Alumnus JIANG Haitao (Acen)
- Master of Business Administration (2016)
- Founder & CEO of “Aomi” APP (Macao e-Media Development Company Ltd.) and Citysearch Technology (HK) Company Ltd. (“WeBite”)
- Outstanding Young Entrepreneurs of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Award – Best Technological Innovation Project (2022)
Founded by alumnus Jiang Haitao (Acen), “Aomi” had become one of the popular lifestyle apps in Macao. It was also the first Macao technology start-up to be listed in the United States. Last year, Acen was awarded the “Outstanding Young Entrepreneurs of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Award – Best Technological Innovation Project”. Looking back at his entrepreneurial journey, starting from a start-up e-commerce industry to the current leading market position, he had experienced ups and downs along the journey. With entrepreneur’s macroscopic mindset, perseverance and innovative spirit, Acen adjusted his business strategies, direction and pace in a timely manner according to the environmental and market changes, and carved out a niche for himself with “Aomi”.
Acen was awarded “Outstanding Young Entrepreneurs of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Award – Best Technological Innovation Project” (2022)
Turning Insights into Business Opportunities
In 2011, Acen resigned from a stable banking job and enrolled in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme, he decided to embark on the entrepreneurial path while pursuing studies. Looking back to the early days of his entrepreneurial journey, he worked and studied simultaneously. Although the process was challenging, he had gained a lot from the programme. As he said, “Through the case studies of the programme, I have learned about the operational mindset, business models and techniques from those enterprises, which allowed me to draw insights and handle problems while facing difficulties.” Acquiring new knowledge is crucial for entrepreneurs, integrating knowledge into entrepreneurial practices is also an indispensable part of the process. Apart from self-improvement and deepening knowledge, Acen believed that the programme also helps him to enrich his interpersonal network, as well as putting the “Unity of Knowledge and Practice” model into practice.
Acen and his colleagues at the early stage of his entrepreneurship
Leaping from the financial field, mobile internet business to the e-commerce platforms, Acen has gone through three entrepreneurial endeavors. In 2014, when Acen exploring his entrepreneurial directions, he discovered that the digital economy and e-commerce platforms were very prevalent in Mainland China, while ordering food from those online platforms had become a common habit among Chinese people. Thus, he was actively looking for cooperation opportunities with these platforms to become their Macao agent, and also confirmed his entrepreneurial path through this process. He stated, “After introducing the platforms to Macao, our team came up with the idea of developing a lifestyle service platform specifically for the local residents. The ‘Aomi’ app was born accordingly, and it was officially launched online in 2016.”
Embracing Transformation for Growth
The pandemic outbreak accelerated the development of the e-commerce industry, leading to intense market competition. Acen upheld the macroscopic mindset; and constantly adjusted the company’s business model and development strategies to transform “Aomi” from a single food delivery app into a “One-stop lifestyle service platform.” As he said, “Instead of creating a Macao version of Meituan, our aim is to develop a platform to provide more comprehensive, convenient, and high quality lifestyle service for local residents and travelers.”
“Aomi” as the “One-stop lifestyle service platform” in Macao
Promoting Macao and Giving Back to Society with “Food”
In line with the entrepreneurial concept of “Aomi” – “Making urban life better”, Acen said, “Our team incorporates a tourist section within the digital platform, featuring a range of service information on dining, retail, accommodation, and leisure entertainment.” This not only helps the industries to improve their operational efficiency and service quality but also optimizes the travelling experiences of the tourists. This year marks the 7th anniversary of the “Aomi” app. With the company’s service platform “Webite” app being launched in Hong Kong in 2022, a series of new development strategies will be implemented; as he said, “In future, we will continue to optimize our local business and collaborate with traffic platforms to expand our business in Mainland and Hong Kong. Furthermore, we have reached a cooperation agreement with ‘OpenRice’, the renowned online dining guide in Hong Kong; to include Macao dining information on their platform.”
Cooperation agreement between “Aomi” and “OpenRice”
Despite his busy schedule, Acen maintains close connections with his Alma Mater and always looking for opportunities to join the activities on campus. He has joined the “UM Distinguished Lecture Series” as a guest speaker and also established scholarship to nurture talents with the Alma Mater. He enjoys sharing his life experiences and insights with students, and assisting them to work out their personal goals and directions.
Acen shared his experiences with UM students
Entrepreneurial Tips
As many young people have decided to seek opportunities in the GBA in recent years, Acen suggested them to work for a company in Mainland first to have better understanding of the industrial structure, policies and development opportunities of different cities in the GBA, gain valuable work experiences and build up personal networks to better prepare for their career development. Moreover, he also encouraged young people to make full use of the supporting policies in the GBA to enhance their career development opportunities.
