TIMELINE
ONLINE COMPETITION
- Registration is accepted in 3 rounds: the 1st round ends on June 30, 2024; the 2nd round starts from September 4, 2024, and closes on January 31, 2025; the 3rd round starts from March 26, 2025, and closes on June 30, 2025. Following these deadlines, there will be a two-week grace period for participants to complete their application materials. The official deadlines will be published on the event website: ictaiwanchallenge.org. The organizer reserves the right to modify these deadlines without prior notice.
- Online registration: Interested participants can fill in the registration form online at any time and upload required documents.
- Qualification review: The organizer will conduct a qualification review and confirm the competition category in accordance with the regulations.
- Initial review: The contents of the concept paper will be reviewed. Based on the review results, candidates will be notified whether they will proceed to the secondary review. Candidates that pass the initial review must submit the “IC Innovation Acceleration Platform Resource Requirement Application Form” and “Shareholding distribution among the company’s shareholders”.
- Secondary review: The presentation and Q&A will be conducted online. The entire process (including presentation and Q&A) will be conducted in English. The total time is 20 minutes.
- Result Announcement: The organizer will schedule the review periods according to the volume of applications to be evaluated. Results will be published on the competition website and the NSTC official website two weeks after the completion of the review process.
ON-SITE COMPETITION
- Participate in designated international benchmark exhibitions like Viva Technology 2024 and CES 2025. Results will be announced after the pitch during the exhibition.
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May. 14
Taiwan CbI Launch EventMay. 14
NSTC is hosting the “IC Taiwan Grand Challenge” to bolster Taiwan’s IC startup ecosystem and attract global tech talent and investment. Starting on May 14th at the Taiwan Chip-based Industrial Innovation Program (Taiwan CbI) launch event, it will explore how the semiconductor industry can capitalize on AI for innovation!
- Time: May. 14 10:00-12:00
- Venue: NTUH International Convention Center R201
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Sep. 4
- Oct. 17-19
- Jan. 31, 2025
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Mar. 26
- Jun. 30
CATEGORIES & ELIGIBILITY
All participants must comply with the 2024 IC Taiwan Grand Challenge Pilot Program.
We welcome teams that are:
- Startups, legal entities, academic research institutions, and individuals that plan to collaborate with Taiwan’s semiconductor industry.
- Must be a startup set up after January 1, 2016.
- Must own or have legal access to the intellectual property rights of the product, technology, or solution.
- Teams applying for Online Competition must submit Concept Paper detailing core technology, solved situations, future issues and solutions for Taiwan, business model, and market expansion plans.
CATEGORIES & ELIGIBILITY
All participants must comply with the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge Pilot Program.
Leverage AI chips, AI algorithms, and high-speed transmission technologies to develop advanced application solutions in the following categories or achieve groundbreaking innovations in core technologies:
AI Core Technologies
and Chips
smart mobility
SMART
manufacturing
SMART medtech
sustainability
We welcome teams that are:
- Startups, juristic persons, academic research institutions, and individuals that plan to collaborate with Taiwan’s semiconductor chip design and manufacturing industry. Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Participants entering as companies must be startups that were established within 8 years from the date of registration. However, this does not apply to non-corporate entities, academic research institutions, or individuals.
- Startups, individuals, juristic persons, organizations, other institutions from China (including Hong Kong, Macau) and the companies they invest into in a third area, are not eligible for the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge.
- The invested companies in a third area mentioned in the preceding paragraph refer to the individuals, juristic persons, organizations and other institutions from China (including Hong Kong, Macau), and in one of the following situations:
- Directly or indirectly holding the shares issued by a company in a third area or the total contributing amount exceeding thirty (30) percent.
- Having the controlling power over the companies in a third area.
- The participant must own the intellectual property rights of the product, technology or solution or have obtained legal licensing access.
- The participant must provide concept paper (for initial review) and deliver a presentation (for secondary review) within the designated time. The content of the concept paper includes the core technology, situations that have been solved or verified so far, the business model to be developed, market expansion plans, etc. The participant must submit a pitch video of no longer than 3 minutes, along with other supporting materials.
- Participants who have previously won awards in the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge are not eligible for rewards in this competition. However, this restriction does not apply if the project leader is different from the one in the previous competition, especially for legal entities or academic research teams.
JUDGING CRITERIA
Jury composition: Experts from Taiwan’s industry, venture capital, government departments in relevant fields are invited to form a committee to select the winning team via initial and secondary review.
CONNECTIVITY
CREATIVITY
INNOVATION
- Specific resource requirements and development plans in Taiwan
- Ability to provide broader development plans for Taiwan’s industries
- Ability to drive technological innovation potential and create social welfare
- Contribution to promoting new industrial links or promoting industrial upgrading
- Effectiveness of introducing derivative investments or creating high economic value
- Innovations in emerging application fields
- Innovations and developments in the manufacturing process, design, and application of new materials
- Ability to integrate the advantages of diversified innovation and integrated cross-domain thinking
- Have resource needs and specific development plans in Taiwan.
- Can provide broader development space for Taiwan’s industry.
- Can drive technological innovation potential and create social welfare.
- Contribution to promoting new industrial links or promoting industrial upgrading.
- The effectiveness of introducing derivative investments or creating high economic value.
- Innovation in emerging application fields.
- Pioneering in the fields of manufacturing process, design, and application of new materials.
- Able to integrate the advantages of diversified innovation and integrated cross-domain thinking.
Awards
Experts from Taiwan’s industry, venture capital, and relevant government departments form a committee to select the winning team.
& INDUSTRY CHAIN LINKAGE
MENTORSHIP
- A landing prize of USD 30,000 will be awarded to ever winning team. Award recipients are required to have at least one team member participate in industry matchmaking events for a minimum of one month in Taiwan prior to signing the investment agreement. However, an alternative arrangement may be negotiated to allow flexibility. The matchmaking process will be tailored to the specific needs of the award recipients and the prize will be disbursed upon the completion of their obligations in Taiwan.
- Industry chain linkage and chip development guidance through the IC Innovation Acceleration Platform: Based on the award recipients' resource needs for development in Taiwan, funding will be provided upon approval by the NSTC. This support may include access to EDA tools, silicon intellectual property licensing services, IC design services, and wafer shuttle services, as required for chip development. Each award recipient may receive up to USD 3 million in total. Equity exchange will generally be conducted using the SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) model. If SAFE is not applicable under the relevant national regulations, alternative equity exchange methods will be negotiated.
& INDUSTRY CHAIN LINKAGE
MENTORSHIP
OBLIGATION
After passing the initial review, participants must submit the Application Form for IC Innovation Acceleration Platform Resource Requirement (see Attachment 1). Upon confirmation of the award, the provided resources will be converted into equity, with shares held by the National Science and Technology Development Fund of the Executive Yuan.
Award recipients must sign the SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) investment agreement within three months of the announcement. The organizer reserve the right to allow extensions for signing or to negotiate alternative equity exchange methods if SAFE is not applicable. The agreement must be signed by a company; if the award recipient is not a company, they must establish one before signing the agreement to qualify for investment.
Award recipients must cooperate with on-site business development in Taiwan, which includes, but is not limited to; participating in designated exhibitions, technical presentations, and award ceremonies. Examples include COMPUTEX/ InnoVEX from May 20-23, 2025, and the Taiwan Innotech Expo (TIE) from October 16-18, 2025.
Award recipients are required to assist with publicity activities by submitting relevant materials or participating in promotional efforts. They must also cooperate with the organizer's arrangements for on-site meetings, scheduling activities, and monitoring & evaluation activities.