Taipei Entrepreneurs Hub (TEH) is a community service platform operated by the Department of Economic Development of Taipei City Government (TCG) for the elevation of international industry talents. It focuses on promoting Taipei’s entrepreneurial environment and resources to the international startup community and to strengthen the connections between international startups and Taipei’s enterprises, investors and government agencies. Through Demo Day, it invites outstanding global startups to explore potential collaboration opportunities, assisting in the development of startup brands.
International startups and TCG’s teams brainstorm ideas to build the health industry for the future
This year, with a focus on the healthcare industry, “2023 Global HealthTech Connects Taipei” forum and Demo Day Showcase event are held at t.Hub in Neihu Technology Park. Following the pitch contests, six international startups from Singapore, India, Lithuania, Czech Republic and the United States were selected by BE Health Ventures, Taipei Medical University and Taipei Bioinnovation Park to pitch and participate in the networking/matchmaking activities in Taipei, exchanging their ideas with Taiwanese companies.
Attending the afternoon session of Demo Day Showcase, Taipei City Mayor, Wan-An Chiang talked about his experience of assisting startups in Silicon Valley in his capacity as a lawyer. He fully understands the challenges that startups face, such as fundraising, talent recruitment, market expansion, scale-up and internationalization. In addition to welcoming outstanding startups from across the world to Taipei, Mayor Chiang also expressed his commitment to making Taipei a more startup-friendly city, strengthening the retention of international talents and fostering opportunities for industry collaboration.
How international startups incorporate AI into the healthcare industry?
This year’s AI craze also becomes a mainstream focus at 2023 Global HealthTech Connects Taipei Demo Day Showcase. Various startups concentrate on using AI to enhance the quality of healthcare and minimize gaps between traditional medical practices and patient care.
Humanity, one of the international startups utilizes wearable devices for monitoring and quantifying physical and aging conditions through AI technology, displaying real-time results on its app. This enables users to better understand their health conditions and achieve a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle. Maya MD creates an online AI personal health assistant. It assesses patients’ health conditions based on their medical history and AI judgments, providing necessary treatment and assistance without delays.
Firefly, equipped with an AI platform, assists parents in nurturing their children by using technology to support children’s mental well-being. It helps identify potential mental health issues early on, providing more effective treatment and support. iFlow, on the other hand, utilizes human brainwave data and machine learning to identify the health conditions of ADHD patients, predicting and controlling potential risks that could harm patients. The Lithuanian team Ligence integrates AI into medical image analysis, enhancing the speed and accuracy of analysis and detection. In addition, Zima Sensor focuses on the cold chain in the healthcare industry, using reusable packaging materials with the aid of IoT to reduce waste and environmental impact. This not only helps companies lower costs, but also contributes to a more sustainable environment.
Startups in Taipei City showcase impressive results, continuing to deepen their efforts in the healthcare sector
Six international startups and Taipei BioTech Awards winners have also demonstrated outstanding achievements. Chinan Biomedical Technology, winner of the 2023 Taipei BioTech Awards for Innovation Technology, is recognized for its exclusive proton cancer treatment system (IPROTON). This innovation aims to reduce equipment implementation costs and rationalize treatment spending, benefiting more cancer patients. Another winner of the Innovation Technology Award is EpiSonica, acknowledged for its MR guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation System (MRgHIFU). This system provides patients with precise and safe thermal ablation therapy. Leveraging semiconductor-based stem cell automation technology, the Medical Research Department (MRD) of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, produces clinical-grade IPCS-MSC (IMSC) therapeutic products. This achievement has earned the department the 2023 Taipei BioTech Awards for Cross-Domain Excellence. In the future, it is looking forward to seeing clinical teams and the biotechnology industry to collaborate in developing efficient and automated biochips, as well as testing platforms.
In addition to the three aforementioned companies, Bonraybio has chosen to address the relatively rare issue of male infertility with a comprehensive solution. They have invented a miniature high-resolution microscopic optical lens and integrated their self-developed hardware and software platform. Combining these with AI algorithms, they have created various models for AI deep learning in image analysis, ensuring test result accuracy. Dent&Co, a startup founded by doctors, focuses on a No-Code, No-Download and cross-channel online platform and services. They have recently added a chatbot CRM for healthcare professionals, enhancing the diversity and convenience of the pre- and post-doctor appointment experience.
Lastly, 5voxel, based at t.Hub in Neihu Technology Park, is dedicated to providing 3D image technology solutions. Their focuses include 3D camera design, calibration (including structured light, binocular, TOF), gesture recognition, people flow detection, and other 3D camera application software development, as well as 3D AIoT solutions. Their products include VoxelGesture (terminal 3D gesture recognition device), VoxelCount (terminal 3D human sensing and counting device), and 3D facial recognition. The applications are broad, ranging from healthcare to VR applications. Especially notable is the growing market for Time of Flight (ToF), which, beyond facial recognition on smartphones, has potential benefits in areas such as autonomous driving, smart homes and smart manufacturing. Many domestic semiconductor manufacturers are highly optimistic about this market. Recently, 5voxel became the first AI development partner for an international semiconductor manufacturer.
From this year’s Demo Day Showcase, it is evident that international startups have showcased their vibrant innovative spirit. Similarly, domestic startups have demonstrated substantial technical expertise, problem-solving capabilities and a prosperous future. As the world enters an aging society with a more mature awareness of public health, the future development of the health industry will surely receive more attention. This holds true for startups as leaders in industry innovation. Through the Taipei Entrepreneurs Hub platform and the full support of Taipei City Government, it is hoped to attract more outstanding international teams as these innovative services are introduced to Taipei. The goal is to collectively enrich Taipei’s startup energy.
