• The News Lens

  Participated · Series B · Mar 2017

  Launched in 2013 as a Facebook page, The News Lens grew into an independent news site and now operates multiple verticals including its flagship news site and lifestyle brand ELD. The company reports about 9 million monthly unique readers and maintains offices in Taipei and Hong Kong. Earlier this year it acquired two Taiwanese content producers, tech site Inside and sports site Sports Vision, which continue to operate as separate brands. The News Lens publishes Chinese-language editions for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, plus an English edition for international readers. It plans to use new capital to build an in-house content management and data analytics platform and to grow international readership through strategic partnerships or acquisitions of other Chinese-language online media companies. The company’s core product remains digital news and editorial verticals delivered across multiple language editions and brands. The News Lens began in 2013 as a Facebook page‑turned digital news outlet and now publishes separate editions for Hong Kong and international readers. Its core product is digital journalism with an expanding focus on original video content and live streams, and it also syndicates translated content from Time and Fortune. The company has about 70 staff and offices in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Monthly unique visitors have grown from roughly 3–4 million at its Series A to about 5–6 million today, and the team aims to add another million by year‑end. The News Lens is launching niche sites (business, women’s issues, lifestyle, travel) and has already launched a lifestyle site called Every Little D to attract targeted advertising. Content licensing to textbook publishers and other sites is cited as a growing revenue stream. The News Lens is an independent news site launched in 2013 in Taipei that publishes original news and analysis and has content-sharing agreements with The Wall Street Journal, GQ, and Malaysiakini. It produces original video content and audio narration and pursues distribution partnerships to show clips on screens in malls, taxis, buses, and convenience stores, emphasizing a multimedia and mobile strategy. The site has expanded operations to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, and its Hong Kong office will contribute original coverage about mainland China; the company is planning a bilingual edition. The News Lens currently claims five million monthly unique visitors, with nearly one million from outside Taiwan, and an audience that skews young (75% aged 18–35). The recently closed Series A, reported between $1 million and $2 million, will fund the launch of iOS and Android apps and further international expansion. Founder Joey Chung has said the company aims to become one of the most trusted news sources for Chinese-language readers globally. The News Lens is an independent digital news site in Taiwan that combines aggregation with original columns, analysis and video content. The site is mobile-optimized and uses partnerships (including HTC and Flipboard) and public‑screen video placements as part of a multi-platform distribution strategy. Its editorial approach aims for political independence and to present multiple viewpoints for a younger audience, with contributors focused on tech, startups and education. Since launching five months ago the site has grown to about 1.5 million unique visitors a month and amassed roughly 50,000 Facebook followers. The News Lens has seven full‑time employees and 11 part‑time staff and currently monetizes through banner and video ads and direct sponsorships. Planned initiatives include hiring more staff, accessing photo wires and databases, launching short daily video summaries for public screens, organizing events and pursuing licensing partnerships and regional expansion into other Chinese‑speaking markets.

• Dyad.com

  Participated · Seed · Apr 2014

  ChaseFuture offers a tiered admissions-coaching platform that pairs about 140 alumni and admissions experts from top U.S. and U.K. universities with prospective international applicants via messaging and video tutorials. Its product lineup ranges from basic essay and school-selection help to high-touch packages that can cost several thousand dollars. The company reports roughly 1,000 paying clients, who pay annual fees between $300 and $5,000. In its first cycle dozens of students gained admission to top schools (e.g., 17 to Columbia and 17 to USC; 16 to Imperial College London; 11 to LSE). ChaseFuture recently launched a beta App Tracker with how-to articles and videos, plus a mentor ratings system and a CRM to manage prospective clients. It plans to use new funding to expand sales and engineering headcount and pursue markets outside mainland China (including India, Egypt, and Turkey), and to build Arabic-language video content.

• SmarTots

  Participated · Seed · Oct 2011

  Founded in December 2010 by Jesper Lodahl with CPO Victor Wong, SmarTots helps educational app developers adapt and market iOS apps for Chinese children by localizing images, graphics, text and audio and writing iTunes descriptions. The company operates a library of about 30 apps, works with a roster of 13 developers, and reported reaching one million downloads in January. SmarTots emphasizes creativity-building apps for ages roughly two to seven and features share-to-parent functionality and an activity feed with educational reporting for parents. Its current focus is iOS, but the company plans a "very aggressive Android expansion" and has a shortlist of carriers, hardware providers, and developers it intends to work with. Financially, SmarTots previously raised about $1 million in a seed round and has now secured Series A funding from SoftBank Ventures Korea to accelerate bringing U.S. educational apps to China. SmarTots offers a mobile apps recommendation and analytics platform for children aged 2–7, providing parents, educators and developers with curated app content and usage insights. The platform gives parents reports tracking children’s learning activities, subject aptitudes, time spent in apps, and recommends other applications. It also delivers teacher advice and educator-developed suggestions for interest-matching and family activities to reinforce learning. Developers can access SmarTots’ SDK, cross-promotion tools and reporting features to integrate with the platform. Since launching in December 2010 the company has recorded over 600,000 downloads, indicating early traction. CEO Jesper Lodahl’s prior experience at Nokia is noted in the article; no revenue or additional financials were disclosed.

No current team members are available.