IC Taiwan Grand Challenge (ICTGC), which challenges Taiwan’s IC, artificial intelligence (AI) sector, held its first briefing in Silicon Valley on Tuesday, January 13. The event aimed to introduce Taiwan’s complete supply chain advantages in the semiconductor and AI fields to the Silicon Valley startup community, along with information on competition opportunities and sponsorship resources. The event received an enthusiastic response, attracting over 600 registered attendees.
The event took place at Startup Island TAIWAN – Silicon Valley Hub in Palo Alto. The venue was packed with a crowd extending from the third floor to the first floor, with lines even spilling out onto the street corner. The organizers estimated that more than 250 people actually attended, making the venue almost overcrowded. Participants included startup teams, academic research institutions, corporate venture capital (CVC), and venture capitalists.
The 2026 IC Taiwan Grand Challenge, centered on “Connecting the Semiconductor and AI Strengths of Silicon Valley and Silicon Island Taiwan,” was organized by the National Science Council, executed by the Taipei Computer Association, and in collaboration with InnoVEX. The evening event took the form of a forum under the theme “Bridging Silicon Valley and Taiwan: Semiconductor & AI Synergies,” focusing on the cooperation potential between Silicon Valley and Taiwan in the semiconductor and AI ecosystems. Besides introducing the competition details, the event also provided networking and collaboration opportunities.
Yen Hung-wei, Head of the National Science Council’s San Francisco Tech Group, noted that this initiative follows the council’s previous week’s participation in the CES exhibition in Las Vegas as part of a series of startup exchanges. Taiwan’s startup energy is vibrant, and apart from showcasing technological achievements at CES, there is a desire to delve further into Silicon Valley as a global key startup hub to face challenges, absorb new knowledge, and accumulate momentum for long-term development.
Yang Ying-tzu, Deputy Secretary-General of the Taipei Computer Association, explained that holding the ICTGC briefing in Silicon Valley was primarily to align with the council’s plan, inviting international startups, academia, and research institutions to participate in the competition to promote substantial cooperation with Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and attract more international talent to collaborate with Taiwan’s industry. She mentioned that the Bay Area was the first physical overseas briefing for ICTGC, and future promotions would continue globally through international exhibitions, including InnoVEX World in Germany, VivaTech in France, SelectUSA, and online briefings. The competition, formerly known as “TIE Award,” officially became ICTGC last year and is now in its second year of the fourth round of selections, aiming to attract around 150 teams to register.
The deadline for ICTGC registration is at the end of February. Winning teams will be given the opportunity to exhibit for free at InnoVEX (concurrent with Computex) from June 2 to 5, with assistance from the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in connecting with Taiwanese semiconductor companies.
The forum that evening featured several prominent speakers, including Laura Swan, Co-Partner of Silicon Catalyst Ventures; Andy Lombard, Managing Partner of Tesoro Venture Capital; Janis Skriveris, Investment Director and High-Tech Lead at Plug and Play Ventures; and Sam Fok, Co-Founder and CEO of femtoAI. They shared their experiences in semiconductors, AI, and startup practices and engaged in in-depth discussions with the startup teams present.
Numerous startup teams participated in the event. Lin Yu-chieh, CEO of Taiwan’s startup LightCube Smartech, expressed admiration for the opportunities in the U.S. market. Their team showcased their naked-eye 3D technology at CES, attracting significant booth inquiries and engaging with various international content providers, automotive companies, and major distribution channels in the U.S. The company uses machine vision to instantly convert 2D images into 3D, with applications spanning education, film and television, entertainment, sports events, news broadcasting, and more, offering lower costs than VR devices and less susceptibility to causing dizziness. They expect 2026 to be a crucial year for expanding into the U.S. market.
Chai Chung-wang, Co-Founder and CEO of Taiwan’s AstroTech, highlighted their company’s focus on phased-array IC for low Earth orbit satellite communication, emphasizing Taiwan’s unique advantages in the semiconductor field. He mentioned that being attentive to ICTGC, he made a special trip to attend the briefing in Silicon Valley after learning about it, believing that Taiwan’s initiatives like Startup Island and ICTGC have the potential to develop into global competitions, attracting more international teams and further enhancing Taiwan’s international visibility in startups.
IC Taiwan Grand Challenge (ICTGC), supported by the National Science Council, serves as a global startup competition focusing on semiconductor and AI technologies, welcoming participation from global startup teams, academic institutions, and research organizations. It is currently in the fourth round of selections. The competition’s significant features lie in government support and a comprehensive industry platform, emphasizing connectivity with Taiwan’s industry, value creation capabilities, and technological innovation.
Selected teams are awarded $30,000 each and benefit from one-on-one mentoring, industry matchmaking, support in funding and market resources, as well as a “one-stop platform” to facilitate connections with EDA tools, prototyping facilities, testing services, supply chain partners, and Taiwan’s major semiconductor manufacturers like TSMC and UMC, to expedite technology implementation. Research institutions like ITRI assist international teams in Taiwan to complete the design, verification, and trial production processes, achieving a soft landing and establishing Taiwan as a critical base for expanding into the Asian markets.
In the previous three rounds of ICTGC, teams from over thirty countries have participated, with a high proportion from the U.S., including prestigious research institutions like Stanford University and the UC system.