ATH Ventures Supports Richten Energy’s Entry into the Los Angeles Market
Richten Energy 8
Photo caption:James Chou, President of Pacific Plaza Premier Development Group, one of the largest Taiwanese-American real estate developers in Los Angeles, with Weili Hsueh, Founder of Richten Energy.
ATH Ventures serves as an accelerator platform focused on connecting Taiwanese startups with overseas growth opportunities. In 2026, ATH Ventures joined the Taiwan Tech Arena industry accelerator program under Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council, with Richten Energy selected as one of its key portfolio companies for intensive guidance and market expansion support.
Dr. Hsiao-Chang Chen, Chairman of ATH Ventures, has previously supported a number of ESG-focused technology startups in securing international business opportunities and investment. After more than four months of intensive mentoring, Richten Energy secured angel investment in April and received approval under the National Development Fund’s angel investment program, completing an angel round totaling NT$40 million. With this new funding in place, ATH Ventures is accelerating Richten Energy’s expansion into overseas markets.
After gaining a clear understanding of Richten Energy’s product advantages and helping define its target application scenarios, ATH Ventures arranged for Richten Energy Founder Weili Hsueh to visit Los Angeles and meet with Mr. Hassan, President of Torrance Airport. The discussion focused on the potential use of Richten Energy’s vertical colored solar PV solutions on the rooftop and glass façade of a new restaurant planned at Torrance Airport.
Torrance Airport is home to many small aircraft operations, as well as maintenance facilities for Robinson R44, a leading international helicopter manufacturer. In the past, concerns over glare and reflection from conventional solar panels had limited the airport’s ability to adopt solar power. After learning about Richten Energy’s technology, Mr. Hassan expressed confidence that the company’s colored solar PV solution could help address the airport’s concerns over reflection while taking advantage of California’s abundant sunlight.
Mr. Hassan provided the design drawings for the airport’s new restaurant and asked Founder Weili Hsueh to prepare a proposed design after returning to Taiwan, so that Torrance Airport could submit the plan to its board for further review.
Through multiple mentoring sessions, ATH Ventures worked with Founder Weili Hsueh to refine Richten Energy’s corporate development strategy. For the Los Angeles market, the company will initially focus on high-end hotels and parking facilities as pilot application sites. ATH Ventures therefore arranged a presentation to James Chou, President of Pacific Plaza Premier Development Group, one of the largest Taiwanese-American real estate developers in Los Angeles.
After the presentation, Mr. Chou expressed strong interest and immediately convened his architectural design team. He also accompanied Hsueh and the Richten Energy delegation to visit the group’s new development projects in San Gabriel and Monterey Bay. Mr. Chou provided façade glass design drawings for two projects and asked Richten Energy to evaluate the use of semi-transparent glass-laminated colored solar PV panels. The goal is to enable selected façade areas to generate electricity for parking facilities while also supporting exterior corporate advertising displays.
Photo caption: Mike Su, Chairman of Arcadia Hilton, invited Richten Energy to evaluate potential collaboration opportunities at Hilton properties.
Richten Energy Founder Weili Hsueh said that, through the support of the ATH Ventures team and its mentor network, Richten Energy was able to define a clearer overseas development position and target-market strategy. The company also consulted with overseas mentors while still in Taiwan, allowing it to build a solid communication foundation in advance for engaging potential customers and business partners abroad.
During the two-day visit to Los Angeles, Richten Energy was able to communicate directly with property owners, potential customers, and senior decision-makers, including chairperson-level executives. The company looks forward to working with ATH Ventures to accelerate the implementation and expansion of Richten Energy’s overseas business.
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