CitieSocial, an e-commerce startup which aids companies in entering markets in Asia, has raised investments of $2.75 million.

Since its founding in 2011, the Taiwanese startup with a presence in Taiwan and Hong Kong has assisted in companies entering Asian markets through a range of services including the use of social media and social media influencers, marketing, logistics, branding, inventory and customer support services. According to the company, they currently serve over 600,000 customers.

“The barrier for entry into Asia is high,” CEO of CitieSocial, Eric Wang said to Deal Street Asia. “Without local market knowledge and a dedicated Asia retail team, it’s nearly impossible for these companies to gain meaningful results here. That’s when we had a rethink and began to expand our services.”

The latest funding round saw participation from Alibaba Taiwan Entrepreneurs Fund, CDIB Capital and Cherubic Ventures, with Alibaba’s fund leading the round. The Alibaba Taiwan Entrepreneurs fund was launched by Alibaba Group to provide support and access to the company’s network for startups in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The fund, which is a non-profit action, was announced in 2015.

The funds raised in the round by Citiesocial will be put toward plans for expansion of the company’s services into more markets in Asia.

“We have witnessed a trend of Asian consumers, especially in Mainland China, increasingly seeking out products that let them express their own individuality,” Andrew Lee, Executive Director of the Alibaba Taiwan Entrepreneurs Fund said in a statement. “This is why we have chosen to partner with CitieSocial.”

Other startups which have previously received funding from the Alibaba Taiwan Entrepreneurs Fund include Appier, Bitmark and Viscovery.

(Picture courtesy: CitieSocial)