Investor Profile: Hive Ventures — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

Taipei-based Hive Ventures backs the builders of artificial intelligence, software and data infrastructure, first in Taiwan and increasingly across Southeast Asia. Founded by entrepreneurs who had themselves built and listed companies, the firm pairs early-stage capital with hands-on help taking Taiwanese technology into regional and global markets. For founders building the layers underneath AI — data, developer tools and enterprise software — Hive Ventures funding is a route worth understanding.

Investment thesis

Hive Ventures describes itself as an early-stage fund focused on AI, software and infrastructure for a smart, hyperconnected world. Its bet is on the building blocks of AI: big data, the Internet of Things and blockchain, alongside SaaS and software. That operator background is central to its pitch: its founders had navigated the IPO path themselves, and the firm says it works shoulder to shoulder with founders to help a concentrated portfolio scale across regions.

Sectors and stages

The firm invests at pre-seed, seed and Series A. Its sectors include AI and data platforms, SaaS, cloud and edge infrastructure, industrial AI and digital design tools. Its home market is Taiwan, but its newer Southeast Asia mandate explicitly targets Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, and its portfolio also includes companies in the United States.

Fund size and cheque size

Hive Ventures closed its inaugural seed fund at $13.5 million, aimed at AI innovations across Taiwan and Asia. Its more recent Southeast Asia vehicle, the Taiwania Hive Ventures Southeast Asia Fund, jointly managed with state-backed Taiwania Capital, has a $100 million target and had raised close to $80 million, according to reporting in The Edge Malaysia. A standard cheque size is not publicly disclosed on the firm's site; a recent reported round, the $3 million round for Malaysian data-trust company Decube led by Taiwania Hive Ventures, gives a sense of the scale at which the newer fund operates.

Notable portfolio

Hive Ventures' own portfolio page lists companies including Canner, which makes data simple through data virtualisation; Botrista, a beverage automation provider; ProfetAI, a no-code industrial AI platform; and InfuseAI, a data reliability and MLOps toolkit. Its Southeast Asia investments include Malaysian HR and payroll platform brioHR, Decube and Thailand-based pharmacy technology platform Arincare. The pattern is consistent: enterprise and industrial software with a clear data or automation angle.

Programs and support

Hive Ventures does not run a published accelerator programme with fixed cohorts. Its support model is a platform approach: strategic guidance, operational experience and networks to help portfolio companies expand from Taiwan into Southeast Asia, Japan and beyond. The firm also publishes research, including its State of Taiwan Enterprise AI report, which signals the enterprise AI themes it follows. Founders should expect a hands-on investor rather than a passive cheque.

How to apply for funding

There is no verified always-open application portal, so the practical route for how to get funding from Hive Ventures is a direct approach through its website, hiveventures.io, backed by a warm introduction from a portfolio founder, a co-investor or a Taiwania Capital contact where relevant. Lead with the AI or data infrastructure problem, evidence of enterprise traction, and a credible plan for Southeast Asian expansion.