On May 30th, the launch event for the 10th phase of the HYPE Global Virtual Accelerator Taiwan, also known as the Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator, was held by the Sports Administration of the Ministry of Education. The event was attended by Hsiu-ling Hsu, Chief of the International and Cross-Strait Sports Division of the Sports Administration, Ching Yao Huang, Director of the Industrial Accelerator Center at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and Amir Raveh, Founder, and Zvika Popper, COO, of HYPE Sports Innovation, who participated online from Israel. Together, they kicked off the 10th phase of the sports innovation acceleration program.
- "Ms. Hsu Hsiu-Ling, Head of the International and Cross-Strait Sports Division of the Sports Administration, Ministry of Education, delivered a speech at the 10th Cycle Kickoff Bootcamp."
The Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator (HYPE GVA Taiwan) has reached a milestone with its 10th phase of training. Over the past nine phases, it has successfully nurtured 95 sports innovation teams from both domestic and international backgrounds, spanning 20 countries. In addition to collaboration with partners such as Decathlon Taiwan, Taiwan Mobile, and National Taiwan Sport University, the launch event also invited distinguished mentors, including Pei-hsi Liu, representative of the Queensland Trade and Investment Office in Australia, Mr. Toshihiro, founder of Startup GoGo in Japan, Sheng-jie Zhang, director of the 2025 Taipei and New Taipei City World Masters Games, Mike Yang, CEO of ABSG, and Nai-you Zhou, manager of the New Kinpo Synthesis Fiber Innovation Center, to provide diverse international industrial insights for the 10th phase accelerator.
- From left to right: Hermann Huang from Taiwan Mobile, Mike Yang from ABSG, Toshihiro Kishihara, Founder of Startup GoGo, Liu Pei-Xi representing the Trade and Investment Office of Queensland, Australia, and Hsu Hsiu-Ling, Team Leader of the International and Cross-Strait Sports Group at the Ministry of Education's Sports Administration.
A total of 71 domestic and international sports innovation teams registered to participate in the 10th phase training program, representing 16 countries worldwide. Ultimately, 10 teams from Croatia, the UK, the US, Thailand, Turkey, and Taiwan were selected to join the program. These teams cover diverse areas such as VR sports experiences, AI-assisted training, innovative nutritional food products, and sports equipment rental platforms. The two-and-a-half-month training program will be conducted through a combination of physical events and synchronous online lectures. In addition to international business courses provided by the HYPE international mentor group, the program will also offer innovative courses and matchmaking meetings spanning multiple industries, including academia, industry, and commerce, in collaboration with local partners. It will provide opportunities for enterprise resources, industry connections, and product verification, connecting with the international community and jointly cultivating the sports innovation teams of this phase.
The launch event not only involved team selection but also included a sports innovation symposium and presentations from graduating teams. The sports innovation symposium featured Paddy Tan from Blackstorm Consulting, a partner, who shared the strategic development of sports technology in the Southeast Asian market. The graduating team presentations invited Kuming Chen, founder of “Feebees,” a team from the 6th phase that received carbon footprint certification from BSI in the UK, and Eric Eustace, CEO of “Bolt Sports,” a team from the 9th phase that created innovative Ice Hockey training devices in Canada, to engage in exchanges with the teams selected during the launch event.
- Founder of Feebees from the 6th cycle, Mr. Kuming Chen.
- CEO of Bolt Sports from the 9th cycle, Eric Eustace, flew specifically to Taiwan to conduct the graduation team sharing session.
The Sports Administration of the Ministry of Education stated that as the Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator (HYPE GVA Taiwan) enters its 10th phase, it has accumulated valuable achievements and outcomes through nurturing sports innovation teams. In this phase, the accelerator will integrate with the APEC Sports Policy Network (ASPN), enriching the capacity for project cultivation and actively enhancing opportunities for sports technology innovation teams to connect internationally. Therefore, the Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator will continue to cultivate and lead Taiwan’s sports innovation teams towards international recognition, showcasing Taiwan’s sports innovation energy.
- HYPE GVA TAIWAN's 10th cycle teams and mentors pose for a group photo at the 10th Cycle Kickoff Bootcamp.