Taipei Computer Association (TCA), the co-organizer of InnoVEX, an Asia's benchmark startup exhibition, stated that under the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many international exhibitions have been canceled due to border control. In order to promote visibility of startup teams to venture capital and accelerators, TCA held the 2021 InnoVEX exhibition online. This approach gives startup teams year-round online exposure, and the InnoVEX startup and innovation forum and competition in June will help domestic and overseas startup teams, venture capital, accelerators, international investors and companies to engage with one another.
Taiwania Capital and Qualcomm sponsoring InnoVEX borderless online competition
TCA pointed out that InnoVEX 2021 innovation and entrepreneurship competition will be held online. This year's top prize is US$20,000, and there are a US$10,000 startup fund sponsored by the national-level investment company Taiwania Capital, InnoVEX online promotion services and one InnoVEX 2022 standard booth space, all helping startup teams quickly come into contact with the global market. In order to promote the innovation and entrepreneurship spirit, Taiwania Capital has sponsored InnoVEX events for two consecutive years. It is hoped that the rewards will motivate more outstanding Taiwanese startup teams to grasp the opportunities to participate in international competitions and adjust their goals and progress to face the challenges of the market in the future.
As for international companies, Qualcomm offers two "Qualcomm Innovation Awards" in the InnoVEX Pitch competition. Two out of the participating teams will be given US$5,000 each. The evaluation criteria will focus on 5G, AI applications and other related fields which require innovative technologies and competitiveness in the global market. Teams with other topics that have potential for development will also be included in the selection.
TCA stated that the InnoVEX Pitch Contest will be conducted in English. The registration for competition has officially begun on April 19. The finalists will be given priority to participate in more events organized by InnoVEX to engage with venture capital. Besides, the competition originally required the startup teams to be less than 5 years old, but considering that teams in the biomedical field tend to have a longer research and development time and that more than 15% of the participating teams in the previous InnoVEX Pitch competitions were in the biomedical field, the rules for this year have been loosened so that teams founded after January 2015 are all eligible to participate in the pitch contest. The event organizers now welcomes all startup teams at home and abroad to sign up online for the InnoVEX 2021 Pitch Contest.