Taiwan-based enterprise software tool developer Appier received $80m yesterday in a series D round featuring UMC Capital, the corporate venturing arm of semiconductor producer United Microelectronics Company.
The round included Hopu-Arm Innovation Fund, a joint venture between mobile chipset manufacturer Arm and private equity firm Hopu Investment Management, as well as Pavilion Capital, Jafco Investment, TGVest Capital and Insignia Venture Partners.
Founded in 2012, Appier markets artificial intelligence-equipped software used by more than 1,000 digital marketing clients to build personalised marketing strategies.
The company’s offering includes a data science platform in addition to tools tailored to planning advertisements, engaging customers and triggering product purchases.
The series D funding will help Appier adapt the core AI technology for additional sectors, while also boosting headcount and enhancing its existing digital marketing range. The company said it has now raised a total of $162m in funding.
Appier secured $33m in a mid-2017 series C round backed by telecommunications group SoftBank, messaging app provider Line, internet company Naver, investment bank AMTD and the Singaporean government-owned EDBI.
The company closed its $42.5m series B round in 2016 with $19.5m provided by Pavilion Capital, WI Harper Group, FirstFloor Capital and Qualgro.
The initial $23m was supplied by MediaTek Ventures and UOB Venture Management, respective subsidiaries of fabless semiconductor maker MediaTek and financial services firm United Overseas Bank, as well as Jafco Asia, TransLink Capital and existing backer Sequoia India.
Teck Sien Lau, co-chairman of Hopu-Arm Innovation Fund, said: “With AI as its DNA and the most outstanding talent accumulated outside of US and China, Appier is well positioned to continue to exceed expectations and outpace the competition.”