On May 15th, the “2025 SelectUSA Taiwan Startup Forum” supported by the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ TACC+ program was held at the Taiwan Representative Office in San Francisco. The event aimed to assist 18 outstanding Taiwanese startup teams in showcasing their technological achievements, seeking investment opportunities, and expanding into the American market.
The day’s schedule included team presentations and on-site exchanges, as well as panel discussions with Silicon Valley investors and experts from the startup ecosystem to delve into global innovation trends and startup potential.
From May 11th to 14th, the 11th “SelectUSA Investment Summit” took place in Washington D.C., with this forum as a continuation of the summit. In the global startup competition SelectUSA Tech, Taiwan had a total of 9 teams selected for the group finals, marking the highest number globally for two consecutive years, surpassing countries like India, South Korea, Israel, and the UK. This year, one team achieved 2nd place globally, and two teams secured 3rd place globally.
Deputy Representative of the Taiwan Representative Office in San Francisco, Zhu Yongchang, attended the forum, commending the impressive performance of the Taiwanese startup teams on the international stage and welcoming them to visit the Bay Area to establish connections with the Silicon Valley industry. He mentioned that the Bay Area gathers a significant amount of venture capital and technological resources, hoping to facilitate more collaborations through this platform.
Founder of TACC+, Wang Chongzhi, pointed out that while Taiwanese teams possess capabilities, attracting international investment still poses challenges. Therefore, after each SelectUSA summit, teams are specially arranged to visit Silicon Valley for on-site education. He looks forward to building a startup model similar to Israel’s in the future, enabling teams to have direct interactions with international investors.
Tensor Tech, which achieved 3rd place globally in the competition, has developed innovative three-axis spherical motors, reducing volume by 80% and successfully entering the space market. Chief Operating Officer Zhang Yongcheng shared with Dajiyuan that their technology originally stemmed from science fair research, later transitioning to space applications and participating in the UC Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator with the support of government resources to adjust market strategies.
He acknowledged that the U.S. aerospace supply chain is closed, requiring long-term relationship-building based on trust. However, he also recognized that the investment environment in the U.S. is more mature than in Taiwan and aims to target investors in the DeepTech and aerospace fields, striving to become a long-term supplier for large clients.
Similarly, DeepRad.AI, another 3rd place recipient, utilizes AI to analyze low-dose computed tomography images (LDCT) for screening lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis simultaneously, significantly enhancing health screening efficiency. Co-CEO Lin Qianwen expressed to Dajiyuan that this trip was fruitful, expanding potential medical cooperation opportunities with resources from the Arizona-based Mayo Clinic and the government of Puerto Rico. They plan to further evaluate the feasibility of implementation. Additionally, this trip significantly increased the team’s international exposure, laying a solid foundation for entering the U.S. market.
Ye Jiaxing, responsible for the company’s presentations, added that the U.S. medical market places emphasis on “integrated systems,” combining medical and insurance functionalities, which will be a focal point for their future business development.
The startup delegation’s itinerary in the San Francisco Bay Area spanned three days from May 15th to 17th. Subsequent arrangements include investment matchmaking, business development, and entrepreneurial landing consultations in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale, as well as exchanging ideas with the America-Taiwan Science and Technology Association. After concluding their Bay Area visit, the delegation will head to Los Angeles to participate in related Select LA/TW events.