Darwin Management

Darwin Venture Management is a boutique investment firm founded in 2009 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. The firm specializes in venture capital, focusing on emerging growth companies in sectors such as biotechnology, software, consumer products, materials and equipment, semiconductors, and communications. Co-founders Dr. Simon Fang and Dr. Yaoting Wang, both Stanford graduates, bring extensive experience from their careers in technology and entrepreneurship. They have a successful track record as angel investors, having invested in over 20 companies with substantial returns. In 2014, Dr. YJ Tsai joined as a partner, further strengthening the team's expertise. Darwin manages four late-stage venture funds and also offers business and technical consulting services to local entrepreneurs, facilitating connections with the venture communities in Greater China and Silicon Valley. Through its hands-on support, Darwin aims to enhance the growth potential of local startups.

Simon Fang Ph.D

Co-Founding Partner

Kay Lin

Managing Partner

YJ Tsai

Partner

Emily Wu

Partner

29 past transactions

cytena Bioprocess Solutions

Venture Round in 2021
cytena Bioprocess Solutions co., Ltd. (cytena BPS) is founded in 2018 as a spin-off from cytena GmbH. Based on the successful story of cytena, cytena Bioprocess Solutions will further focus on offering bioprocess solutions for, but not limited to, pharmaceuticals and top research institutes. We have established collaboration with top academic institutes and industrial companies in researching, development, and application. With the close connection with cytena GmbH, we share the resources, experiences, and expect to bring our novel and comprehensive product into the global bioprocess market soon!

Numbers Protocol

Venture Round in 2021
Numbers provides apps and tools to help users create tamper-proof records of media content. There are three core components of the company's product: Capture, Seal, and Trace. Capture generates the birth certificate of media content, Seal preserves the integrity with immutable records, and Trace footprints at every level from creation to archive. The sources of media content include mobile cameras or professional cameras. All media content created by the Numbers Capture comes with a unique certification. When the content is shared, viewers can scan a QR code to review and verify it. Numbers Protocol is a Taiwan startup founded in May 2019.

AsiaYo

Convertible Note in 2020
Founded in June 2013 and based in Taipei, AsiaYo is an online room booking platform offering people a chance to discover over 60,000 uniquely designed accommodations covering 60 cities in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Hong Kong. Growing quickly, AsiaYo offers local hosts a chance to utilize their unused space, opening it to an international audience. Learn more at: www.asiayo.com

Nelumbo

Series A in 2020
Nelumbo Inc. manufactures thin superomniphobic nanocoating for air conditioning cooling coil fins and refrigerators. The company manufactures products, such as Ice-Nein and Omniphobe. Ice-Nein coating attacks frost build up to improve cooling coils for refrigeration equipment and reduces equipment defrosting downtime; and Omniphobe coating improves cooling coils for air conditioning equipment. The company caters to the heating and cooling industry. Nelumbo Inc. was founded in 2015 and is based in Menlo Park, California.

Atgenomix

Series A in 2020
ATGENOMIX is changing genome sequencing informatics and the data analysis market by unifying high-performance parallel computing, open-source bioinformatics, and a multi-omic data hub into a truly scalable Bio-IT platform built on the Microsoft Azure secure enterprise cloud. ATGENOMIX empowers its customers and partners to achieve more with its smart high-performance parallel computing to deliver on the promise of precision medicine.

Bubbleye

Series A in 2019
Our team hails from Italy, Taiwan, USA, and the UK with tech backgrounds from NTU (臺大) and MIT (麻省理工)。 We are alumni of Silicon Valley backed MOX Accelerator and recently closed Series A venture funding from Taipei based Darwin Ventures. We're also backed by several notable angel investors and advisors, including Duncan Clark (Alibaba), Chris Reitermann (CEO Ogilvy Asia), Olivier Glauser (Steamboat Capital, Qualcomm Ventures). Our clients are world leading game publishers from across the Americas, Europe and Asia. Started by an international team of AI experts and mobile gaming fanatics, Bubbleye is a fast growing AI startup now with R&D headquarters in Taipei and biz dev teams working across the globe. We are solving mobile user acquisition inefficiencies through automation and inferential algorithms. And to achieve that, we pick the best of the best. A select team with an international DNA, a very open culture mix across nations and continents, driven by the same powerful driving force: a passion for innovation and growth, guts to disrupt, and skills to implement. We are ahead of the global race to solving mobile user acquisition, with unique tech and talent.

Flow Solutions

Seed Round in 2019
Flow Solutions, Inc., founded in 2016 and based in Yokohama, Japan, specializes in developing InSight, a store analysis platform tailored for the retail industry. The company utilizes Internet of Things (IoT) technology and existing retail data sources to standardize data communication across extensive retail chains. By integrating artificial intelligence, Flow Solutions empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions at all levels, enhancing operational efficiency and strategic planning within the retail sector.

Carota

Series B in 2019
Founded in 2011, Carota Coda Cloud Software Technology is an OTA technology solution expert, upholds innovative technology as its corporate philosophy, continues to invest resources in R&D and technological innovation, and has the strongest R&D team to provide the most outstanding products. And technology, dedicated to top-notch OTA solutions that are reliable, stable, secure, scalable, and high-performance, as well as customized services that meet the professional needs of customers

Foresee pharma

Venture Round in 2019
Foresee Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (FP) is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company. Our mission is to serve patients. We strive to improve patients' quality of life and provide cure through innovative research. We are committed to apply the highest ethical standards to our products, services and communications. Foresee's core competency includes rapid development and commercialization of new drugs using its proprietary drug delivery technology as well as develop first-in-class NCE in disease areas of high unmet medical needs.

Jubo

Seed Round in 2019
Jubo delivers exceptional care experience by connecting healthcare data, empowering caregivers, and engaging family in long-term care.

FRAMED

Seed Round in 2018
FRAMED is a Japan-based company that operates an online marketplace specializing in digital art. It provides a platform for showcasing a diverse range of digital artworks, including interactive art, web applications, motion graphics, and illustrations. By enabling users to display these digital pieces in everyday environments, FRAMED aims to enhance the accessibility and visibility of digital art in contemporary settings.

KDAN

Series A in 2018
Kdan Mobile Software Ltd. is a software development company established in 2009 and headquartered in Tainan City, Taiwan, with additional offices in Taipei, Huntingdon, Changsha, Beijing, and Tokyo. The company specializes in mobile software applications and online services, offering a range of productivity and creativity tools. Its flagship products include Creativity 365, a comprehensive content creation suite featuring applications like Animation Desk and Write-on Video, and Document 365, which provides document management solutions such as PDF readers and online conversion services. Kdan also offers Kdan Cloud, a collaborative workspace for file management, DottedSign for electronic signatures, and Kdan PDF SDK for developers to handle PDF files across various platforms. Other notable offerings include My Markups for web page annotation and AniZone for video publishing and community interaction. With over 200 million downloads globally, Kdan Mobile serves a diverse customer base, enhancing productivity and creativity through its innovative solutions.

Zuvio

Funding Round in 2018
Zuvio's goal is to build a virtual campus for college students to meet college students' everyday needs for the campus life, and become the ultimate communication channel between brands/enterprise and college students. We started to approach the goal with our Zuvio IRS - cloud + mobile based interactive classroom solution, built Zuvio Campus - cross campus social network service - based on Zuvio IRS., and now have more than 50% market shares in Taiwan.

inline

Seed Round in 2018
Inline is an online booking management system tailored specifically for restaurant owners. It helps streamline operations by reducing errors and enhancing efficiency in handling reservations. The app automates the booking process by sending text message confirmations to guests, allowing for real-time responses to be displayed. This functionality aims to simplify reservation management, ultimately supporting restaurant owners in providing better service and optimizing their workflow.

Atgenomix

Seed Round in 2017
ATGENOMIX is changing genome sequencing informatics and the data analysis market by unifying high-performance parallel computing, open-source bioinformatics, and a multi-omic data hub into a truly scalable Bio-IT platform built on the Microsoft Azure secure enterprise cloud. ATGENOMIX empowers its customers and partners to achieve more with its smart high-performance parallel computing to deliver on the promise of precision medicine.

AsiaYo

Series A in 2017
Founded in June 2013 and based in Taipei, AsiaYo is an online room booking platform offering people a chance to discover over 60,000 uniquely designed accommodations covering 60 cities in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Hong Kong. Growing quickly, AsiaYo offers local hosts a chance to utilize their unused space, opening it to an international audience. Learn more at: www.asiayo.com

INSTO

Seed Round in 2015
INSTO is the world's first person-to-person payment platform that allows buyers and sellers to schedule payments over time. Buy or sell anything, and schedule recurring payments for things like services or rent.

Zuoan Fashion Limited

Venture Round in 2010
Zuoan Fashion Ltd. (Zuoan) is a casual menswear company. The Company's products are designed in-house and sold under its Zuoan brand. The Company offers a range of products, including men's casual apparel, footwear and lifestyle accessories, primarily targeting urban males between the ages of 20 and 40. Zuoan sells its products through a distribution network covering 31 of China's 32 provinces and centrally administered municipalities, as well as through its direct stores.

China Xiniya Fashion

Venture Round in 2010
Xiniya brand began in 1993, the brand has a long history and rich cultural heritage, adhering to the tradition of excellent garment, a blend of modern fashion elements, leading men's fashion trends in innovation, and with quality, innovation and emerging classic clothing brand created a profound connotation. Fujian Xiniya Clothing Weaving Co., Ltd. was founded in 2005, is located in China's famous hometown - Jinjiang, with an area of nearly more than 40,000 square meters of modern industrial park, high-tech assembly line equipment in factory is fully imported from Italy and Japan. Production is strictly f the ISO9001 international quality management system and environmental management system standard ISOI4001. With business men collections as the core product, we hired well-known designers and build world-class design team, formed jackets, suits, T-shirts, shirts, casual tops, cotton, casual pants, ties, leather goods, shoes for the main product lines set one enterprise. With great strength, good reputation, the company has won the "ISO9001 certified", "ISO14001 certification", "talk about credibility, excellent quality production enterprise", "Province", "National Quality Trustworthy Products", "China Famous Brand "," best-selling brand in China, "" China green dress "series honors.

CRYSTALVUE

Seed Round in 2010
Crystalvue Medical Co Ltd is engaged in manufacturing and production of medical devices including chin rest, digital microscope camera, OCT, fundus camera, gastrointestinal endoscopic disposable devices and tonometer among others. It also provides FundusVue which is a diagnostic instrument for ophthalmologists to inspect and record the patients' retina.

Feature Integration Technology

Venture Round in 2009
Feature Integration Technology Inc., (Fintek) is founded by a group of highly professional and innovative engineers with long experience in personal computer industry and its related ICs design、marketing、sales and application service. Since its establishment in 2002, Fintek has successfully commercialized several ICs for personal computers, peripherals and IA (information appliances) products. It has become a common perception that slim, mobile, and low power consumption will add its importance to the future product design of personal computer and handheld electronics devices. In view of this trend, they have dedicated substantial resource in the research and development of mixed signal IC design technology aiming for brining future oriented, good performance, and environment-friendly products to the market. And they have gained much achievement in the technology fields such as mixed-mode IC design, embedded/memory logic IC design, and system logic IC design.