The burgeoning development of startup ecosystems has been increasingly recognized as a driving force behind economic growth worldwide, fostering transformative momentum and industry expansion. Since 2020, i2i team has introduced the "International Entrepreneurial Hub Connection Initiative," collaborating with Israel, globally renowned for its innovation, to facilitate reciprocal cooperation between Israeli startups and Taiwanese enterprises through resources injected by an international advisory team. This successful model has effectively facilitated precise matchmaking between international startups and Taiwanese companies.
Since 2023, i2i team has expanded its collaboration through the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) and the Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA), inviting Canadian startups to participate in international advisory review meetings. Through multifaceted collaboration with international entrepreneurial partners and innovative matchmaking practices, i2i team aims to propel Taiwanese startups into the global market while attracting international startups to engage in reciprocal exchanges with Taiwanese enterprises.
(i2i team Chairman, Gary Gong, and Ed Jager, Director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei)
This year, the IP2 International Advisory Review Meeting transcends geographical boundaries, continuing to open channels of reciprocal cooperation between Canadian startups and Taiwanese enterprises. Collaborating with CTA, the 2024 IP2 Launchpad is introduced, focusing on AI (AIoT), HealthTech, and semiconductors. Exceptional Canadian startups are selected to participate in the international advisory review meetings, providing opportunities for international startups to collaborate and rapidly expand into the Taiwanese market, fostering extensive exchange and cooperation within the international industry.
In January, the inaugural Canadian International Startup Demo Day successfully attracted four Canadian startups to engage in deep collaboration with multiple Taiwanese industries. Chaired by i2i team Chairman Gary Gong and attended by key figures such as Ed Jager, Director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, and the International Advisory Board.
In May, i2i team will host the second Demo Day, inviting six international startups to promote substantial cooperation between Canadian and Taiwanese startups or enterprises, fostering the feasibility of collaboration through the signing of memorandums of understanding (MOUs), letters of intent (LOIs), and non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to delineate future cooperation directions clearly. By highlighting product and service advantages, diverse collaborative possibilities between startups and enterprises are created, including strategic investments, product upgrades, clinical trials, and distribution partnerships.
In June, the i2i team plans to visit Toronto, Canada, to host an international startup summit, exploring market trends and the startup ecosystem in Canada.
In October, in collaboration with CTA, plans are underway for the third Demo Day to accelerate the linkage of ecosystems between Taiwan and Canada and globally.
i2i team aims to continuously lead Taiwan's economic growth through global cooperative strategies, professional resource integration, and validated outcomes.
About CTA
The Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA), a part of the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) supported by the Canadian government, aims to launch global startup ecosystem development programs. With a business map covering the United States, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and more, CTA comprehensively supports Canadian startups in connecting with global technology hubs, exploring international opportunities, and providing services such as business trade and investment network connections, strategic guidance from industry experts, and shared workspace facilities.
CTA will continue to collaborate with the i2i team to assist startups seeking breakthroughs in international markets, expanding opportunities and markets. It is currently recruiting promising Canadian startups to participate in subsequent acceleration programs in Taiwan, covering themes such as ICT, semiconductors, sustainable energy, transportation, manufacturing, and financial services.