On March 5, Innovation to Industry Co., Ltd. (i2i) held the Nangang Software Incubator CEO Annual Gala & i2i Incubation Star Awards Ceremony. The event honored the outstanding achievements of the 5th “i2i Incubation Star” award-winning startups, featuring a grand recognition ceremony.
Director General Ho Chin-tsang of the Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration (SMESA), MOEA, personally presented the awards to eight winning startups and innovative companies, encouraging incubator tenants to continue striving for excellence.
Director General Ho stated, “Generative AI is driving another wave of prosperity for Taiwan’s industries, offering immense opportunities for startups and software-related businesses.” He emphasized that this new wave of innovation is led by Taiwanese talent. The incubators operated by i2i are home to many hidden champions whose remarkable performance is illuminating Taiwan’s startup ecosystem. With Taiwan’s strong hardware foundation, he expressed optimism that these startups would achieve even greater success.
i2i Chairman Gary Gong remarked, “SMESA is the only government agency in Taiwan that includes ‘startup’ in its official title, serving as a key pillar for industry-wide growth.” He expressed gratitude to Director General Ho for his continued support of Taiwan’s startup ecosystem, noting that this was his fifth consecutive year attending the i2i Incubation Star Awards.
Chairman Gong highlighted that i2i has continued to expand its investment in incubation facilities and resources, refine startup coaching programs, and foster Corporate-Startup Engagement (CSE) partnerships with leading enterprises. With high-quality incubation services, i2i has maintained an average occupancy rate of over 90%. In 2023, startups at NSI and KSIC generated over NT$200 million in new investments, marking significant achievements.
i2i General Manager Pearl Sun announced that eight companies were recognized in the 5th i2i Incubation Star Awards, including two “High Growth Award” winners and six “Outstanding Achievement Award” winners.
Each winning company receives a cash prize, trophy, certificate, media exposure, and support for market expansion and fundraising to accelerate their growth.
The High Growth Award honors companies with a three-year revenue growth rate exceeding 30%.
- In the Startup Category, TrendLink won for its business model combining software consulting and organizational management innovation, achieving a client renewal rate of over 90%.
- In the Innovation Category, Eunomics Co. excelled in e-commerce system design, algorithm planning, data management, and system maintenance, doubling its revenue over the past three years.
The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes excellence in R&D advancement, market expansion, fundraising, and international recognition.
- In the Innovation Category, Funcode Technology stood out for its two-dimensional barcode solutions supporting exhibitions and factory automation. SHENGSEN Cloud Technology redefined project development with flexible IT teams that help clients build diverse digital services. XiGan International applied circular sustainability concepts to develop new product lines, revitalizing its 50-year-old heritage brand.
- In the Startup Category, PopChill transformed the pre-owned luxury market with AI authentication and trust-based technology, becoming Asia’s leading one-stop platform for authenticated luxury trading. Loginheart integrated smart technology into fashion accessories, emerging as a leader in the fusion of fashion and tech. Daopin developed a world-leading real-time whole-genome sequencing analysis system, won the 20th National Innovation Award, successfully completed its first angel funding round, and is now expanding into global markets.
