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AppWorks Demo Day #22：14 nationalities are represented and a third of them are targeting overseas market
AppWorks, Taiwan's leading VC firm and accelerator, has held its 22nd demo day on July 14, 2021., unveiling 18 startups operating across the frontiers of AI, Blockchain, and Southeast Asia. featured 24 teams and 40 founders from 14 nations, of which 33% are female and 43% serial entrepreneurs.
In recent years, AppWorks observed the potential of AI, blockchain, NFT, and the Southeast Asia market. AppWorks has invested more and more efforts in these four topics. "At AppWorks, we encourage our founders to pay attention to 4 of these major paradigm shifts, namely AI, blockchain, NFT, and Southeast Asia," said Jamie Lin, Chairman and co-founder of AppWorks, "We think AI, blockchain, NFT, and rising Southeast Asia are all shifting at higher speed."
This batch apparently shows the trend.
In this batch, over 14 nationalities are represented and seven of them come from Southeast Asia. More than two-thirds of startups target markets outside of Taiwan including Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, Cambodia, Hong Kong, the US, and the Netherlands. Fintech was by far the most popular industry vertical, followed by e-commerce, logistics, foodtech, among others.
The startup ecosystem in Southeast Asia is now entering the next phase of development, with startups like Carro and PatSnap entering the unicorn stable while companies like GoTo (Gojek+Tokopedia), Grab, and Bukalapak going to public. It was only a few years ago when the region experienced its very first public exit with Sea Group in 2017, resulting in many employees splintering off to start their own entrepreneurial endeavors.
The AppWorks ecosystem become an unfair advantage for startups
Entering its 11 years, Taiwan's VC firm AppWorks helps seed-stage and growth-stage startups in Taiwan and Southeast Asia to kickstart and rapidly scale up their business.
As of June 2021, there are now 414 active startups and 1,396 founders in the community. Furthermore, both the total funds raised and valuation have more than tripled in the last year.
The ecosystem's collective turnover also achieved a new milestone, crossing the US$10 billion mark, more than doubling from the year prior, while creating close to 20,000 jobs in the process.
Although the pandemic has adversely impacted the global economy this past year, the AppWorks ecosystem has been able to accelerate in growth. The driving force behind this momentum stems from all the efforts of entrepreneurs, capitalizing on the latest paradigm shifts and technological innovations.
Traditionally, AppWorks has held its Demo Day twice a year, which becoming one of the premier events for digital innovators across the region. Although the Covid-19 pandemic has locked down the world, travel restrictions and physical limitations have only served to speed up digital adoption among consumers and businesses alike, clearly reflected in the growth of our ecosystem.
"If you are founders, there is no better time, and AppWorks is here to help you be the best founder you can be," said Jamie
Teams up with AppWorks #22 Demo Day startups
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Credidi 水滴 : AI credit scoring service using transaction data
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ShowHue : AI visual tool for eCommerce
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Sensay : AI-powered English speaking homework tool for educators
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ALIA : AI financial advisory app
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AREA 02 : Sneaker resell marketplace platform in Asia where users can easily buy, sell, and trade
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Fika : Asia's female-focused AI social & dating app
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Find Recruiter : Recruiter marketplace for Asia talent
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Giftpack : AI-powered corporate gifting CRM
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Homexin : Platform which solves problems for hospitalized families
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KOLpass : MarTech platform for micro/nano influencers
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MedHyve : AI-powered procurement tools and dashboards for medical institutions
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PillTech : B2B healthcare marketplace
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Sendjoy : Cameo for Asia
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Spaceship : Smart logistics platform
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Swugo : The subscription service that makes any bike an electric bike
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TANG App : International peer-to-peer payment app
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Waku : F&B and catering platform
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WTH Foods : Plant-based meat alternatives
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