iKala Secures Over $20 Million in Series B+ Funding, Led by Chunghwa Telecom
Partnership to Focus on AI, Big Data, Cloud (ABC) Strategies
TAIPEI, March 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- iKala announced the successful completion of its Series B+ funding round today, led by Chunghwa Telecom. The total raised amount is $20.8 million (approximately NT$660 million), pushing iKala's total fundraising to over $50 million (approximately NT$1.55 billion). Existing investors include Wistron Digital Technology Holding, Huitung Investments, Honesty Ventures, and Cherubic Venture. This funding will boost iKala's AI research and development and enhance its footprint in Japan and Southeast Asia, establishing itself as Asia's premier AI transformation solution provider.
Chunghwa Telecom, a prominent provider of communication, network, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and integration solutions, is ramping up efforts to meet cloud demands and boost AI research. Recognizing iKala's expertise in cloud services, data analytics, AI research, and its strength in expanding into the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets, Chunghwa Telecom strategically led investment in the B+ Round of iKala.
The collaboration between Chunghwa Telecom and iKala focuses on two major areas: cloud migration and AI expertise. With AI becoming a crucial competitive factor for enterprises, the two companies will jointly train enterprise-specific large language models (LLM) to empower internal AI systems, enhance operational efficiency, and assist enterprises in achieving AI transformation (AIX).
Pen-Yuang Chang, President of Enterprise Business Group, Chunghwa Telecom, stated, "Our future development goals will revolve around seven key innovative technologies, with AI leading the way. These technologies include AIoT, Big Data, Cloud/IDC, Data Security, Edge Computing, Fifth Gen. Mobile Network, and Gen AI. iKala excels in AI research and cloud tech, especially in AI-driven marketing. This investment will further promote academic exchange in the AI sector, boost efficiency, strengthen partnerships, and expand our global presence.
This funding round will propel iKala's AI research and innovation, AI transformation service momentum, and overseas market expansion. iKala Co-founder and CEO Sega Cheng commented, "Chunghwa Telecom's emphasis on both AI and cloud deployment aligns with our goals, making itself a key strategic partner. Together, we'll assist clients in adopting hybrid clouds, leveraging AI for faster customer acquisition, and improving productivity. iKala is committed to advancing research and development, supporting the AI community, and becoming the preferred AI solution provider in Asia."
iKala provides AI-driven cloud services and marketing technology, serving 1,000+ enterprises including Fortune 500 firms. Its AI influencer platform, KOL Radar, has over three million global influencers and has expanded to markets like Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Using AI-driven tools, iKala helps brands boost customer acquisition and marketing efficiency.