The Taipei Computer Association (TCA), one of the organizers of Asia’s leading startup exhibition InnoVEX, announced the winners of the InnoVEX 2025 Pitch Contest, with total prizes worth up to USD 140,000. After a highly competitive round of pitching, the Grand Prize was awarded to DeepRad.AI (DeepLung-CAC). The Future Star Award, sponsored by Piece Future and designed to spotlight early-stage startups, went to KopherBit Co., Ltd. (KopherBit ECU Development Platform).
TCA stated that the InnoVEX 2025 Pitch Contest focused on seven key innovation domains: AI, Green Tech, Healthcare & Biotech, Next-Generation Communication, Precision Manufacturing, Semiconductor Applications, and Smart Mobility. The competition featured ten awards, including the USD 30,000 Grand Prize, the Future Star Award for seed-stage startups, and eight additional Special Awards sponsored by organizations such as United Airlines, KPMG, Piece Future, Applied Ventures and ITIC, BSSC, Enspyre, NVIDIA Inception, PwC Taiwan, the ResorTech EXPO in Okinawa Executive Committee, SMESA, and Taiwania Capital.
Grand Prize Goes to DeepRad.AI; KopherBit Wins Future Star Award
The Grand Prize was awarded to DeepRad.AI (DeepLung-CAC), with a USD 10,000 cash prize sponsored by the organizers of InnoVEX, as well as a shell scheme booth for InnoVEX 2026. The recipient will also receive promotional resources, including a news interview and a video interview produced by the organizer, and the opportunity to join a matchmaking session with the VC judges. A new addition to this year’s Grand Prize is a complimentary economy-class air ticket from Taipei to the U.S., sponsored by United Airlines, as well as access to the KPMG Energize Program (valued at USD 10,000).
The Future Star Award went to KopherBit Co., Ltd. (KopherBit ECU Development Platform), supported by Piece Future. The prize includes a USD 3,000 cash award (inclusive of tax), a Technology IP Landscape Overview Study valued at over USD 12,000, and promotional resources such as interview features, video production, VC matchmaking, a trophy, and a certificate.
AI at the Forefront: 8 Special Awards Recognize Innovative Applications
TCA emphasized that AI innovation stood out as a key theme among the winning teams. With the growing ubiquity of AI, the judges prioritized teams that demonstrated not only technical feasibility but also viable business models.
Here are the recipients of the Special Awards:
Applied Ventures ITIC Award:
NeuReality – NR1® AI Inference Appliance
The prize includes USD 3,000 (inclusive of tax), a meeting with Applied Ventures headquarters, 5 hours of startup coaching, a video feature, VC matchmaking, promotional coverage, a trophy, and a certificate.
BSSC Award:
Accelerate Private Machine Intelligence Company – S1 Distillation
Sponsored by Vietnam’s non-profit Business Startup Support Centre (BSSC), the award package, valued at USD 10,000, includes: recognition as a top 30 startup in the Startup Wheel International Track 2025, and access to their exclusive online workshop. The award also includes complimentary participation in InnoEx 2025, featuring a 2-day exhibition table, a startup pitch session (with potential advancement to the semi-final and final stages for the Top 5 and Top 1), and inclusion in the InnoEx handbook. Furthermore, the winner will receive 2 Premium Passes for select collaborative events within InnoEx 2025 (eligibility determined by BSSC), complimentary access to the Investment Zone and Business Networking Events (subject to criteria), inclusion in BSSC's portfolio, and nomination opportunities for two partner programs and one business matching/private pitch session. The prize also includes media exposure, a trophy, and a certificate.
NVIDIA Award:
AeiRobot – ALICE4
Deeli AI – Deeli Intelligence Platform
Winners will join the NVIDIA Inception Program with access to advanced technologies, marketing resources, direct dialogue with NVIDIA experts and investors, and authorization to use the NVIDIA Inception badge. The package, valued at over USD 10,000, also includes a one-on-one meeting with NVIDIA’s investment team and potential exhibition opportunities at NVIDIA GTC 2026.
Enspyre Award:
SOIC Marine Solutions Co., Ltd. – AI Sailor
Sponsored by Enspyre, the prize includes USD 10,000 worth of professional services, including up to 4 hours of meetings with Enspyre's B2B Consultant to discuss market entry, 4 hours of a Sales Team training program, or 1 B2B GTM Report on the Taiwan market. In addition, Enspyre will conduct a minimum of 200 cold outreaches to potential customers and 100 invitations to key decision-makers to provide valuable market information.
PwC Taiwan’s Award:
EndoSemio – TracheoSight: Next-generation Endoscopic Image-Guided Tracheostomy Kit
Sponsored by PwC Taiwan, the prize includes participation in PwC Taiwan’s startup accelerator, the “Scale Programme,” valued at over USD 10,000, along with media features, a trophy, and a certificate. The Scale Programme includes a 6-month customized counseling plan, investor matchmaking opportunities, at least 10 hours of consulting, and co-marketing and media promotion. Consulting services cover business strategy, tax, risk and corporate advisory, exit planning, legal consultation, international strategy, and more.
Okinawa Innovation Award:
AeiRobot – ALICE4
Sponsored by the ResorTech EXPO in Okinawa Executive Committee (under ISCO), this award is valued at JPY 2.85 million (approx. USD 19,000), plus extensive promotional support, a trophy, and a certificate.
The prize includes a JPY 200,000 cash award, a JPY 300,000 travel subsidy to attend ResorTech EXPO 2025 (November 13–14, 2025) and CEATEC 2025 (October 14–17, 2025), 2 exhibition booths at ResorTech EXPO 2025, speaking opportunities both on-site and in online seminars, participation in a networking reception for 4 people, a 2-hour reservation of a business meeting room, promotional coverage, demo opportunities, and 1 exhibition booth at CEATEC 2025.
Startup Terrace Award (ST Award):
Femtosense, Inc. – SPU-001 (Sparse Processing Unit)
Sponsored by the Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration (SMESA) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the award includes a cash prize of up to USD 20,000 (tax included), one year of free residency at Startup Terrace in either Linkou or Kaohsiung, and comprehensive support services such as investor matchmaking, industry connections, and access to government resources. The winner will also receive a trophy, a certificate, and a featured video produced by the organizer.
Taiwania Capital Innovation Award:
Jmem Technology Co., Ltd. – PUF Based PQC Hardware Security Chip
Sponsored by Taiwania Capital, this award includes a USD 10,000 cash prize (tax included), a video interview, a trophy, and a certificate provided by the organizer.
The information on award-winning startup teams and their award-winning products can be found at the InnoVEX Online exhibition. The website is: https://innovex.computex.biz/show/pitch2025list.aspx