AppWorks

Quoted on the investments page as a voice of AppWorks; founder of the firm.

Jessica Liu is a Partner at AppWorks who leads the firm's Southeast Asia efforts and its work in the regional blockchain ecosystem. She began her career in 2010 managing online marketing for Standard Chartered Bank before joining AppWorks in 2014, where she worked as an Associate on the Accelerator and Southeast Asia initiatives and was promoted to Partner in 2019. Her focus includes consumer internet applications and their intersection with deep technologies, and she holds a B.B.A. from the University of Southern California.

Nice Cheng is a Partner at AppWorks Ventures who focuses on growth-stage startups and experienced founders. He co-founded the Internet video company Webs-TV.com in 1999 and led it to profitability, and later served as Chief Strategy & Operating Officer at Yam after it acquired Webs-TV. He holds a degree from Southeastern University and currently sits on the boards of several Internet companies.

Alyssa Chen is a Principal at AppWorks who leads the firm's Accelerator arm, running programs including AppWorks Accelerator as well as corporate initiatives such as Wistron Accelerator and TINC Accelerator. She first joined AppWorks as a university intern, started her career at Huashan 1914 Creative Park in business development and media partnerships, returned to AppWorks in 2016, and became Principal in 2022 as the accelerator expanded across nine Asian markets. She holds a Master's in International Communication and a B.A. in German from National Chengchi University.

Anne Chen manages investor relationships for AppWorks Funds. She previously spent four years at DBS as a management associate focused on institutional banking relationships and financial planning for public and private companies and founders, and interned at AppWorks during college. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance from National Taiwan University.

Ching Tseng is a Principal at AppWorks who leads the firm's Web3 arm. She interned at AppWorks during college and joined as an Analyst after earning a B.B.A. from National Chengchi University in 2015, later becoming an Associate in 2019 and Principal in 2022. Her work includes supporting CHOCO TV from Series A through its acquisition by LINE, and building AppWorks' blockchain ecosystem and related investments.

Sophie Chiu is a Principal at AppWorks who leads the firm's AI Arm and works with founders applying AI to build their companies. She joined AppWorks as an Associate in 2020 and became a Principal in 2023, after roughly a decade in public equity, including a role on the Emerging Market Equity Fund at Neuberger Berman and analyst positions at Credit Suisse, JPMorgan, and Autonomous Research. She holds a Master of Finance from Warwick Business School and a BS in Finance from National Taiwan University.

Vanessa Lu is the Space Director at AppWorks, which she joined in 2018 to manage the firm's workspaces. She previously served as Operations Manager at Foxconn Group's Sytrend Startup Foundation, overseeing its incubator, co-working space, and community events, and earlier handled lead generation and premium customer support for the APAC region at Evernote. She holds a Master's degree in Russian Studies and an undergraduate degree in Russian Language, both from National Chengchi University.

Howard Chen joined AppWorks in 2023 as its Recruiting Master, advising founders in the AppWorks ecosystem on recruiting and talent needs. He has more than 10 years of mid-to-high level headhunting and strategic recruitment experience in tech, having led talent acquisition at startups including honestbee, Appier, Shopline, GoFreight, and Circle. His work spans tech and non-tech roles across e-commerce, AI, and web3, with a talent network across Southeast Asia, the US, and Europe.

Hsichun Tsai joined AppWorks in 2025 as Accelerator Program Manager within the firm's Accelerator Arm. He previously spent seven years at Rapha as Clubhouse General Manager, running retail operations and content-driven campaigns to grow a local cycling community. He holds a master's and bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering from National Taiwan University and is an avid cyclist who has traveled to more than 40 countries by bicycle.

Jun Wakabayashi is an Analyst at AppWorks, working with the AppWorks Accelerator and covering the Greater Southeast Asia region. Before joining the firm, he worked for Focus Reports as a business journalist conducting sector-based market research on the healthcare and energy sectors, interviewing government leaders and industry executives across multiple countries. He holds a Bachelor's in Finance from New York University's Stern School of Business.

Liying Wang leads a law firm embedded within AppWorks, advising founders and larger internet companies on legal matters. She previously practiced law for over ten years, including a role as senior counsel for global operations at HTC Corporation and work on the technology law team at Formosa Transnational Attorneys-at-Law. She holds an LL.M. from Northwestern University School of Law and an LL.B. from National Chengchi University, and is admitted to both the Taipei Bar and the New York State Bar.

Michelle Lin is an Associate in AppWorks Ventures' AI Arm, where she works with founders building AI-driven companies. She joined AppWorks as an Analyst in 2022 and was promoted to Associate in 2025, having previously worked as an assistant manager at Deloitte Financial Advisory on cross-border and local M&A deals. She holds a Bachelor's in Accounting from National Taiwan University and a Master of Management Studies from Duke University.

Nathan Alexander joined AppWorks in 2024 as an Associate in its AI Arm, focusing on helping founders apply AI to building companies. He has over seven years of startup advisory, investment, and M&A experience in Southeast Asia, having worked at PwC Indonesia, as Senior Analyst at Alpha JWC, and as Head of Investments at Telkomsel Ventures. He holds a Bachelor of Economics in Finance from Prasetiya Mulya University.

YJ Sin is a Community Manager at AppWorks, which she joined in 2026, working to build founder communities across Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Before AppWorks, she co-founded a growth marketing and analytics agency with work across Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand, and earlier built the English-learning content IP Crazy Girl English and launched an English-learning podcast in Taiwan. She holds a degree in Information Management from National Chengchi University and speaks English, Mandarin, Malay, and Cantonese.