InnoVEX is the special startup focused exhibition of COMPUTEX. This year, InnoVEX will be held in TWTC Hall 1 from May 29 to 31, 2019. One of the co-organizer of InnoVEX, Taipei Computer Association (TCA) said that as InnoVEX enters the fourth season, the scale of InnoVEX will also be expanded to a new level. More than 400 startups from around the world are expected to join InnoVEX.
The Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA), Taipei City, Tainan City, New Taipei City, and Taoyuan City Government will also feature pavilions which will exhibit in InnoVEX. The Tainan City and New Taipei City Government are among the first to register to exhibit in InnoVEX. In addition, the SMEA will feature a delegation of 100 startups in their pavilion.
InnoVEX will also feature 10 country pavilions, including Canada, Philippines, Hungary, and more. International companies such as Arm and Qualcomm Incorporated will also participate in the InnoVEX Forum. Qualcomm will bring the topic of "Entrepreneurial Opportunities in IoT"; while ARM's speaker will share their insights on "Startup Opportunities in IoE".
The mainstays of the event are: exhibition, demo, networking, forum, pitch, matchmaking, visitation, and more. This will allow the participating startups to meet and network with VCs, accelerators, incubators, and corporations; both local and international in InnoVEX; making the InnoVEX the leading startup event of Asia.
InnoVEX Forum to Help Startups Expand to the Global Market
TCA stated that in order to enable startups to gain investments and expand globally, the InnoVEX will feature a series of forums in the Center Stage which will be done in collaboration with VCs, accelerators, incubators, corporations, and government agencies. The topics of the InnoVEX Forum will include AI, Blockchain, Biotech, Fintech, Sportstech, Smart Machinery, and Startup Ecosystem. The forum will discuss them through multiple perspectives to help startups expand to the global market.
For example, the Startup Ecosystem session of the forum will feature Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA), the international startup base of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). The session will discuss the topic of Connecting Taiwan to the Global Startups Ecosystem. The purpose of this topic is to clarify to Taiwanese startups how to participate in various activities and competitions. It will also cover how to connect with international VCs, accelerators and incubators to expand to the global market.
The National Chiao Tung University Industry Accelerator and Patent Strategy (IAPS) and APEC Accelerator Network (AAN) will arrange for the winners of the Young Research Innovation Award from the Pan Wen Yuan Foundation and young entrepreneurs with entrepreneurial achievements to share their experience with Taiwanese startups. The Asia Silicon Valley Development Agency (ASVDA) will invite international speakers from US, Japan, South East Asia, and other countries to speak in the forum. The speakers will share their insights on the political & economic situation, startup ecosystem, and popular local entrepreneurial trends in the different markets. The selected topics should be able to help startups that are interested in expanding globally to receive firsthand information to improve their chances of success.
To further facilitate startups’ networking with international VCs and foreign exhibitors, TCA arranged a series of matchmaking & networking events in the Pi Stage. On the second day of InnoVEX, international startups will demonstrate their innovations in the Global Demo Day. Finally, on the third day, the Tourism Innovation & Tech Awards final Pitch will be held.
InnoVEX Pitch Contest Grand Prize: USD 100,000, Total Prize Pool Now Reaches to USD 420,000
TCA pointed out that the fourth InnoVEX Pitch Contest will have a higher prize pool than before. This year, the special prizes will include awards from Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA), the international base under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST); Startup Terrace of the SMEA under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA); as well as Taiwania Capital and Qualcomm Incorporated. The total prize pool for the Pitch Contest in InnoVEX 2019 has reached USD 420,000.
This year's Grand Prize: InnoVEX Taiwan Tech Award will be worth USD 100,000 and will be provided in part by TTA of MOST. The winner of the Grand Prize will receive USD 30,000 cash in addition to 1 year free stationing in TTA worth USD 20,000, as well as free access to TTA/TIEC Training program worth USD 50,000.
This year’s Grand Prize: Taiwan Tech Award will be worth USD 100,000 and will be provided in part by TTA of MOST. The winner of the Grand Prize will receive USD 30,000 cash in addition to 1 year free stationing in TTA worth USD 20,000, as well as free access to TTA/TIEC Training program worth USD 50,000. The Pitch Contest registration will end on May 9 and the regulations are already available in the InnoVEX website. Qualifying startups are welcome to participate in the Pitch Contest.