MOX, a Taipei-based mobile-only accelerator that propels mobile app startups into the world’s emerging markets, graduated its seventh batch of startups on August 27. The MOX cohort this year includes 10 startups from India, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Indonesia, with already profitable global players seed-stage startups with sizable user bases in their home countries.
By partnering with promotion partners such as mobile operators in each country, MOX enables the strongest mobile startups from around the world expand into new markets without spending money on customer acquisition.
“The first billion internet users accessed the Internet using their PCs, but the next 4 billion users — Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America — are mobile-only. Hundreds of millions of users are getting on the Internet with smartphones,” said William Bao Bean, the managing director of MOX.
MOX is operated by the Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm SOSV with US$650 million assets under management. SOSV operates six vertically-focused accelerator programs in different cities around the world, and MOX is the first international accelerator in Taiwan.
“The cost of living and staffing resources [in Taiwan] are relatively low, and there’s a large pool of highly educated professionals suitable for startups. Additionally, for companies looking to expand into Southeast Asia, South Asia, China, and other emerging markets, Taiwan provides an excellent launchpad for international growth," Bean said.
What kind of startups graduated from MOX 7 this year? Let's take a look.
Whatscut Pro (India)
Video content is more valuable than ever. Whatscut Pro turns any video into share-worthy content shot and edited on the go for visual storytellers on social media. The mobile app already has 1 million downloads and 5 million stories shared to date.
NATBAY (Thailand)
NATBAY is a luxury fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platform offering designer clothing and accessories to fashionistas in Southeast Asia at great prices. It might be the next ASOS of Thailand.
Vidyakul (India)
Vidyakul is an online learning platform connecting star educators with Indian students. The startup bridges students and teachers across India in multiple vernacular languages at an affordable price — over smartphones.
Woovly (India)
Travel startup Woovly turns a bucket list into reality. It has a community of travelers who share travel ideas and experiences ranging from climbing Mount Everest to getting a stupid tattoo. Users can add different ideas into their bucket list and keep track of their accomplishments — a fun and interactive tool for travel lovers.
PinjamWinWin (Indonesia)
Around 66 percent of the 260-million population in Indonesia are unbanked, meaning they do not own a bank account. PinjamWinWin is a fintech startup that connects the unbanked Indonesians to lenders with fast and easy loans for individuals & small businesses, with most disbursements made in less than 24 hours.
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TNL Editor: Daphne K. Lee (@thenewslensintl)
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