Emerging Industry Acceleration Incubation Program, Startup Angel Investment Matchmaking Event

To help startups enter the Asian market, the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs promoted the 104th Year Emerging Industry Acceleration Incubation Program and held a startup angel investment matchmaking event on August 31 at the GIS MOTC International Convention Center, inviting Vice Chairman Ho Chi-wang of the India-Taipei Association, Secretary-General Wen Chun-yu of the Taiwan-Israel Business and Culture Promotion Association, and CEO Takayama Masatsugu of Okinawa OKINAWA J-Adviser to share current market investment opportunities and the favorable policies of various countries encouraging startup development.

The startup angel investment matchmaking event attracted more than a hundred participants, including industry veterans, startup teams, angel investors, and accelerator representatives interested in the South Asian and East Asian markets, and invited 9 potential high-quality startup teams to give fundraising presentations. At the same time, 14 startup companies with unique development potential were arranged to display innovative products and services, using this opportunity to show the development vitality of our country's young entrepreneurs.

Gaining Insight into International Market Opportunities and Building a Market Beachhead

That day, Deputy Director-General Lin Mei-hsueh of the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration opened the event. In her remarks, Deputy Director-General Lin pointed out that global economic development is currently somewhat stagnant, causing major economies around the world to face the problem of market growth bottlenecks, and all countries are vigorously promoting startups to stimulate economic momentum. New science and technology and new business models bring entirely new forms of market competition, and startups possess unique flexibility and resilience. In the face of fierce global industrial competition, they still have the opportunity to break through, gain investment and market favor, and thereby accelerate growth.

At this event, three experts well versed in the Indian, Israeli, and Japanese markets were specially invited to give keynote speeches. Vice Chairman Ho Chi-wang of the India-Taipei Association shared investment opportunities in the Indian market and related government promotion policies, conveying important information for developing the vast Indian market; Secretary-General Wen Chun-yu of the Taiwan-Israel Business and Culture Promotion Association, drawing on years of industry experience dealing with Israel, shared investment and market opportunity models in Israel for domestic startups; and CEO Takayama Masatsugu of Okinawa OKINAWA J-Adviser explained how to help Taiwanese enterprises obtain funds through the Tokyo securities market and other fundraising channels. In addition, regarding fundraising channels and opportunities, Manager Huang Chih-ying of the Investment Division of Dream Maker Market explained how to obtain startup operating funds through equity-based crowdfunding platforms; finally, Director Lai Chuan-hsien of the Taipei Computer Association, who is also Secretary-General of the Chinese Entrepreneurship and Incubation Association, shared counseling experience in corporate fundraising, financial planning, innovation and entrepreneurship, and financial planning.

The highlight of this startup angel investment matchmaking event was the arrangement for nine potential high-quality startups (including Social Enterprise, Mit.JOBS, Yuan Sheng Biomedical, Anke Biotech, Hongming Environmental Protection, Kangjian Shangfu, Bonus Hunter, Jier Si, and Digital Unlimited) to present complete explanations of their own fundraising plans in sequence, thereby attracting potential investors to discuss investment opportunities. In addition, to allow all attending guests to fully understand the operational content of the startups, this event arranged an exhibition area to facilitate startup teams in presenting their respective business value and obtaining feedback from in-depth exchanges with investors.

This year's Emerging Industry Acceleration Incubation Program of the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs assists innovative/startup enterprises in connecting with business resources through mentorship mechanisms, angel investment matchmaking, and overseas business opportunity expansion. In particular, in promoting the accelerator cooperation network in Asia, it uses the AAN accelerator network model to sequentially hold forums and matchmaking activities such as AAN BootCamp, AAN Forum, and AAN Funding to help startup teams accelerate their development. Next, in September, at the "22nd APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting and Related Meetings" held in Iloilo City, the Philippines, an overseas AAN Forum will also be held and 3 potential startups will be invited to present, in order to establish a track record of international exchange and interaction between accelerators and startups.