AMTD announces strategic investment in Royole Corporation. Both sides established a comprehensive strategic partnership on financial services, technological innovation, capital markets and internationalization strategies
On March 13, Calvin Choi, Chairman and President of AMTD Group, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Dr. Bill Liu, Royole Founder and CEO, at AMTD’s headquarter in Hong Kong. AMTD announces strategic investment in Royole Corporation. Both sides established a comprehensive strategic partnership on financial services, technological innovation, capital markets and internationalization strategies.
Royole is a leading innovator and manufacturer of Flexible Display, Flexible Sensor, Virtual Reality and related smart devices. It focuses on the research, development, production and sale of next-generation human-machine interface and Internet-of-Things technologies. Technological milestones include the world’s thinnest full-color AMOLED Flexible Display (0.1mm) and innovative flexible sensors, and core businesses include a series of intelligent terminals and industry solutions based on the “Flexible +” Technology Platform. Currently it holds over 1,700 IPs and its products are selling to more than 20 countries and regions. In 2017, Royole raised the “Flexible+” concept as the earliest one in the industry, referring to a wide application of flexible electronics to different industries as a platform technology and a deep integration with Artificial Intelligence and Internet-of-Things. In 2012, Royole was founded in Silicon Valley, Shenzhen and Hong Kong at the same time. Since then, it had received funding from a number of well-known institutional investors, including IDG, Shenzhen Capital Group, Citic Capital, Co-Stone Capital, Green Pine Capital, Hanfor Capital, Alpha Wealth, Jack and Fischer Investment, Knight Capital, Qianhai FOF, SPD Bank, Yuexiu Group, etc. Now it is one of the most fast-developing unicorns among the world’s tech-startups and is valued more than $3.5 billion.
Dr. Bill Liu, Royole’s Founder and CEO, graduated from Stanford University and Tsinghua University. During his study, he was the one who took the shortest time to receive the doctor degree among Chinese Ph.D. candidates in the history of Stanford Electronic Engineering. Prior to founding Royole, Bill served as Advisory Engineer/Scientist at IBM Corporation in New York. He was awarded the Chinese Youth May 4th Medal and was conferred the title of National Distinguished Expert in China’s “the Thousand Talents Program”. He was named as one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Entrepreneurs in US & China by Forbes and “35 Global Innovators Under 35” by MIT Technology Review. In 2017, he was named as one of the “Young Global Leaders” by World Economic Forum and was invited to join the Forum with Intellectuals, Model Workers and Youth Delegates chaired by President Xi.
Similarly, Calvin Choi, Chairman and President of AMTD Group, was also named as one of the “Young Global Leaders” by World Economic Forum in 2017 and was named as “2016 FinTech Finance 35” by Institutional Investor.
The cooperation between AMTD and Royole will build a strong synergy and promote the globalization of China’s technological innovation by leveraging both parties’ strengths and resources in financial services, technological innovation, capital markets and internationalization strategies. Besides, it will become an excellent model to integrate technology and capital, promote development with innovation in the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area.
Calvin Choi, Chairman and President of AMTD Group, “Young Global Leader” by World Economic Forum, said AMTD as a Hong Kong-based comprehensive financial institution, had always been dedicated to promoting the development of China’s technological innovation by leveraging Hong Kong’s unique role as a “super-connector”. AMTD was very optimistic about Royole’s long-term development in Flexible Display, Flexible Sensor, Virtual Reality and related smart devices and was expecting to cooperate with Royole, achieve innovative synergies and build a symbolic and influential brand image of “Made in China”.
Dr. Bill Liu, Royole’s Founder and CEO, “Young Global Leader” by World Economic Forum, said Royole’s mission was to improve the way people interact with and perceive their world and better promote Human-Machine Interface, Artificial Intelligence and Internet-of-Things. Royole was very pleased to have AMTD, an innovative and comprehensive financial institution in Asia, as the strategic shareholder and achieve all-rounded strategic cooperation. “AMTD has special strengths and experiences in promoting the integration of technology and capital, and would be capable to better promote Royole’s leapfrog developments in financial services, technological innovation, capital markets and internationalization”, as said by Bill.
AMTD always believes in the magic of technological innovation and is determined to become a “super-connector” to bridge the world’s leading technology innovation companies and Asian capital market. By investing more resources to innovation and supporting the tech-innovators, AMTD expects to leverage off the power of technological innovation and capital markets, integrate traditional industries with the new economy and create a new productivity growth model. Prior to the investment in Royole, AMTD together with Standard Chartered made strategic investments in Dianrong.com, a FinTech company in China founded by Soul Htite, Co-founder of Leading Club. Thereafter, AMTD introduced Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC) and other world’s famous investment institutions to Dianrong, and jointly incubated FinEX Aisa, a FinTech market platform in Hong Kong. AMTD, together with the Singapore Economic Development Board, Softbank and Line, made strategic investments in Appier, World’s leading artificial intelligence company. AMTD also supported the successful completion of China’s leading mobile internet company-Meitu’s IPO, making it one of the largest listed technology companies in Hong Kong and widely considered as “a landmark IPO transaction that may impact the Hong Kong capital market”. In addition, AMTD made strategic investments in a series of FinTech innovators, including UCAR, China’s top online car rental service brand; Credible Labs, the U.S. internet finance company and distinctive student loan refinancing platform; and Peachjar, the U.S. online education service provider.
In addition to a series of strategic investments in capital markets, AMTD has always been committed to promoting technological innovation and encouraging talent incubation. In education sector, AMTD entered into strategic partnerships with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Waterloo in Canada respectively, for the establishment of “AMTD FinTech Centre of PolyU Faculty of Business” and “University of Waterloo – AMTD Innovation Hub”. AMTD also launched a global talent incubation program in collaboration with National Chengchi University in Taiwan, to develop the enthusiastic youths with a sense of responsibility and to promote the innovative development of Asian FinTech industry. In November 2017, AMTD hosted the world’s most influential FinTech festival-Singapore FinTech Festival, with Monetary Authority of Singapore, Deloitte, Prudential and other world-famous financial institutions; and hosted Hong Kong’s most influential FinTech summit, “AMTD – Lendit Global FinTech Investment Summit” for two consecutive years. Furthermore, AMTD has sponsored the FINTalks forum in Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore to jointly promote the future development and popularization of FinTech in Asia.
