact-driven and sustainable national digital ecosystem.

EdenFarm, a food service-focused startup based in Indonesia, has secured $13.5 million in its latest Pre-Series B bridge round, which was led by Telkomsel venture arm – TMI, AppWorks, and AC Ventures, also supported by Decart Ventures, Fubon Capital, Trihill Capital, OCBC NISP Ventura, Nakhla and Capria Ventures. This corporate action is Telkomsel and TMI’s commitment to nurturing the potential digital startups in the country and the Indonesian agricultural sector to be more advanced and developed through the use and optimization of leading and sustainable digital technology.

EdenFarm aims to build a food supply chain ecosystem in Indonesia that is profitable and sustainable for the farmers and all stakeholders. EdenFarm has raised $34.5 million throughout the fourth significant funding round for EdenFarm since its establishment in 2017. The funds raised will deepen EdenFarm’s penetration in key farming partners across Indonesia, improving customer experience with tech-based solutions for the country’s most pressing food security and efficiency problems.

Founder and CEO EdenFarm’s, David Setyadi Gunawan says, “EdenFarm is thrilled to team up with Telkomsel to add precision farming technologies and insights to our local farmers. Our range of products caters to all aspects of the agriculture industry, from farms to distribution, to help farmers create sustainable and profitable businesses. The recent funding will allow us to grow our presence in Indonesia and solidify our position as a leading player in the agriculture and food service sectors. We believe that this partnership with Telkomsel will significantly benefit our platform.”

“EdenFarm has seen almost 60X growth in the last 40 months and has laid the foundation to remain profitable on its path, leading amongst other players who are suffering big losses. It signifies the victorious status of EdenFarm as a market leader in agri-tech. We aim to widen the profit in the next 12 months, along with 3.5-4X growth on a YoY basis. From there, it will pursue new markets”, added David.

CEO of Telkomsel Mitra Inovasi (TMI), Mia Melinda says, “TMI believes in the important use of “tech for good” and helping entrepreneurs and small businesses with high dedication and passion for making a positive impact for Indonesia’s economy has always been our focus. EdenFarm’s strong B2B food supply chain network from upstream to downstream empowers local farmers to gain better income and create a positive impact in rural areas. Hence, we are excited to back the EdenFarm food ecosystem with funding and collaboration with Telkomsel Digital Food Ecosystem (DFE), which is one of Telkomsel’s initiatives to support the digitization in the agricultural sector, and other synergies to propel EdenFarm’s platform throughout Indonesia to secure long-term food needs.”

Adrian Li, Founder and Managing Partner at AC Ventures, said, “Strongly aligned with our firm’s ESG-focused investment philosophy, EdenFarm is operating at nearly 0% food waste and delivering a robust and meaningful impact to the livelihoods of Indonesia’s farmers. The startup is revolutionizing the country’s B2B food supply chain by addressing some of the most pressing challenges both producers and sellers face. We at AC Ventures are confident in EdenFarm’s business and are excited to participate in its latest funding round. We are proud to serve as a catalyst to drive forward EdenFarm’s mission of building a more efficient and sustainable food ecosystem in Indonesia. The impact EdenFarm is making is truly transformative, and we can’t wait to see more positive changes this team brings about in the industry.”

EdenFarm, a food-service-focused startup pioneer with a focus on B2B customers, started the business in 2017 with a vision to simplify Indonesia’s B2B food supply chain and empower the food ecosystem to improve the welfare of farmers, food and culinary business actors through accurate demand consistency, various training, and technological support. EdenFarm serves more than 50,000 customers in the B2B segment, ranging from the secondary market, culinary SMEs, and HORECA to startup partners.

About EdenFarm

EdenFarm is a pioneer in B2B food service focused startups in Indonesia, whose mission is to build an efficient food ecosystem for farmers and food & culinary business. Leveraging technology to empower local farmers and create a positive impact in rural areas, EdenFarm aims to simplify food supply chains and, at the same time, helps to improve farmers’ welfare through accurate demand consistency and various training. Supported by local and global investors, EdenFarm now operates in 14 cities and three districts throughout Java and continues to serve over 50,000 B2B customers throughout the island. EdenFarm’s user-friendly mobile app is available on the AppStore and Google Play Store.

For more information, please visit www.edenfarm.id

[If you are a founder working on a startup in SEA, or working with web3 / DAO and AI / IoT, apply to AppWorks Accelerator to join the largest founder community in Greater Southeast Asia.]

秦北辰 (緯創資通價值創新中心總監)：打造新價值，來自與新創合作的加乘

Antony Lee

December 26, 2022

in View

Antony Lee, Communications Master (李欣岳 / 媒體公關總監)

負責媒體與社群溝通相關輔導。加入 AppWorks 前有 18 年媒體經驗，是台灣第一批主跑網路產業的記者，先後任職《數位時代》副總編輯、《Cheers 快樂工作人》資深主編、SmartM 網站總編輯。畢業於交大管科系，長期關注媒體產業變化，熱愛閱讀商業與科技趨勢、企業與人物故事，樂於與人交流分享，期許自己當個「Internet 傳教士」。

大企業與新創合作，是最近幾年大企業提升創新能量的顯學，而緯創資通是最具代表性的指標之一。緯創除了積極鼓勵內部創新外，也透過與 AppWorks 策略結盟啟動 Wistron Accelerator 緯創垂直加速器等多種方式，更大規模、更有系統的與外部新創展開合作，在這過程中，隸屬於技術長辦公室下的價值創新中心 (Value Creation Center，以下簡稱 VCC)，是背後的推手單位之一，透過各種穿針引線的引導，將內部與外部的創新能量進行橫向連結，促成各種創新的可能性發生。在與新創合作上，VCC 提供設計服務 (ODM) 以及外部資源連結 (Outreach Business)，讓處於創業 Idea 到試產、產量在 10K 以下的早期新創，可獲得完整的協助，同時，也協助新創串接緯創內部各個單位，獲得更大能量的支持。

AppWorks 特別專訪在緯創服務長達 25 年以上的 Benson 秦北辰 (緯創價值創新中心總監)，分享緯創長期以來在推動創新的幾個重要階段，以及近年開始與新創深度合作、參加緯創加速器與創業者交流的經驗以及收穫，以下是重點整理：

Q: 在緯創集團內部各事業單位中，VCC 扮演什麼角色？未來有哪些策略和目標？

A: 從 Value Creation Center 的部門名稱，就知道我們的主要目標是創造價值，而不單僅是節約成本。緯創的本業是 ODM / OEM，拼效率、品質、速度、規模是我們長期以來的專業，但緯創還有一點不同的 DNA，就是很強調與重視創新，而創造價值一定會來自創新的加乘，所以從我們的名稱，就可以了解緯創賦予我們的任務和期待。

VCC 成立至今十多年來，我們的角色與目標大致有三個階段的變化。最早的確是幫各 BG (Business Group)、BU (Business Unit) 做一些他們覺得重要，但並沒有人力、時間或能力去看的專案，這是我們部門的出發點，所以這時和各 BG 與 BU 有較深的連結。第二階段，隨著部門逐漸發展，我們開始走在客戶之前，去做一些客戶尚未想到、來不及做的事情，或是下一個世代的產品，我們先幫客戶準備好，來創造更高的價值給客戶。

現在則是我們的第三階段。我們持續在思考，是否可以為公司開創有價值的服務、商業模式或是解決方案。如此一來，可以做哪些事情的空間與彈性變得更大，發展也可更多元。我們一直在尋找天秤兩端的平衡點，一端是與各 BG 和 BU 維持必要的連結，增加他們的價值，同時也要證明我們的價值；另一端是協助緯創做各種更長遠的創新嘗試。

Q: 對於各種創新的嘗試，VCC 有哪些具體的做法？

A: 隨著緯創一路發展，大概可分為鼓勵內部創新與連結外部新創兩種方式。在內部創新上，過去 10 年來，每年會有兩次內部 Demo Tech Day 的 Road Show，共做了 20 次，對內發表各事業單位或是 VCC 的各種創新技術或產品。此外，我們也與其他教育訓練中心合辦過幾次金頭腦，鼓勵內部同仁參與的創新競賽，提出各種創新的產品或商業模式，我們近年不少新產品，例如智能花盆、智能咖啡秤、行動照護智能語音助理等，都是來自金頭腦競賽前幾名的產品，不管參賽團隊來自哪個單位，VCC 都會協助串接與相關 BG 或 BU 的合作，一直在內部產生這種火花，讓團隊能把產品或商業模式完完整整的做出來。

另一種方式，則是連結外部新創，將他們創新的技術、產品、服務或商業模式與緯創展開合作。這是最近這三、五年，VCC 所扮演更明顯的角色，從原本 Inside Out 變成 Outside In，跟外部的新創一起學習、一起共創價值。因為整體產業變化得更快、也更多元，緯創各 BG、BU 內部，也逐漸在成立自己類似 VCC 的團隊，關注未來一到兩年內的新技術、新產品，主要服務的對象是既有的 ODM 與 OEM 客戶，我們則關注三、五年以後或是更長期的機會。從結果來看，VCC 這幾年為內部帶來了正面影響，創新變成了一種 DNA，各單位都更加重視，陸續開始有類似 VCC 的團隊。

VCC 另外一個角色，則是協助內外部的各個單位產生橫向溝通與連結。因為各 BU、BG 或是子公司，都有自己核心的專注重點，有時難免會無法掌握外面發生了什麼變化，我們的角色，就是希望創造更多橫向連結，包括內部之間，以及協助外部新創連結緯創內部單位。在內部，各 BG、BU 開發新產品時，可能會缺一些 EE (電子工程)、ID (工業設計)、UI / UX 之類的技術，這時就會尋求我們的支援，例如緯創開發可應用在醫療養護、購物中心、大眾運輸、物流倉儲、工廠等不同場域的 AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot，自主移動機器人) 車隊，ID 與 UI / UX 都是有 VCC 提供支援的部分。對外部新創，我們也可協助連結內部的技術與製造，例如，在疫情期間有一個工研院出來的新創團隊，產品是抗菌液製造機，運用化學的電解技術，可將自來水電解為高活性氧的抗菌液，產品的瓶身、充電設備等，就是我們協助設計和製造出來的。

我在緯創已服務超過了 25 年，VCC 成員組成也很多元，除了有像我一樣的資深員工，也有很年輕的同仁，若以 5 年為一個世代，我們團隊成員橫跨了 5 個世代。這樣的多元背景，讓我們很適合擔任橫向串接內外的橋樑，對我個人來說，能具體創造出一些成果，又能多看看外界在做什麼，非常 Enjoy。

提供全方位服務給早期新創

Q: 在與新創合作選擇上，VCC 的目標是哪個階段、哪些領域的新創？

A: VCC 可以為新創提供全方位設計服務 (ODM) 以及外部資源連結 (Outreach Business)，簡單說，從創業 Idea 到試產、產量在 10K 以下的早期階段，我們都有很完整的協助。包括產品設計、需求或行銷研究、UI / UX、軟硬體與 CMF (Color、Material、Finishing) 研發、小批量打樣、原型製作、試產等，另外，我們也跟 MIT 等國內外一流的學術單位長期合作，可以協助新創導入前瞻技術；若新創團隊有需要，我們也會輔導產品上架 Kickstarter、嘖嘖等群眾募資平台，或是 Amazon 等電商網站，去學習如何做電商。

新創在不同階段，會有不同的需求，緯創目前規劃由三個單位來協助。CVC (企業創投) 著眼在新創 Funding 上、VCC 聚焦在 Function 面向，另外我們有 IIC (Innovation Integration Center，新創整合中心) 協助新創小規模量產，讓優秀的新創跟我們合作時，要錢有錢、要技術有技術、要生產有生產，當新創正式進入 Scale-up，量產規模大到 BG、BU 願意接時，我們會再協助串接，成為未來更長期的客戶。

我們並沒有太受限與哪些領域的新創合作，回到市場需求上，我會定義為老人與狗、生活品味、ESG 這幾個面向。在銀髮族的照顧和養護、寵物經濟，或是運用 AI、IoT、Sensor、Cloud 等技術的生活應用，以及開發對環境友善產品與商業模式的新創，都是我們很樂意合作的對象。

在與新創合作時，我們是抱著互相尊重、創造雙贏的態度。在緯創的 Logo 中，Wistron 的 i 有特別 Highlight 出來，代表了 Innovation 與 Integrity 兩個重要的精神，我常常很自豪的說，我很幸運可以跟 Innovation 的這個 i 搭得比較深。另一個代表 Integrity 的 i，它應該是我們做為 ODM / OEM 廠商最基本的 DNA，我們從來不會剽竊客戶的 IP，把別人的 IP 拿來做自己產品，與新創的合作，也同樣基於這個精神，我們都有簽雙向 NDA (保密協議) 保護雙方的 IP，也許過往在業界有一些不好的企業，會把合作新創的 IP 拿走，但我待在緯創至今，從沒有聽過我們想要佔別人這種便宜，在外面稍為 Check 或打聽一下，就知道我們從來沒有這樣的紀錄。

Q: 新創在與 VCC 合作，使用由 VCC 提供的服務時，如何收費？

A: 基本上 VCC 是 Cost Center 單位，而非 Profit Center。但我們的目標，是為緯創創造長期的價值，所以本身並不需要背負短期營收或獲利的財務目標，但所有的服務，還是要 Cover 最起碼部門營運的成本。所以基本上，我們不會免費提供服務，但收費、付款方式，甚至生產數量，會提供新創很大的彈性，有很多種方案，因為我們理解創業本身有很高的風險，也各有不同的考量，我們都有配合的方式。

Q: 在你過往與新創合作，或是緯創加速器運作一年半以來，在與創業者的交流過程中，你有哪些個人的觀察或 Takeaway 嗎？

A: 到目前為止，我們都很正面看待與新創的合作。與新創或創業者的合作，不敢說我們是 Mentor，但至少我們可以貢獻一些意見與建議，我覺得這過程更像是互相交流和學習，若從現實面來說，這樣的過程，也的確可以協助緯創接觸到一些具有潛力的未來客戶。

另一個我們之前沒想到的收穫，則是透過 AppWorks 協助招募、篩選後加入緯創加速器的新創，多元性遠超過預期。例如 2022 年 9 月到 12 月的第三屆，我們看到有涵蓋 FinTech、AR、材料科學、IC Design 等領域的新創，透過與他們的交流，不只讓我們對最前緣的產業變化、產品與商業模式開發有更深入了解，也可看到 VCC 以及緯創集團其他參與單位能提供新創實質上的幫助，非常有成就感。

前一陣子，與我們談論過的新創 PackAge+ 配客嘉，就是我非常欣賞的新創之一。台灣電商每年要出貨上億個紙箱作為包材，其中絕大多數只使用一次，非常浪費且不環保，他們運用材料科技推動循環包裝，以回收寶特瓶再製成包裝袋可重複使用 30 次以上，已與台灣多家電商開始合作，並在疫情期間，談下全家便利商店超過 3,000 個門市的回收據點。我一直覺得環保、ESG 理念很棒，但要把它具體變成一個賺錢的生意，真的很不容易，他們願意挑戰這個題目，也做出很不錯的成績。

Q: 對於想要申請緯創加速器，或是想要與 VCC 展開交流合作的新創，你有哪些建議？

A: 我認為最重要是不要自我設限的心態。申請時，不用馬上先去想要跟緯創的 ODM、OEM 事業，或是哪個單位產生連結，再去想要做什麼題目，我反而覺得，內部各單位加入緯創加速器的高階主管們，都很 Humble 與 Open，也不只是我們在幫新創，同時也在創業者與新創身上學習很多，例如，我就不相信我們會比做 IC Design 的新創更懂晶片，所以新創只要符合 AI、物聯網、雲端、資安、教育、醫療這幾個設定的大範圍，我們都很歡迎、都很願意嘗試各種可能性，我相信在加速器期間幾個月的交流中，一定會慢慢找到一些合作的聚焦點。

再來，就是希望創業者的夢想要大，因為做一家企業，如果夢不夠偉大，應該是沒有人會記住。除了偉大的夢想外，也需要有築夢踏實的能力。

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