EPWK curated goods, light up the surprise of daily life

Guohua Huang, the founder/CEO of EPWK, said that the establishment of "EPWK curated goods" and entering the field of creative physical commodities is one of the matters that the team has planned for years. It includes four aspects of market opportunities: first, the trend of consumption upgrading: consumers change from "buyable" to "buy good" and are willing to pay for design, quality and experience; second, the aesthetic period: in the era of social media, good-looking and shareable products have their own communication attributes; third, emotional consumption demand: in material abundance times, commodities are not only tools, but also carriers and emotional sustenance of personal taste and life attitude; fourth, gift market potential: creative goods are an excellent choice for birthday, anniversary and holiday gifts, and the market is huge.

The needs of consumers have not been fully met. The advantages of high-end design brand collection stores are in its design and brand identity, but the price is high, favoring large household items; the creative channels of large e-commerce platforms have the advantages of supply chain and traffic, but the product homogeneity is serious, and they lack personality and curation (fine Select); The advantage of Vertical creative platform (such as: Xiaohongshu community, some independent designer stores) lies in the atmosphere and uniqueness of the community, but it lacks of purchase trust and supply chain stability.

The breaking point of EPWK is to find an accurate balance between "popularization" and "nicheization". We are not as broad as strict selection, nor as high-minded as independent designers. We are the "curators of life", strictly screen users, and provide "new utilitism" curated goods with acceptable prices, ingenious designs and down-to-earth functions.

EPWK curated goods, an explorer of urban life

According to the introduction, the target core users of "EPWK curated goods" mall will be "urban life explorers" who are 25-40 years old, mainly distributed in first- and second-tier cities and have radiating influence on third-tier cities. They are mainly white-collar workers, creative workers, teachers, young managers, etc., and have good educational background and stable income of medium and above. They pay attention to the quality of life: they are willing to pay for improving happiness within their power.

The characteristics of these target groups include: aesthetic, appreciation of good design; rational and sensible, not only value the practicality of the product when shopping, but also easily moved by its design ingenuity; willing to share, is the "grass planting machine" in the circle of friends; there is a need to buy gifts, often worried about what gifts to give, seeking unique solution.

EPWK was established in March 2011, which is the first digital intelligent creative trading service e-commerce platform in China to be listed in the United States. As of June 30, 2024, the cumulative registered users of EPWK have exceeded 25.66 million, covering more than 2,800 cities and counties, and the number of completed projects has exceeded 4.6 million, with GMV exceeding 1.67 billion US dollars. EPWK was selected as a typical case of China's Shared Economic Development Report (2019) of the National Development and Reform Commission. At the same time, the company is the initiator and formulation unit of the group standard of the Creative Knowledge and Skills Sharing Platform Service Specification in China; it is a national high-tech enterprise, a national demonstration base for the integration of culture and science and technology, an e-commerce demonstration enterprise of the Ministry of Commerce, and a project undertaking unit of the national science and technology support plan.

EPWK curated goods, the source of the new pragmatic life

"EPWK curated goods" is not only a shopping mall, but also a platform for users to get inspiration from life. Mei Feng, the head of EPWK product technology, explained the core brand positioning of EPWK curated goods: "the source of the new pragmatic life". She said that neopragmatism will go beyond "use-only": our definition of "practicality" is not only the satisfaction of basic functions. For example, a cup that conforms to ergonomics is "old practical", while a cup that is also in line with ergonomics and has a starry sky projection at the bottom of the cup, which can accompany you to sleep at ease, is "new practical". It is a combination of "functional practical + emotional practical + aesthetic practical". And the source of new pragmatic life shows that the project is curated, not simply sold: we are not the stackers of shelves. Like museum curators, we "curate" the most worthy part from a large number of goods with a clear theme and aesthetic standards to save the screening cost for users.

"We are tired of repeated life, so we embark on a journey to find curated goods. Each selected product must pass our strict 'three good' standards: good-looking, easy to use, and good surprise. We believe that real curated goods can light up every ordinary day. Mei Feng, the head of EPWK product technology said, EPWK curated goods will maintain the style and taste, rejecting low quality and cheapness. We'll always pay attention to the story behind the product and the emotional connection with users.

The brand positioning of "EPWK curated goods" is by no means simply to sell "creative products", but to advocate a "new pragmatism" life attitude. EPWK will provide users with verified goods that can effectively improve the quality of life and pleasure through the strict "curation" model, and become their trusted "life selection officer". In the end, the ideas of "buying something good to treat yourself" and "giving a different gift to important people" can be the most satisfactory realization in "curated goods".

Guohua Huang, the founder/CEO of EPWK said: Focusing on building a "configuration hub" of global creative resources, EPWK will strive to play the role of "global creative resource router" in the future and expand three major tracks: the internationalization of platform creative transactions, the physical productization of creative design, and the serialization of enterprise AI tools; These functions will be achieved on three platforms: EPWK International (intl.epwk.com), Chinese and English Version of EPWK curated goods, and Xiaowei Intelligent Aggregate (https://www.xwzn.cn/mobile). At the same time, EPWK will take advantage of the resource advantages of its' listing on NASDAQ to quickly integrate target enterprises and resources in China and worldwide through investment mergers and acquisitions, to release the value of EPWK and to expand its business globally.

According to Huang, internationalisation goes far beyond launching an English website. It's a deep strategic upgrade—a move to optimise growth, improve brand positioning, and expand ecosystem reach. It positions EPWK as a cross-border infrastructure platform aligned with global trends in remote work, service globalisation, and the internationalisation of Chinese brands.

Since going live, the international platform has seen thousands of new users register daily. It is already becoming a key channel for global creative agencies targeting Chinese clients. For EPWK, this global pivot is a chance to unlock higher-value markets—especially in North America and Europe, where the demand for creative and digital services is stronger and client budgets are larger.

International revenue will also reduce dependency on domestic markets and strengthen the company's financial stability. Analysts see EPWK's global expansion as a critical move that opens a new growth curve and raises the ceiling on what the company can achieve.

Being publicly listed on Nasdaq further amplifies the need for global reach. A successful international platform boosts investor confidence by proving the company's business model can scale across borders.

The shift also coincides with a global shift toward remote collaboration, especially post-pandemic. Creative services are naturally suited for distributed work, and EPWK is capitalising on this opportunity—positioning itself at the intersection of digital trade and globally distributed talent.

With Chinese brands rapidly expanding abroad—across sectors like EVs, electronics, and cross-border e-commerce—there's growing demand for global-ready design, marketing, and localisation services. EPWK aims to become a critical infrastructure partner supporting this wave of expansion.

Huang outlined EPWK's dual-sided network strategy: attract high-quality service providers from regions like Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas, while also meeting demand from Chinese enterprises going global and foreign SMEs seeking reliable creative talent. The goal is to create a balanced, high-density transaction marketplace.

Challenges remain—cross-cultural operations, global competition, regulatory compliance, and international copyright enforcement. But Huang sees these as necessary battles. Successfully solving them could position EPWK as a category-defining company, setting industry benchmarks and building strong competitive moats.

As of June 30, 2024, EPWK has more than 25.6 million registered users and over $1.67 billion in GMV, covering more than 2,800 cities and counties in China. Since its founding in 2011, EPWK has also played a central role in standard-setting within China's creative economy, including leading the creation of the country's first group standard for creative skills platforms.

Accumulating Strength: From Domestic Leader to International Explorer

Founded in March 2011 and headquartered in Xiamen, China, EPWK is a national high-tech enterprise, a demonstration enterprise of e-commerce by the Ministry of Commerce of China, a project undertaking unit of the National Science and Technology Support Program, a typical case in the "China's Sharing Economy Development Report" (2019) by the National Development and Reform Commission, a national base for the integration of culture and technology, and the initiator and formulator of the "Service Specification for Creative Knowledge and Skills Sharing Platform." It is also the operating entity of the creative crowdsourcing platform EPWK (https://www.epwk.com/), founded by Huang Guohua, former chief reporter of Fujian Daily Newspaper Group.

Huang Guohua, founder and CEO of EPWK, has extensive experience in the Internet industry and has keen market insights. Years ago, he transitioned from a career in media to immerse himself in the booming internet start-up scene. He dedicated years to the e-commerce and online service sectors, gaining significant industry insights and hands-on operational expertise. With a keen awareness of the vast potential within the creative services market, he harbored a dream of creating a platform to connect businesses with great talents. This dream led him to establish EPWK.

After years of development, EPWK platform has accumulated a large user base. As of June 30, 2024, the platform had served over 8.74 million buyers and 16.92 million sellers, covering more than 2,800 counties and cities in China. From 2019 to June 30, 2024, the platform had completed a total of 4.6 million projects, with a Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) exceeding 1.67 billion US dollars, solidifying its leadership in China's crowdsourcing market.

Intelligence Upgrade: Laying a Solid Foundation for Global Development

On February 6, 2025, Eastern Time (US), EPWK was listed on NASDAQ, becoming China's first listed digital creative services platform (i.e., creative crowdsourcing platform), also known as "China's First Listed Crowdsourcing Platform". Shortly after going public, EPWK embarked on an AI-driven transformation, integrated DeepSeek's advanced solutions and launched "EPWK AI Assistant" in March 2025. DeepSeek, a leading AI technology provider in China, offered substantial support for the upgrade of EPWK platform.

With powerful intelligent analysis capabilities of DeepSeek, "EPWK AI Assistant" can help employers express their needs more accurately, avoid communication errors, and thus improve the efficiency and accuracy of task postings. The combination of DeepSeek's intelligent analysis capabilities and EPWK's self-developed AI intelligent task recommendation engine further improve the efficiency between creative talents.

The intelligence upgrade reflects EPWK's ongoing dedication to technological innovation and its high regard for user experience. With data-driven insights, employers gain optimized suggestions that facilitate effective decision-making, helping them better fulfill their creative demands. This smart service model not only enhances the platform's operational efficiency but also provides a strong groundwork for EPWK's global development.

Looking to the Global Market: Strategic Considerations on Globalization

Regarding this international expansion, Huang Guohua stated, "Under the major trend of globalization, the creative services industry is experiencing unprecedented development opportunities. With the accelerating of global digital transformation, the demand for creative services is facing explosive growth, becoming increasingly diverse and personalized. After years of deep cultivation in domestic market, EPWK has accumulated rich experience and mature operating models, equipping us with the capabilities to expand into international market. Through this international strategy, we aim to bring excellent Chinese creative talents/services to the world, while providing more high-quality creative solutions to global clients, fostering communication and cooperation within the global creative services industry."

As reported, EPWK's international strategy will initially focus on markets with high demand for creative services, such as Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. The plan is to enhance the visibility and influence of EPWK in the international market by establishing partnerships with local businesses, organizations, and industry associations, alongside market promotion and brand publicity efforts.

Currently, EPWK International's English version 1.0 is live. International employers can post creative tasks, and international service providers can participate in tasks across major industry fields including development, design, video, artificial intelligence (AI), marketing, and copywriting. EPWK will also progressively optimize and refine various features of its international site.

In the next step, EPWK plans to optimize its international platform through localization efforts tailored to the cultural and market characteristics of different countries and regions. This will involve providing more language versions of its services, ensuring users a convenient and efficient experience on EPWK International. Additionally, EPWK aims to strengthen collaborations with globally renowned creative agencies and talents, introducing advanced international creative ideas and technologies to enhance the service quality and competitiveness of EPWK International.

Confident in Meeting the Challenges and Opportunities of the International Market

Facing the competition and challenges of the international market, Huang Guohua, founder and CEO of EPWK, is full of confidence. "We are confident in achieving success in the international market. We boasts a professional, efficient, and innovative team with extensive experience in technology R&D and market operations. Meanwhile, the wealth of data and case studies we've accumulated in the domestic market provide strong support for understanding the demands and trends of the global creative services market. Furthermore, the quantity and quality of Chinese creative talents are highly competitive globally, which is a significant advantage for our international expansion. We believe that through continuous innovation and optimization, EPWK will undoubtedly establish a firm foothold in the international market and become a leading enterprise in the global creative services industry."

Huang Guohua, founder and CEO of EPWK stated: "By entering the international market, EPWK will fully expand and deeply cultivate markets in Southeast Asia, Japan, Europe, and the US. Our goal is to become the linking and driving engine for global creative design companies to meet  business needs, empowering the creative industry with AI. We aim to be the 'Alibaba' for non-physical products, unleashing platform value within the next 3-5 years and building a platform-based internet company with a market capitalization exceeding ten billion US dollars."

The international business layout of EPWK is not only an important strategic move for the company's own development but also sets an example for the international development of China's creative service industry. As EPWK continues to expand in the international market, it is expected to promote the integration and development of the global creative service industry and drive new dynamics within the global creative economy.