InnoVEX 2022 is the first InnoVEX to have been held in a hybrid online/ onsite format. The onsite event of InnoVEX was held from May 24 to 27 in Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1 (TaiNEX 1) while the online platform: InnoVEX ONLINE was launched in 2021 and updated with more functions for 2022. After 4 full days of exciting events and insightful forums, InnoVEX culminated with the InnoVEX 2022 Pitch Contest Final Round and Award Ceremony where the winners were announced.
The co-organizer of InnoVEX, Taipei Computer Association (TCA) stated that the InnoVEX 2022 Pitch Contest featured 11 prizes worth a total of USD 347,000 consisting of cash prizes, professional services, resources, and more. The prize pool includes 1 Grand Prize and 10 Special Prizes: Startup Terrace Award, Qualcomm Innovation Award, Taiwania Capital Innovation Award, and KPMG Special Award.
The finalists consisted of startup teams from Taiwan, Canada, and Israel with categories of AI & Big Data, Healthcare & Biotech, Security & Cybersecurity, Smart Agriculture & FoodTech, and SportsTech & Wearable Technology. Except the Grand Prize, the Special Prizes are awarded at the sponsors’ discretion and the recipients are not limited only to the finalists, but to the teams they considered deserving and are in line with their criteria.
The Chief Judge for the Pitch Contest this year is Mr. Michael Chu, the President/CEO of Industrial Technology Investment Corporation (ITIC). In his remarks, Mr. Chu commented that entrepreneurs are problem solvers and their solutions are offered to address a need or an issue they see in the world. He stated that the results of the Pitch Contest will rely on their pitch performance and how they present their solutions to the judges. He further added that the Pitch Contest featured a diverse lineup of participants and that is what InnoVEX is about: “a convergence of innovation from different areas in society and around the world.”
The Grand Prize is sponsored by the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) and the winner received USD 40,000 in cash prize. In addition, the winner also received one-year free office space in the Taiwan Startup Terrace, 1 shell scheme booth for InnoVEX 2023, and online promotion articles & content that will be posted on the InnoVEX website & social media channels. In total, the prize is worth USD 60,000 in the form of both cash and professional resources. The winner of the Grand Prize is Swipecool, a Taiwan based startup offering online dance lessons utilizing AI recognition to provide learners a more accurate comparison and pinpoint areas to improve.
The Startup Terrace Award is sponsored by the SMEA and was awarded to 7 winners; the winners will receive a cash prize of USD 40,000 per team. To qualify for this award, the winning teams must agree to reside in the Taiwan Startup Terrace (Linkou Startup Terrace or Yawan Startup Terrace) for at least 1 year. The winners are: Sanolla, IRegained, Rapid Diagnostic Systems - NAOR, Charco Science, CHELPIS, WeavAir, and Hyson Technology.
Sanolla is an Israel based startup developing medical diagnosis and patient monitoring solutions using patented AI-based infrasound auscultation technology. Their products include the VoqX smart stethoscope and the PyXy home monitoring device for chronic disease management and early exacerbation detection.
IRegained is a Canada based Digital Neurotherapeutics (DTx) company helping stroke survivors worldwide regain their bodily functions with their MyHand System; a hand function rehabilitation which leverages neuroplasticity to "reprogram" neural pathways and recover motor control with telemedicine, AI and IoMT platforms.
Rapid Diagnostic Systems - NAOR is an Israel based startup that developed a rapid saliva based point-of-care, simplified molecular diagnostic platform using RT-LAMP which can be used to detect any virus or bacteria with an RNA.
Charco Science is a Smart Agriculture & FoodTech established in Taiwan that developed a natural formula for pre-harvest protection, post-harvest shelf-life enhancement of produce and other relevant agricultural solutions.
CHELPIS is a Taiwan based startups whose core technology is on blockchain, cryptocurrency, IoT, cryptography to provide users with secure crypto system, enterprise zero-trust identification, access management and information security solutions for many industries, such as Automotive, IoT, Smart home, Surveillance, document signing.
WeavAir is a Canada based startup that offers a business intelligence solution for real estate & transportation hubs composed of predictive software and multi-sensor IoT devices that measure 20 different metrics (on air quality, predictive maintenance and people flow) in real-time at 95% accuracy.
Hyson Technology is a Taiwan based startup that designs AIoT products and provides comprehensive technical solutions in agriculture, forestry, fishery and animal husbandry, and more. Hyson Technology also won the Qualcomm Innovation Award which is worth USD 10,000 and is aimed for startups with innovative technologies and international competitiveness; especially in AI & Big Data, XR (AR/VR/MR), 5G & IoT application.
The Taiwania Capital Innovation Award includes a cash reward of USD 10,000 and is aimed towards startups in IoT or bio-medical related teams with innovative technologies and international competitiveness, but other startups with promising technology were also considered. The winner of this award is Ganzin Technology; a Taiwan based XR startup that focuses on creating the next generation eye tracking modules that can be easily integrated into AR/VR modules.
The KPMG Special Award consists of services from KPMG worth USD 7,000. The winner received one seat at 2nd KPMG Energize Program and total 7 hours consultancy services. In InnoVEX 2022, the winner of this award is TeamRed Labs; a Taiwan based Security & Cybersecurity startup that created the Pangolin Smart Firewall Device; an always-on protection for networks that guards against malware, phishing, and other methods of attack from cybercriminals.
As the organizer, TCA would like to congratulate the winners of the Pitch Contest as well as thank all of the participants who joined InnoVEX 2022 and the InnoVEX 2022 Pitch Contest. We hope to see you again in InnoVEX 2023!