Edits-for-cash startup WritePath secures $525,000 in funding from Japanese and Taiwanese investors

Yesterday Writepath, the Taiwan-based online editing startup, announced it raised a seed funding round worth US$525,000. Japan’s B Dash Ventures led the round, with a bevy of Taiwan-based investors including Pinehurst Advisors, Jamie Lin (founder of AppWorks, Taiwan’s homegrown startup accelerator), and Jackie Cheng (cofounder of Gogolook, which Line parent company Naver acquired last Autumn) pitching in.

Writepath manages three websites, each of which revolves around editing text written by non-native English speakers. TopAdmit, launched in 2009, connects aspiring university students with editors that assist with writing  university admissions essays. TopSCIedit, founded in 2012, zeroes-on in academic and research papers, while Bizeditors offers translation and copywriting services for enterprises. All in all, the parent company aims to offer the best editing resources for anyone in need of a second set of eyes on important documents.

According to the company, all three services have gained traction in markets across Asia, which remains a focus for the company as it grows.

“WritePath is not only a play on technology, but a play on the rise of emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, MENA (Middle East North Africa) and India. We like the fact that many of the markets that WritePath is playing in are growing at 8 to 9 percent a year,” said Hiroyuki Watanabe, CEO of B Dash Ventures, in a statement.

WritePath is by no means the only player in the verticals it’s dipping into. TopAdmit faces competition from College Essay Editor, EssayEdge, and any number of internet companies that offer essay assistance along with admissions consulting. Bizeditors service resembles that of Gengo, the Tokyo-based translation-on-demand startup that picked up US$12 million in funding last year from Intel Capital and other investors.