A Taiwan artificial intelligence start-up founder and CEO was added March 16 to the ranks of Geneva-based World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders on the strength of his business acumen and high-tech accomplishments.
Yu Chih-han of Taipei City-headquartered Appier Inc., a technology company making big inroads in the international AI market since its launch in 2010, earned WEF praise for significant headway in the development of self-driving cars and robotics.
Born 1979 in Taichung City, the Harvard University-trained computer scientist caught the imagination of industry experts and competitors by using AI to track users’ cross-screen behaviour on multiple devices.
The technology is a boon for online advertising and has extensive business intelligence applications. Silicon Valley-based Sequoia Capital recognized the potential of Yu’s work and invested US$6 million in Appier during a Series A round of funding in 2014. This was the first time a Taiwan start-up had secured backing from the renowned venture capital firm.
Yu said he is grateful for the WEF recognition and believes the honour will help strengthen the development of AI in Taiwan. “We look forward to expanding the technology’s reach across business, healthcare and Internet via the integration of academic knowledge and industrial practice.”
Established in 2004, the WEF initiative nominates next-generation leaders under 40 for a five-year term of collaboration to tackle global challenges. Past alumni from Taiwan include CatchPlay Inc. founder Timothy Chen, Industrial Bank of Taiwan Vice Chairwoman Tina Lo and Shin Kong Life Foundation Executive Director Cynthia Wu. (YHC-JSM)
