(2018 年 2 月 12 日，台北訊) 影音行銷技術領導廠商愛卡拉 (iKala) 宣布完成 500 萬美金 A 輪融資，獲得包括新加坡上市的和通創投、怡和創投、國際創投集團 ACE Capital 等知名創投注資。愛卡拉同時宣佈擴大徵才，全面進軍國際市場。
愛卡拉是 Google Cloud 全球首席合作夥伴，多年來專注影音行銷技術，旗下擁有專業的 LIVEhouse 影音製播行銷執行團隊，累積超過 1,200 場大型影音製播及資料分析經驗， 團隊陸續承接了知名電商的雙 11、雙 12 等線上線下大型影音直播，服務領域涵蓋電商、電競、遊戲及品牌客戶等領域；愛卡拉旗下的 StraaS 影音技術平台則是結合人工智慧，提供電競、電商、教育、金融、企業視訊、線上客服等產業客製化影音應用及服務的解決方案，目前客戶廣佈日本、台灣、中國、及東南亞各國。
愛卡拉執行長程世嘉 Sega Cheng 表示：「我們在網路影音累積多年的紮實經驗，2017 年是我們豐收的一年，營收成長超過 300%，團隊也成長至 80 人，今年我們會繼續擴編團隊至 120 人以上，強化既有服務和推出新產品、進入更多新興市場。」
怡和創投董事長王伯元及和通創投董事長黃翠慧表示：「我們非常看好愛卡拉，除了穩健的財務數字之外，團隊一直以來非常專注核心事業，並逐步建構以人才及核心價值為主體的營運與文化，堅實的團隊與執行力是我們決定投資的關鍵。」ACE Capital 合夥人 Jason Chang 表示：「ACE Capital 一直深耕及投資東南亞市場，作為策略性投資人，將全力協助愛卡拉建立合作夥伴關係，積極開拓市場。」
愛卡拉表示接下來將瞄準東南亞市場的影音應用及電商發展，延伸既有的核心事業，推出最貼近東南亞使用者的產品。東南亞擁有全世界最健康的人口結構，70% 的人口年齡在 35 歲以下，行動覆蓋率超過 140%，在直播、社交、電商等領域也是全球最活躍的地區之一。「東南亞市場展現出的能量非常驚人，我們非常看好這個擁有六億五千萬人口的大市場，也預期在接下來幾年會有急速的成長，透過本次結盟的策略性投資人，我們已經開始在這個區域布局我們的影音核心事業」程世嘉說。「除了擴大徵才之外，我們也持續尋求更多耕耘東南亞的事業夥伴，歡迎大家一起來打亞洲盃。」
關於 iKala
愛卡拉成立於 2011 年，創辦團隊成員來自 Google、Yahoo!、HTC、聯發科、Microsoft 等知名企業。 iKala 旗下涵蓋「雲端科技」及「行銷科技」兩大事業部，以頂尖技術獨家研發的 「AI 導入三部曲 DAA」(Digitalization 數位化、Analytics 人工智慧分析、Application 行銷應用)，提供企業領先的「數位轉型」及「數據驅動行銷」產品及解決方案。
Taiwan-based video marketing tech company, iKala, closes USD 5 million series A funding, expanding team in Taiwan and emerging markets
Taipei, Feb. 12, 2018 – iKala, a leader in providing advanced video marketing solutions to enterprises and branded customers, announced today that is has completed USD 5 million series A funding, backed by Singapore-listed Hotung Venture Capital, Pacific Venture Partners, and ACE Capital as strategic investors. Funds will be used to expand services in Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
With the vision to be a “video business enabler” and recognized by Google as a Cloud Premier Partner, iKala is focused on providing full-stack video marketing solutions. iKala owns a professional live production team “LIVEhouse” and has produced more than 1,200 large-scale live shows with advanced analytics, covering eCommerce, eSports, gaming, and branded customers. iKala’s platform as a service (PaaS) product “StraaS” meanwhile provides highly scale and interactive streaming technology together with artificial intelligence to enable customized applications for enterprise customers in Japan, Taiwan, China, and Southeast Asia. Together, LIVEhouse and StraaS form a strong value proposition that empowers customers’ video businesses.
“People are using videos to communicate, and we have years of experience and expertise. It is our goal to make it effective, efficient, and measurable,” said iKala CEO Sega Cheng, “2017 was a year of good harvest. We saw strong revenue growth of more than 300%.” iKala now comprises a team of 80 people, continuing its efforts to provide more advanced video services and products. “We are hiring another 40 to 50 people this year to expand in Taiwan and Southeast Asia”, said Sega.
“We are very optimistic about iKala. In addition to solid financial performance, the team has always been very focused on its core business of video marketing, and has built up a team of talented people and a great culture.” To Por-Yuan Wang, Chairman of Pacific Venture Partners and Jennifer Huang, Chairman of Hotung Venture Capital, iKala’s discipline and executive ability were key to their decision to invest. “ACE Capital has strong reach in Southeast Asia. We are helping iKala build business partnerships there”, said Jason Chang, Partner of ACE Capital.
iKala will target emerging video markets, especially eCommerce in Southeast Asia, and will soon launch new products to extend their core services. With 70% of the population under 35, Southeast Asia has 140% mobile phone penetration. Live broadcasting, social networking and eCommerce are among the most active in the world. “The area is extremely energetic. We expect to see even faster growth in the coming years in this market of 650 million people. We are actively looking for business partners in the region”, Sega said. “Everyone is welcome to join us riding this unprecedented wave.”
About iKala
Founded in 2011, iKala provides advanced video marketing technologies and cloud services. The founding members are from Google, Yahoo!, HTC, MediaTek, and Microsoft. iKala ensures customers’ success in online video business with its full-stack video marketing services, including content marketing service “LIVEhouse“, video marketing technology platform “StraaS“, and “cloud infrastructure”. iKala is a Google Cloud Premier Partner.
