- "HYPE GVA TW's 7th edition Taiwan team taking a group photo with representatives from the Sports Administration and IAPS."
In order to continuously bring Taiwan’s sports industry to the international stage, the Sports Administration of the Ministry of Education has created the “HYPE Global Virtual Accelerator Taiwan.” On January 19, 2022, the 7th Demo Day was held, where 10 teams from 5 countries presented in English to impress the judges. The first prize HYPE Award was won by the Taiwan team Xpure and the Swiss team BIG WAVE_VR_Game. The event was conducted in a hybrid format, both online and offline, with over a hundred attendees. It was announced that innovative teams interested in the Sports Administration Accelerator program can stay updated on the information for the 8th training session.
The Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator, undeterred by the pandemic, continued to carry out its 7th training program. The results sharing session was opened by Hsu Hsiu-Ling, the Head of International and Cross-Strait Sports Division of the Sports Administration, Ministry of Education. She mentioned that the teams, after undergoing rigorous training, were able to surpass themselves. Ten sports startups from India, Switzerland, Hungary, France, and Taiwan showcased their business presentations in a competition to catch the attention of the online and offline judges, competing for awards provided by HYPE, the Sports Administration, IAPS, and Taiwan Mobile’s mySports. The awards included opportunities for free exhibitions in domestic and international sports venues, marketing cooperation activities, and partner introductions.
- The HYPE Award-winning teams are as follows: BIG WAVE_VR_Game (2nd from the left) and Xpure (1st from the right).
The 7th edition’s results presentation featured a combination of live and remote video conferencing for the business pitch competition. Sebastien Audoux, an international sports media expert and head of the Sports Department at Canal+ in France, delivered a keynote speech, sharing insights into the internationalization trends of the sports startup industry. The startups in this edition covered a diverse range of product categories, from AI-powered reconnaissance technology combined with VR diving experiences to reusable sports masks with recyclable cleaning capabilities. Spanning across various sports disciplines, the Taiwan team Xpure attracted the attention of Decathlon Taiwan and Xpure for potential discussions on a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for commercial confidentiality, focusing on product improvements and potential technological collaboration.
After an intense and competitive business pitch competition, Xpure with its patented sports mask and BIG WAVE_VR_Game were awarded the HYPE Award, winning a free booth at the HYPE International Investment Exhibition and media coverage opportunities. CREST and Xpure received the Sports Award, granting them a free booth at a prestigious international exhibition held domestically this year. Swipecool. Inc and BIG WAVE_VR_Game won the IAPS Award, providing them with abundant resources including access to the IAPS matchmaking platform and an opportunity to join a startup incubation space within the next year. Additionally, Swipecool.Inc secured the mySports Award, which includes the naming rights for an upcoming challenge organized by mySports and collaborative marketing exposure opportunities.
- Brad Chen, the founder of CREST, delivered a presentation on-site during the event.
- Various field experts were invited to serve as judges.
Since 2018, the Sports Administration has been collaborating with the Institute for Accelerating Prosperity through Sport (IAPS) at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and HYPE Sports Innovation Foundation (HYPE) to establish the “Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator.” Together, they have provided training to over 70 sports innovation teams worldwide. To date, the accelerator has assisted startups in raising over NT$360 million in funding. The purpose of the accelerator is to combine the resources of industry, government, and academia to gradually build Taiwan’s sports technology ecosystem and establish a presence on the international stage. It aims to help teams interested in sports innovation leverage Taiwan’s strengths in technology, manufacturing, and service industries and venture onto the global arena.
In 2021, with the momentum of the Tokyo Olympics, Taiwan’s impressive international sports performance indirectly boosted sports development. The Sports Administration has been actively constructing a network that connects Taiwan with the international sports industry, bringing together diverse roles within the sports startup ecosystem. The goal is to make Taiwan a hub for sports technology startups in Asia. This is an ongoing collaborative effort that we are all committed to.
- Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the HYPE GVA Taiwan 7th edition program concluded successfully.