- From top to bottom: Huang Jing-Yao, Director of the Industry Accelerator Center at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University; Amir Raveh, Founder of HYPE Sports Innovation; and Hsu Hsiu-Ling, Head of the International Division at the Sports Administration.
The HYPE Global Virtual Accelerator Taiwan held its fully online 6th edition Demo Day on July 14, 2021. Eleven sports innovation teams from Taiwan, Spain, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland participated in the remote video conferencing-based business pitch competition. The event also featured panel discussions where domestic and international teams shared their experiences. Despite the pandemic, Taiwan’s resilience was showcased, allowing participants to safely join the event from their homes.
Since its establishment in 2018, the Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator has trained over 50 sports innovation teams worldwide. The subsequent development and achievements of these teams have been impressive. Examples include Uniigym, which was selected as the winning company by Orange Telecom at Viva Tech 2021 in France, WhiizU, which co-organized the 2020 National eSports Cycling Championship, and Jian Ling Technology, which received the Silver Medal at the 2019 Paris International Invention Fair. The Demo Day also invited the founders of two previous outstanding teams, Wave Wear (South Korea) and BiiB (Malaysia), to share their experiences of expanding collaborations after completing the Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator program. They discussed successful approaches to forming cross-industry alliances, connecting with the sports innovation ecosystem in Southeast Asia, and entering the Southeast Asian market.
- From top to bottom: Nancy, Founder of Wave Wear; She Yong, Founder of BiiB; and Zvika Popper, COO of HYPE Sports Innovation.
In this edition, there were remarkable achievements from both domestic and international sports innovation teams. One notable team from Taiwan is Feebees, which has applied innovative and eco-friendly recycling technologies to create sock-shoes that provide enhanced comfort for barefoot wear. They have engaged in negotiations with Taiwan’s largest sports goods retailer, Decathlon Taiwan, for potential collaborations in technology integration and product placement.
Another noteworthy team is Graffos from Spain, which has leveraged years of academic research experience to develop a product that enhances athletes’ psychological qualities and improves their performance through imitation-based training. During this edition, Graffos garnered the attention of the Taiwan Wei Chuan Dragons professional baseball team and conducted a Proof of Concept (POC) test with them to validate the product concept. The results of the test will be unveiled for the first time at tomorrow’s Demo Day.
- From left to right: Amir Raveh, Founder of HYPE Sports Innovation, and Chen Kuming, Founder of Feebees.
The Ministry of Education’s Sports Administration, through the Sports Innovation Accelerator training platform, aims to accelerate the connection to international network resources and introduce innovative elements from Taiwan to the global community, showcasing the country’s sports innovation capabilities. The 6th edition Demo Day of the Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator will be conducted fully online in English, with a basketball-themed design symbolizing liveliness and diversity. The goal is for each sports innovation team to make a great shot and create more opportunities for international connections and market expansion. The Sports Administration sincerely invites people from all over the country who are interested in sports innovation technology to witness the upcoming launch of the teams’ promising sports innovation momentum through the online live broadcast.
- HYPE GVA Taiwan 6th Cycle Demo Day Online group photo.