ShopBack 宣布獲得最新一輪 4,500 萬美元的投資

亞太區最大的現金回饋平台 ShopBack 宣布獲得最新一輪 4,500 萬美元的資金挹注,由 EV Growth、美國最大現金回饋網 Ebates, Inc. 領投,其他投資者包括基石創投、EDBI 和 AppWorks 之初創投 等,累積募資總金額已達 8,300 萬美元。本輪資金預計將用於優化購物體驗、深化並拓展數據分析能力,提供客戶個人化推薦及合作電商精準的商業洞察。此外,ShopBack 仍計畫將資金投入關鍵市場的投資與拓展,以增強亞太地區消費者線上、線下購物體驗。

2018 年對 ShopBack 來說是極具代表性及爆炸性成長的一年!訂單和銷售金額同比增長 250%,700 多萬用戶創造了超過 150 萬筆訂單,為超過 2000 個合作夥伴帶來近 10 億美元的銷售金額。

同年,ShopBack也展現了創新商業模式與深化消費者購物體驗的企圖心。除成功將線上現金回饋服務拓展至澳洲,目前涵蓋七個服務據點。為了維持領導地位,並持續推出新服務,也擴大對於技術開發的投資,於台灣和越南成立研發中心。在新加坡,與 Visa 和萬事達卡合作,首次嘗試線下現金回饋模式「ShopBack GO」,幫助探索用餐選擇,達成節省用戶時間以及獲得現金回饋的雙重目的外,也協助餐飲商家分析消費數據,做出更好的商業決策,創造三贏模式。

2016 年 ShopBack正式進軍台灣後,在短短兩年間就獲得不錯的成績,目前台灣合作夥伴涵蓋各大知名電商,ShopBack 不只為消費者帶來創新消費體驗,也成功為合作商家創造亮眼的銷售佳績。消費者可一站網羅包括:綜合性電商、旅遊預訂、時尚美妝、3C家電、美食外送、乘車服務等所有線上購物服務,除了節省用戶時間與金錢外,每次購物都還可以獲得現金回饋,透過這樣的獎勵方式,吸引消費者持續回購並跨類別消費,也為合作電商帶來更多不同面貌的新用戶。

消費者可在 ShopBack 一站網羅包括:綜合性電商、旅遊預訂、時尚美妝、3C家電、美食外送、乘車服務等所有線上購物服務。

ShopBack 台灣區總經理隆章琪表示,電商發展在台灣已經超過 20 年,加上台灣物流、金流發展成熟,消費者對於網路購物的接受度與熟悉度堪稱亞洲區的前段班,電商間的競爭激烈,消費者的購物決策模式複雜,但透過ShopBack跨類別電商平台的銷售方式,除了可以是消費者更快速、方便的購物依據外,同時也能提供電商精準的行銷解決方案。

對消費者來說,跨類別的購買行為提供更方便的購買決策服務;對電商夥伴來說,更有機會接觸到更多不同面向的消費者,而且採取按銷售額付費的模式,合作伙伴只需為成功訂單支付銷售佣金,更可有效協助行銷方案的制定。這樣的商業模式,也能分析用戶跨類別的購買行為,ShopBack 能夠為用戶提供個人化的購物體驗,並為商家合作夥伴提供有針對性和經濟高效的行銷解決方案。

新一輪資金的挹注將為 ShopBack 的創新提供後盾,未來除了致力於優化用戶的購物體驗,同時也為合作夥伴建構更智能的銷售解決方案,不僅能以提供更有效的銷售管道,還可以利用數據協助跨類別交叉銷售,創造更大綜效。

關於 ShopBack

購物現金回饋網 ShopBack 2014 年創立於新加坡,目前服務據點已涵蓋馬來西亞、菲律賓、印尼、泰國、澳洲等地,2016 年正式進軍台灣,只要透過 ShopBack 至合作電商平台上完成交易,就能賺取最高 20% 的現金回饋,讓網路購物還能賺「現金」,而且累積回饋無上限!

ShopBack 目前與台灣超過百間、全球超過千家的知名大型電商合作,合作夥伴包括 PChome24h 購物、Yahoo 奇摩購物中心、樂天市場、淘寶、Agoda 及 Asos 等廣受歡迎的電商平台。

AppWorks Year in Review 2018: Onwards Towards a Smart and Decentralized Future

  • In 2018, AppWorks Accelerator narrowed its focus to recruiting only AI / blockchain startups
  • AppWorks Funds invested US$ 15M across 11 deals spanning AI, blockchain, EC & fintech
  • The AppWorks Ecosystem reached US$ 3.6B in valuation, encompassing 328 startups & 925 founders
  • AppWorks initiates the first wave of internal promotions, yielding 2 new partners & associates

For AppWorks, 2018 marked a critical juncture in our organization’s history. After 16 batches and 8 years of operations, AppWorks Accelerator decided to narrow its semi-annual intake of startups to accept only those working with AI / blockchain technologies starting from batch AW#17. Meanwhile, AppWorks Funds carried out the first of several investments into AI / blockchain startups out of our newly minted US$ 100M Fund III.

Just as mobile had completely transformed the status quo for companies and startups alike over the last decade, we believe AI and blockchain, while still nascent technologies, will set forth a similarly disruptive paradigm shift and define an entirely new era for industries in the years to come. As such, AppWorks has iterated upon several aspects of our organization this past year to elevate our community and help founders fully embrace a smart and decentralized future.

Our latest accelerator batch AW#17 was the first instance of this iteration, ultimately yielding 34 teams, 21 working with AI/IoT & 13 with blockchain/crypto. With the addition of the 29 startups from AW#16, AppWorks Accelerator graduated a total of 63 startups in 2018, with 38% hailing from countries outside of Taiwan including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Belgium, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and the US.

On the venture capital side, AppWorks Funds made 11 investments collectively worth US$ 15M in several promising startups operating on the forefront of technologies including Deep Sentinel, XREX (AW#17), 91APP, Carousell, EMQ, and Pickone (AW#9), while helping them raise a total of US$ 222 million across these rounds.

The AppWorks Ecosystem now counts 328 active startups and 925 founders in its network. These AppWorks startups are generating US$ 2.5B in total annual revenues, growing at 90% year-over-year, and have created 9,586 jobs, increasing by 67% from the prior year. They have raised US$ 806M from both AppWorks Funds and third-party investors, up 82% from last year, and together exhibit a composite valuation of US$ 3.6B, roughly a 127% uptick over the last 12 months.

Our efforts this past year have allowed AppWorks to achieve a new echelon of success and truly revitalized our position as the strongest founder community in Greater Southeast Asia—and there are perhaps no better indicators of that status than the recent milestones achieved by a few of our alumni. Ztore (AW#13) and AsiaYo (AW#12) both closed a Series B round amounting to US$ 8M and US$ 7M+ respectively to accelerate vertical expansion and international growth. Meanwhile, Nuwa Robotics closed a US$ 10M Series A Round and Origami Labs (AW#15) a US$ 2.6M Seed Round to fuel product development and jumpstart market traction. Opting for a more alternative form of financing, Mr. Living (AW#12) and Cubo (AW#16) carried out successful crowdsourcing campaigns, raising US$ 700K and US$ 350K respectively.

With the region’s startup ecosystem rapidly maturing, the demand for quality talent has never been greater. We started AppWorks School in 2016 to cultivate talents for today’s digital career while at the same time infusing quality new blood into the ecosystem. In 2018, AppWorks School graduated 49 newly trained developers through our 14-week free coding programs. 85% of these graduates went on to pursue successful software engineering careers in prominent Internet companies such as 91APP, KKBOX, CHOCO TV, PicCollage, and UDN Group, with an average annual salary of US$ 20,400. Currently, our curriculum offers iOS, Android, and web development tracks, and will soon tack on a data science track in anticipation of changing talent demands.

To say it’s been a productive year would have been an understatement. Tapping into the collective effort of each and every one of our team members, we successfully shifted our focus to AI / blockchain and made substantial strides in empowering founders across Greater Southeast Asia to fully embrace a smart and decentralized future. Executing such a strategy also accelerated our team’s growth. A few of our members have matured to a point where they are ready to shoulder more responsibilities and take on newer challenges. We are therefore happy to announce that as of today, our Associates, Jessica Liu and Andy Tsai, have officially been promoted to Partners, while our Analysts, Alyssa Chen and Ching Tseng, are now Associates.

Finally, we’d like to extend a special thanks to all of our partners and friends in the startup community and look forward to working together to strengthen the regional ecosystem even further in 2019.

AppWorks 公布 2018 Year in Review 年終總回顧:生態系總估值突破千億新台幣;持續聚焦 AI、Blockchain,加速拓展大東南亞

正值歲末年終之際,成立邁入第九年的 AppWorks,公布 2018 Year in Review 年終總回顧,展現過去一年的整體成果。在 2018,AppWorks Accelerator 創業加速器、The AppWorks Ecosystem 校友生態系、AppWorks Funds 創投基金,以及 AppWorks School 數位人才培育等面向上,AppWorks 都繳出亮眼的成績,持續結合各界資源,努力推升台灣成為大東南亞數位經濟的領航重鎮。

AppWorks 來說,2018 年達到多項重要里程碑。其中,大東南亞 (東協 + 台灣) 校友規模最大的創業加速器 AppWorks Accelerator,在八月進駐的 AW#17,是首屆限定招募 AI/IoT 或 Blockchain/Crypto 新創團隊,共有 34 組新創團隊通過海選,其中 21 支以  AI/IoT 為主,13 支以 Blockchain/Crypto 為主。這群潛力新創中,有曾擔任 eBay、HTC、華碩、Proofpoint (Nasdaq 上市公司) 高管,也有來自 Y-Combinator 的校友,顯示 AI 與 Blockchain 所帶來的典範轉移,正在全球各地上演,吸引更多優秀創業者投入。AppWorks Accelerator 也將持續限定招募這兩個領域的新創團隊,直到下一個更巨大的典範轉移出現為止。

2018 年首度限定招募 AI 與 Blockchain 的 AW#17 ,Demo Day #17 吸引外界廣泛關注,吸引超過 1,200 位投資人、業界代表出席。

在 2018,AppWorks Accelerator 吸引到更多國際新創前來台北進駐,持續扮演大東南亞領先的創業加速器。在 2018 年畢業的 AW#16、AW#17 共 63 支新創團隊中,38% 來自海外,包括香港、新加坡、越南、泰國、馬來西亞、斯里蘭卡、美國、瑞典、比利時等。兩屆團隊也分別在各自的 Demo Day 登場,展現豐沛且令人驚艷的創業實力,兩場 Demo Day,各吸引超過 1,200 位投資人、業界代表出席。

AppWorks 生態系:328 加活躍新創、925 位創業者、創造就業數 9,586 位

隨著 AW#16 與 AW#17 加入,以及加速器各個新創團隊校友們的努力,在 2018 年帶動 The AppWorks Ecosystem 校友生態系大幅成長。活躍新創累積至 328 家、共 925 位創業者,所有企業的加總年營業額來到 25 億美元 (約為 769 億新台幣),較 2017 年大幅成長 90%,創造就業數 9,586 位,年增高達 67%,生態系累積募資金額為 8.06 億美元 (約為 248 億新台幣),年增率達到 82%,總估值突破 36 億美金 (約為 1,107 億新台幣),較前一年大幅增加 127%。

此外,AppWorks Funds 2018 年完成包括 91APPCarousel 旋轉拍賣Deep SentinelEMQ 易安聯PickOne (AW#9)、Xrex (AW#17) 等共 11 個新創投資案,金額達 1,500 萬美金 (約為 4.66 億新台幣),並因此帶動高達 2.22 億美元 (約 68.93 億新台幣) 的總投資。

在人才培養方面,AppWorks School 軟體工程師培育計畫自 2016 年創辦以來,已有 106 名學員畢業,其中 85% 成功在網路公司擔任軟體工程師,為所有想踏入數位產業的年輕朋友提供了一條最快速、有效的道路,也幫新創團隊和企業補足人才缺口。

CHOCO TV 與 LINE 策略整合、Nuwa Robotics 進軍中國與日本

AppWorks 生態系 328 支團隊各自有其專精領域,包括 OTT (over-the-top)、電商、AI、IoT、共享經濟等領域,2018 年都有不凡的表現,其中,又以以下幾個團隊的成績最為突出:

2015 年正式營運的 CHOCO TV (AW#2),打造出在台灣擁有超過 200 萬月活躍用戶的串流影音服務,於 2018 年與 LINE TV 整併,同時推出全新 LINE TV 服務。此外,CHOCO TV 也於 2018 年完成 B 輪融資,由 NAVER 集團與日本 LINE Corporation 透過旗下 Mirai Fund 資金共同投資逾千萬美元,成為最大股東。

專攻 AI 陪伴機器人的 Nuwa Robotics (女媧創造,AW#10),2018 年完成 A 輪融資 1000 萬美元,並推出第一台 AI 機器人小丹在小米有品開賣,每台價格 1,999 元人民幣,開賣 10 分鐘就創下 34 萬元人民幣銷售成績,24 小時內銷售破千台,台灣版凱比同學也開放試賣,並宣布進軍日本。

Nuwa Robotics 打造的 AI 陪伴機器人「凱比同學」,已在台灣開賣。

香港電商平台 Ztore (AW#13),主打銷售香港品牌商品,2015 年創立曾寫下 24 個月超過 20 萬用戶的佳績。Ztore 在 2018 年完成 800 萬美元 B 輪融資,將用來提升各種營運系統,透過科技優化平台以及開發更多新服務,為用戶帶來更佳購物體驗。

台灣最大的特色旅宿訂房平台 AsiaYo (AW#12),已累積出 6 萬筆房源、30 萬位會員,2019 年完成超過 2 億新台幣(700 萬美元) 的 B 輪融資。AsiaYo 目前已完成英文、中文、韓文三種語系線上平台,預計 2019 年將完成日文版線上訂房。AsiaYo 擁有台灣、日本、韓國、香港、泰國等地房源,同時也將於 2019  年第一季啟動新加坡、馬來西亞等地房源,AsiaYo 的亞洲版圖日趨完整,將從東北亞一路延伸至東南亞。

來自香港的 Origami Labs (AW#15) 研發出的 ORII 聲控智慧戒指,是全球第一只採用骨傳導技術 (Bone Conduction) 的智慧戒指。2018 年 Origami Labs 完成 250 萬美元的種子輪融資,將用作擴展 ORII 的 B2B 業務、研發下一代的產品,以及提升產品的骨傳導技術。

傢具電商品牌 MR.LIVING 居家先生 (AW#12),標榜「去中間化」,跳過傳統產業鏈貿易商、批發商、中盤商等關卡,直接聯繫上游製造商,讓傢俱以市價 3 至 5 折的價格回饋給消費者。在 2018 年研發出適合台灣氣候的「恆溫冷凝記憶棉床墊」,並透過群眾集資創下超過 2,200 萬新台幣的佳績。

台灣最大共享空間平台 Pickone (AW#9),每月有超過 5,000 個活動透過 Pickone 舉辦,服務人數高達 10 萬人。2018 年,Pickone 完成 1,500 萬新台幣的種子輪融資,主要將用大幅擴建軟體團隊,進一步升級旗下場地租借市集 Pickone 挑場地、針對活動主辦人設計的管理平台 onEvent,並展開東南亞、東北亞拓展的初期工作。

推出全球第一款 AI 智慧寶寶攝影機的 Cubo (AW#16),產品在 2018 年於群眾募資網站上架,創下 30 分鐘內集資破百萬、2 小時內破 300 萬、總金額突破千萬新台幣的好成績。

AppWorks 是亞洲最早、最具規模的創業加速器,同時管理兩支創投基金共 18 億新台幣,以不同服務協助不同階段的創業者。先利用 Accelerator 與校友網路,協助新創團隊調整出符合市場需求的產品與服務、發展出可規模化的商業模式之後,AppWorks Funds 便會在適當的時機提供資金挹注,為這些蓄勢待發的明日之星提供加速成長所需的資源。

2018 年 AppWorks Funds 創投基金,超過一半金額投資大東南亞新創

2018 年,AppWorks 針對 AI 安全監控 Deep Sentinel、提供新零售及虛實融合解決方案的 91APP、新加坡行動電商平台旋轉拍賣 (Carousell)、台灣最大共享空間平台 Pickone、提供 FinTech 服務的 EMQ、以 Paas 或 SaaS 模式提供 Crypto 解決方案的 Xrex 等 11 個新創投資案,總金額達 1,500 萬美元,並進一步協助他們完成募資總金額達 2.22 億美元。值得一提的,是2018 年 AppWorks Fund 投資的 1,500 萬美元中,有超過一半是投資於來自大東南的國際新創團隊。

2018 年 AppWorks 宣布領投台灣最大共享空間平台 Pickone 規模 1,500 萬新台幣的種子輪融資。

人才是新創企業最重要的資產,為了因應創業生態系對軟體工程師的龐大需求,同時也提供想投入數位、網路與電商產業的人才,重新快速學習與成長的機會,AppWorks 在 2016 年 6 月開辦 AppWorks School,現經營有 iOS、Android 與 Web Class。透過免費、實作、高效、與業界結合的紮實培訓計畫,培育新一代的優秀工程師。

成立兩年多以來,截至 2018 年底,AppWorks School 已畢業 106 位學員,其中 90 位成功轉職,在 91APPKKBOXCHOCO TVPicCollageUDN Group 等知名網路企業中擔任軟體工程師,就職率高達 85%,薪資中位數比行情高出將近一成,學員表現在業界也享有極佳口碑。

AppWorks School 兩年多來,持續為台灣網路產業培養優秀的工程師人才。

回顧 2018 年,AppWorks 創辦合夥人林之晨說:「2018 年是 AppWorks 再聚焦與正式國際化的一年。」再聚焦指的是經營八年的 AppWorks Accelerator,自 2018 年中的 AW#17 起,限定招募 AI 或 Blockchain 相關的新創,鼓勵創業者好好掌握這兩個重要的典範轉移,同時提醒創業生態系更關注 AI 與 Blockchain 的發展趨勢;正式國際化則在於 AppWorks 佈局大東南亞,2018 年,總投資金額超過一半投資於來自大東南亞的國際團隊,兩屆的 Accelerator 進駐團隊,也有高達 38% 來自以大東南亞為主的國際團隊,持續推動台灣融入大東南亞地區正在高速發展的數位浪潮,並預計 2019 年三月進駐 AppWorks Accelerator 的新創團隊,將有五成以上為來自大東南亞的國際團隊。

在 2019 年初,為了加速推展各項業務,AppWorks 同時內部晉升包括兩位新晉合夥人 (Partner) 劉侊縈 Jessica、蔡欣翰 Andy,以及兩位新任投資經理 (Associate) 陳敬旻 (Alyssa)、曾意晴 (Ching)。蔡欣翰 Andy 將負責管理 AppWorks 創投基金,劉侊縈 Jessica 則將負責 AppWorks 在印尼當地的拓展。林之晨說:「AppWorks 將與各界一起合作、持續努力,敬請期待我們 2019 年的表現。」

趁此回顧機會,林之晨也代表 AppWorks 全體,對所有在 2018 年幫助 AppWorks 的夥伴表達感謝,他說:「衷心感謝所有給 AppWorks 機會、接受我們服務的創業者,也感謝所有熱情付出輔導新創的 AppWorks Mentors,還要感謝包括 Amazon、Microsoft、Google、Facebook 等國際企業在內的平台夥伴,以及 AppWorks Funds 的投資人、創投業界先進,以及政府部門的夥伴們,在 2018 年給我們的支持和指導。最後,當然也要感謝媒體朋友們對 AppWorks 的照顧。2019 年,也請大家繼續和我們一起奮鬥、努力翻轉台灣。」

AppWorks Accelerator 聯合尾牙,AppWorks 創辦合夥人林之晨與各新創團隊同歡。

AppWorks Launches Internal Promotion Track, Promoting Two New Partners and Associates

As of today, AppWorks has promoted two new partners, Jessica Liu and Andy Tsai, and two new associates, Alyssa Chen and Ching Tseng.

Jessica Liu graduated from the University of Southern California’s (USC) Marshall School of Business and has been working with AppWorks for nearly five years. She was responsible for several important AppWorks portfolio, including Carousell, the region’s leading C2C marketplace, ShopBack, the largest cashback platform in Greater Southeast Asia, KKday, the leading travel experience platform in Asia; and 91APP, one of the largest digital commerce enabler in Asia. Moving forward, she will be responsible for leading AppWorks’ expansion plans in Southeast Asia, with a particular emphasis on Indonesia.

Andy Tsai, another new partner, has more than 10 years of venture capital experience with leading firms such as the CID Group and China Development Industrial Bank, Before joining AppWorks in 2018, and will now lead the management of AppWorks Funds.

Newly promoted Associate Ching Tseng will be mainly covering the region’s burgeoning blockchain ecosystem, while the other newly promoted Associate Alyssa Chen will continue spearheading AppWorks Accelerator.

With these promotions, we’ve marked a new milestone in AppWorks history. This the first time that AppWorks partners have been promoted from within. Moreover, at 30 years old, Jessica is the now youngest partner at AppWorks. The two new associates, Alyssa and Ching actually started their careers at AppWorks together as interns in college, joined full-time as Analysts after graduation and are now ready to tackle the next stage in their careers.

The founding partner of AppWorks Jamie Lin said, “I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. Congratulations to Jessica, Andy, Alyssa and Ching. I hope that you will continue to train the next generation and enable AppWorks to create an even bigger impact in the next 10 years.”

Andy Tsai (left), Jessica Liu (right) become the first internally promoted partners at AppWorks since its inception

This is the first time AppWorks has carried out internal promotions since our establishment in 2009. It not only demonstrates our ability to cultivate quality talent from within, but also puts in place an institutionalized system for aspiring junior VCs seeking long-term career development and upward mobility. We recognize that the younger generation is the region’s lifeblood and will be largely responsible for taking the startup ecosystem both in Taiwan and SEA into its next phase of development. This is why we’re looking for similarly like-minded and passionate individuals to come on board as Associates and Analysts at AppWorks—both of which are paid according to their professional experience and performance.

AppWorks Associates’ salary range for 2019 will hover between US$ 73K and US$ 140K, whereas Analysts’ will range from US$43K and US$83K. The salary is complemented by benefits including unlimited vacation days, flexible working hours and location, an annual full-body health check, and an annual company retreat, among other perks.

We believe talent is the most important asset of 21st century enterprises, and this mantra is not merely a slogan, but a core pillar of our DNA. In addition to competitive compensation, we are committed to creating an environment where decisions are open, transparent, and consensus-driven. Every single AppWorks colleague has equal say in pending discussions and prospective resolutions, from the operation of AppWorks Accelerator to investment decisions to overall company policies. Team members are not confined to the boundaries of their job title or description and are encouraged to provide insight into or communicate differing opinions on any matters of interest to them.

Newly minted partner Jessica remarks, “AppWorks is not just a startup accelerator, but also an employee accelerator. Looking back at AppWorks over the past five years, I constantly found myself in the face of new challenges and hurdles, forcing myself to learn and grow at an accelerated pace. I am very pleased that the company has welcomed me into the partnership and entrusted me with more responsibility. I look forward to continue helping entrepreneurs achieve their ambitions, as well as leading the AppWorks team forward into the future.”

Our team members were not only the only ones to experience substantial growth. By the end of 2018, the AppWorks Ecosystem encompassed a total of 328 active startups and 925 founders. Collectively, all companies generated an annual turnover of US$ 2.5 billion, increasing 90% over the same period last year, while creating 9,586 jobs, an annual increase of 67%. The cumulative amount of funds raised was US$ 806 million, growing 82% YoY, with a total valuation exceeding US$ 3.6 billion, a significant uptick of 127% compared to 2017.

Looking forward to 2019, AppWorks Accelerator will continue driving the exploration and adoption of AI / blockchain technologies among Greater Southeast Asia’s emerging startups through our 6-month equity-free AI/ blockchain accelerator. Meanwhile, AppWorks’ US$ 100 million Fund III will complete its first closing in 1Q19, equipping us with the necessary resources to tap into the next phase of growth in SEA. Finally, with the new internal promotions and initiatives set in stone, we look forward to becoming an influential platform for more young, outstanding talent to amplify their impact. “Welcome to join us and write the next chapter of Greater Southeast Asia’s digital economy,” comments Jamie.

The Next Crypto Capital of the World: Snapshot of Taiwan’s Blockchain Ecosystem

This map was produced by AppWorks in conjunction with local blockchain media Blockcast. Apart from conducting primary research, we used information from our own respective networks, communities, and investment partners, and pored through local and international news. The map will be updated every quarter to adequately capture the sheer pace at which the industry is evolving.

Jun Wakabayashi, Analyst (若林純 / 分析師)

Jun is an Analyst covering both AppWorks Accelerator and Greater Southeast Asia. Born and bred in America, Jun brings a wealth of international experience to AppWorks. He spent the last several years before joining AppWorks working for Focus Reports, where he conducted sector-based market research and interviewed high-level government leaders and industry executives across the globe. He’s now lived in 7 countries outside US and Taiwan, while traveling to upwards of 50 for leisure, collectively highlighting his unique propensity for cross-cultural immersion and international business. Jun received his Bachelors in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Sprouting from a few stray meetups and small projects, Taiwan’s blockchain ecosystem has grown tremendously in the past few years. The activity in the space can be traced back to as far as 2013 when MaiCoin, one of the island’s first digital asset exchanges supporting fiat-to-crypto trading, was established.

It was also around the same time that Taipei Bitcoin Meetup, arguably the earliest congregation of blockchain evangelists and crypto enthusiasts in Taiwan, began. And just for reference, Bitcoin’s price hadn’t even crossed US$250 at this point.

The Taipei Ethereum Meetup wouldn’t come into existence until two years later on October 13, 2015 – just a few months after Ethereum’s mainnet went live. Fast forward to today, the group now boasts of 1,935 members, along with representations from major blockchain foundations like EOS, NEM, Iota, Cardano, and Neo.

Overall, an end-to-end ecosystem that extends far beyond just blockchain fanatics and hardcore developers has now emerged in Taiwan.

Block by block

We’ve witnessed a swell of companies and decentralized organizations focusing not only on a whole suite of different applications from healthcare to gaming and entertainment, but also on a spectrum of underlying infrastructure to support them.

Projects like Muzeum and Contentos are tailoring their protocols to the needs of specific segments, in this case creatives and content creators, respectively. Dexon, which is initiated by the team behind crypto exchange Cobinhood, is looking to create a new home for decentralized application (DApp) makers through the allure of its permissionless, infinitely scalable distributed ledger technology

In line with global trends, several local and international crypto exchanges have emerged to serve the growing trading volumes of digital currencies. Homegrown exchanges such as BitoEX, Joyso, and MaiCoin are leading the charge on the domestic front, offering their unique value proposition to woo traders and users alike. For example, BitoEX, the creator of crypto trading platform BitoPro, has partnered over 3,000 convenience stores in Taiwan, allowing customers to seamlessly purchase crypto with fiat currency.

While many were fighting tooth and nail to get ahead in the gold rush, some innovators have opted to supply the picks and shovels instead to fuel the race. Established in 2014, CoolBitX created a credit card-sized hardware wallet for storing cryptocurrencies. It connects to any iOS and Android smartphones via bluetooth. To date, CoolBitX has sold 100,000 wallets worldwide.

Formosa Financial, on the other hand, has created a one-stop online shop to manage digital assets. It aims to help bridge the gap between the many financial products offered by traditional banks and the ones currently available in the crypto space.

Pillars for funding, legal advisory, community building, education, and, of course, the media have also propped up to support the industry’s evolution. Accelerators like MOX and our very own AppWorks have constructed programs to specifically cultivate the development of blockchain founders and create a supportive environment to fast-track growth.

Seventy percent of the organizations on the map were actually established in the past two years. Unsurprisingly, we saw the biggest growth – 271 percent – in the number of blockchain-focused companies in 2017, where year-end crypto prices reached astronomical heights.

The hysteria has since dissipated, and the majority of cryptocurrencies have now dropped 90 percent below their all-time highs, leaving in its wake a cold, brittle winter that will likely see a dearth of new projects starting in the next few years – at least compared to the feeding frenzy that we saw in 2017.

History in the making

Despite the slump, the core building blocks of Taiwan’s blockchain industry are holding fast.

Interest and enthusiasm in the underlying technology are still strong among the country’s developer community and overall talent pool. Popular local job website 104 has dozens of domestic and international enterprises collectively posting nearly 300 open blockchain-related roles, showing a huge growth compared to the few openings available in early 2017.

Moreover, the atmosphere at the top remains cautious but optimistic. The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is set to release definitive guidelines for initial coin offerings/security token offerings by mid-2019. It’s likely to inherit a similar stance as the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US to treat most, if not all, ICOs as security offerings.

Although regulators maintain a hardened stance on fraud prevention and anti-money laundering measures, the FSC has stated that it has “no intention of curbing the creativity and productivity associated with cryptocurrencies if they are not used as securities.”

Blockchain might be starting to slip out of mainstream fashion, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. With distractions like hype and price out of the way, developers can now get some serious work done under the hood.

There’s still a lot of progress to be made surrounding issues like privacy, security, scaling, interoperability, and usability. If these concerns are left unsolved, they will only impede the technology’s widespread commercial implementation.

Looking ahead in 2019

With the crypto markets finally cooling down, we don’t anticipate much activity in the space in 2019 – at least as it relates to the birth of new projects.

Undercapitalized startups and those that missed the ICO boom will likely struggle to make ends meet. And those left standing will be battening down the hatches, cutting off excess fat, and increasingly turning back towards conventional financing channels (i.e. VCs/banks) to ride out the bear market.

Taiwan’s investor landscape has responded accordingly, with VC firms such as IVP, CDIB Capital, and WI Harper already started investing in blockchain/crypto startups.

In light of these market conditions, we will see a lot of international and domestic blockchain/crypto startups across the value chain displaying a newfound interest in Taiwan as a source of affordable but no less qualified talent. Where Taiwan has been traditionally overlooked for its economic brawn, it will now make up for with brains – cost-efficient brains, to be exact.

The island’s technological sophistication and favorable corresponding operating costs will also serve to optimize companies’ bottom lines, especially those working at the infrastructure level like mining and protocol development.

Although we’re unlikely to see many – if any – commercial implementations this year, DApp development will continue at a moderately healthy pace, particularly as Taiwanese decision-makers begin to solidify their stance in blockchain and release definitive regulatory guidance on ICO/STOs.

Taiwan is also among only a handful of markets around the world to have created a fintech regulatory sandbox. That means blockchain/crypto startups have a much more forthcoming environment to experiment with and find market validation without the burden of potential legal consequences.

The Blockchain Ecosystem in Taiwan map was produced in conjunction with blockcast.it. Moving forward, we will be updating it every quarter to adequately capture the sheer pace at which the industry is evolving. For any questions or comments, or if you would like to have your organization included on the map, please email [email protected]

【If you’re a startup currently or prospectively employing AI / Blockchain, be sure to apply AppWorks Accelerator’s AI & Blockchain only batch.】