91APP, a Taiwan-based startup that builds customized apps for brands and retailers, yesterday announced a $9 million Series A funding round led by AppWorks. Other investors participating included CID Group, NineYi, and two Taiwanese E-commerce players – Jan Hung-Tze, founder of PCHome, a Taiwanese E-commerce marketplace, and Paul Lin, chairman of Sennao. (via Tech in Asia)

Speaking at a press event in Taipei, 91APP founder Steven Ho said that the funding will be used to expand the company’s footprint in Taiwan, hire additional staff and to drive international expansion.

91APP builds specialized mobile E-commerce iOS and Android apps and mobile websites for its clients. Clients are able to manage inventory and other commerce-related content via 91APP’s website. The company monetizes through a mix of upfront subscription fees and transaction commissions. An initial setup fee is charged and, depending on service tier, transaction commissions range from 2.5 percent to 5 percent.

Ho revealed that the company has more than 1,000 paying clients using its service in Taiwan, among them Family Mart and Taiwan’s authorized Apple reseller, Studio A. Ho hope to increase that number by 3,000 paying clients in 2015.

Unlike other startups in the mobile E-commerce space that tend to focus on mobile websites, notes Tech in Asia, 91APP has had an app-centric approach right from the outset. Although the company has been providing its service since 2012, it only launched a mobile web product very recently. According to Ho, this was no accident. When 91APP started out, the mobile internet was in its infancy and mobile apps delivered a better user experience and as a result drove higher engagement.

The company also wants to expand its portfolio of brick-and-mortar clients. It offers these traditional retailers the ability to offer coupons and promotions via location tracking to increase store visits.

Ho is confident that his company can help increase Taiwan’s online retail sales from 10 percent to 50 percent by transforming consumers’ buying behaviors through improved mobile-enabled platforms.

Ho is certainly a capable founder, with previous startups under his belt that include auction site bid.com.tw, founded in 1998 and later acquired by eBay in 2002, and Monday Tech, a retail marketplace acquired by Yahoo! in 2008.

Incorporated in the Cayman Islands, 91APP is poised for international expansion. The company is in talks with prospective partners in China and other Asian markets.

Screenshot: SiliconANGLE via 91APP