WI Harper Group | May 15, 2020
MINIWIZ announced today that it had entered into a partnership with the Center For Innovation (“CFI”) at Fu Jen Catholic University (“FJCU”) Hospital, and Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs to launch the first modular ward concept- MAC WARD.
WI Harper Group Sustainability Portfolios Paving The Upcoming “New Normal”
TAIWAN, May 15, 2020 / — MINIWIZ, a global leader in design, upcycling and materials company, announced today that it had entered into a partnership with the Center For Innovation (“CFI”) at Fu Jen Catholic University (“FJCU”) Hospital, and Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs to launch the first modular ward concept. Harnessing 15-years of experience in modular design, the company crafted a collection of interlocking parts that are quick to assemble (1-2 days) and easily air shipped to reduce lead time. The wards can easily be converted / configured into other types of wards as they are designed for plug-and-play, where the system can exist outside of buildings as well. The design also enables negatively pressurized clean rooms allowing the hospital to control risk of biocontamination or particle contamination. This is an especially important and necessary consideration in times of COVID-19. Beyond concept delivery, MINIWIZ is also supplying their upcycled materials, including its signature wall panels with anti-bacterial/viral and sound absorption properties.
Mr. Arthur Huang, founder and CEO of MINIWIZ says: “I am really honored to collaborate with FJCU Hospital in using our environmentally friendly and non-toxic recycled materials to help fight the pandemic and contribute to sustainability at the same time. Coincidentally we have just successfully completed an oversubscribed $13 million Series A round of funding. We are very grateful for the strong support and investment from WI Harper Group and Pavilion Capital International, a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings.”
“One of our main investment focus is sustainability. Miniwiz team has the expertise and experience in designing and manufacturing recycled materials making them both functional, aesthetically pleasing, and truly commercial.” – says Mr. Chee-Kong Choun from Pavilion Capital International, a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings in Singapore.
Businesses, investors and institutions alike are reassessing opportunities to adjust in the upcoming new normal as we slowly emerge from the coronavirus crisis. The next frontier to define this “new normal” is sustainable investing.
WI Harper is an early mover investing in cutting-edge innovative companies with high potential to make profound impact in sustainability. Despite current global slowdown, WIH backed companies are accelerating in growth and closing new rounds of funding: RWDC Industries (Singaporean-US based biodegradable materials company aiming to replace single-use plastics) closed a $133 million Series B round; Ecoinno (Hong Kong based green composite materials company aiming to provide compostable packaging) closed a $6 million Series A1 round; MINIWIZ (Taiwan based upcycling new materials company) closed a $13 million Series A round.
Mr. Y.K Chu, Senior Partner at WI Harper, commented: “We recognized the importance of sustainability very early on. Our team actively seek out innovative companies in this space that have high potential of making meaningful impact globally. MINIWIZ is a great example — they are transforming conventional recycling by reengineering waste into diverse and stylish new materials. We believe they will achieve more milestones in sustainability and circular economy.”
Sustainability and environmental protection is no longer a choice but a priority. In the post-Covid-19 new normal, we will see the sustainability market focus on implementation and expand fast with investment growth, rising demand in clean technology innovation, and integrated partnerships with sustainability experts. The World Economic Forum (WEF) is currently urging the global community to tackle climate change during the recovery from coronavirus. “MINIWIZ, to give an example, is already expanding internationally with upcoming exciting partnerships in the EU and US. WI Harper Group is committed to investing in sustainability that matters”, added Mr. Y.K Chu.
| About WI Harper Group:
WI Harper is a pioneer and leading cross-border venture capital firm investing in early and expansion stage companies globally. With offices in San Francisco, Beijing, and Taipei, the firm actively oversees more than $1 billion in assets under management. Since inception nearly three decades ago, WI Harper has invested in over 400 startups and has successfully experienced more than 100 IPO and M&A exits.
We look for innovative companies and visionary founders in healthcare, technology and sustainability fields where there are high synergies and meaningful value added cross selling opportunities. While our healthcare team is presently honing on bioinformatics and digital biology, our technology team is focused blockchain, big data, analytics, artificial intelligence, AR/VR, IoT, robotics, drones, autonomous driving, as well as digital media and green energy projects.
