台湾教育应用开发商QLL 融资45万美元,剑指国际市场
QLL(Quick Language Learning,快速语言学习系统)是一家台湾教育类移动应用开发商,该公司获得了45万美元投资,领投方为B Dash Ventures,参与投资的还有Incubate Fund,Pinehurst Advisors,Viling 以及Coent Venture Partners。这家创业公司与加速器项目AppWoks 是同期毕业生。
自从2007年成立以来,QLL 已经开发了大约150款iOS 及Android 应用,该公司称这些应用在台湾被下载了650万次,目前月活跃用户数超过30万人。其产品包括Pocket Chinese Tutor,一款能纠正用户中文发音的应用,以及数款针对儿童的双语故事应用。所有的QLL 应用都对用户数据进行分析,从而提供个性化的学习课程。
如今QLL 希望杀入包括日本、韩国、东南亚、加拿大、美国在内的国际市场,其武器则是一个能让教育工作者开发、交换电子学习资料的平台,即便他们不懂编程也能使用。这一平台将会覆盖包括移动设备以及智能电视在内的多个平台,。QLL 将首先在新加坡推出应用作为试点市场,接着才会进军美国以及加拿大,在那里该公司将会寻找当地渠道合作伙伴。在印尼,QLL 很可能会选择华为作为他们的分发合作伙伴。
该公司专注于为二到六岁的儿童开发应用,此前曾与索尼、华为、富士康以及Fuhu 公司则样的硬件制造商合作,从而将其软件预装到平板电脑、智能电视和智能手表中。
联合创始人兼首席执行官叶璐璐(音译,Lulu Yeh)表示,QLL 之所以能与多邻国(Duolingo)相提并论,是因为这家创业公司也专注于语言学习,不过与面向个人用户的多邻国不同的是,QLL 的目标市场为教育工作者和学校。QLL 与可汗学院(Khan Academy)的相似之处在于同样提供了视频内容和测验项目,不过QLL 的不同之处在于它专注于亚洲语言课程,而可汗学院目前并不提供相应内容。
QLL 的收入来源于将内容授权给公司或在线教育工作者,应用销售和应用内购买,以及广告(叶表示,目前QLL 应用内广告每月展示量达到1000万次)。
原文:
Taiwan-Based Educational App Developer QLL Raises $450,000 For International Expansion
QLL, a Taipei-based developer of educational mobile apps, has raised $450,000 in funding led by B Dash Ventures, with participation from Incubate Fund, Pinehurst Advisors, Viling, and Coent Venture Partners. The startup is an alumnus of accelerator program AppWorks.
Since its launch in 2007, QLL has developed about 150 iOS and Android apps, which it claims have been downloaded 6.5 million times in Taiwan and now have over 300,000 monthly active users. Its products include Pocket Chinese Tutor, which corrects users’ Chinese pronunciations, as well as several bilingual storytelling apps for kids. All of QLL’s apps leverage user analytics to deliver personalized learning sessions.
Now QLL wants to expand into international markets, including Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Canada, and the U.S. with an online platform that will allow educators to develop and exchange digital learning materials, even if they don’t know how to code. The platform will be available on multiple platforms, including mobile devices and smart TVs. QLL will first launch its apps in Singapore as a test market, before moving onto the U.S. and Canada, where it will seek local channel partners. In Indonesia, QLL will likely work with Huawei as a distribution partner.
The company focuses on apps for children aged two to six and has previously partnered with hardware makers like Sony, Huawei, Foxconn, and Fuhu to put its software on tablets, smart TVs, and smart watches.
Co-founder and CEO Lulu Yeh says QLL is comparable to Duolingo because the startup also focuses on language learning, but unlike Duolingo, which is geared towards individual users, QLL’s target market is educators and schools. It is also similar to Khan Academy in that it offers video content and tests, though QLL differentiates by focusing on Asian language courses, which Khan Academy currently does not offer.
QLL monetizes by licensing its content to businesses or online educators; through app sales and in-app purchases; and advertising (Yeh says QLL’s in-app ads currently get 10 million impressions per month).
来源:TC