SoftBank-Backed AI Startup Appier Raises $80 Million

(Bloomberg) -- SoftBank Group Corp.-backed customer analytics startup Appier Inc. has raised $80 million from investors including private equity firm TGVest Capital to expand globally and into new industries beyond digital marketing.

The artificial intelligence outfit from Taiwan also counts Hopu-Arm Innovation Fund, a venture between Hopu Investment Management Co. and Arm Holdings Inc.; Temasek Holdings Pte’s Pavilion Capital; Insignia Ventures; Jafco Investment and UMC Capital Corp. in its latest funding round, according to a statement Tuesday.

Appier’s products help retailers retain customers and advertisers understand and capitalize on consumer tendencies, predicting user behavior using its AI platform. It serves more than 1,000 companies, according to the statement.

Founded in Taipei in 2012, Appier now has more than 400 employees across 12 markets. It has raised $162 million in funding to date from investors including Sequoia Capital, SoftBank and Line Corp.

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