• Introduction of “Global Partner Program”
  Garage+ Invites Startups to Explore Industrial partners, Investments, and Markets within 10 Days
  Web site : www.garageplus.asia/zh/sgp

Garage+, Taiwan’s highly reputed zero-equity incubator founded by non-profit Epoch Foundation, invites startups worldwide to its Startup Global Program taking place in Taipei.

Garage+ is best known for its Startup Global Program, which invites promising startups from seed stage to Series A worldwide to connect with Taiwan’s solid industrial resources, discover business and venture partners, and explore markets.

This industry-led initiative provides startups with flight tickets and accommodation during a ten-day tour of Taiwan’s leading manufacturers and high-tech companies and investors, including TSMC, Wistron, Quanta Computer, Delta Electronics and more. As key players in global supply chain, Taiwan companies are highly capable of growing international businesses and supporting startups by realizing their goals and prototypes.

Startups wishing to stay longer also receive opportunities for three-month free office space, staff recruiting and assistance in applying for Taiwan’s entrepreneur visa. An incredible 75% of startups at Garage+ successfully raised funds in Taiwan.

• Outline of Taiwan startup eco-system 

Taiwan is the top-ranked Asian country on the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index. The vibrant capital city of Taipei is within a one-to-two-hour flight of many destinations in China and Southeast Asia; moreover, Taiwanese have over one hundred year business relationship and experiences in this region. Only 30-to-90 minutes driving distance can access various industries of suppliers in global supply chain. The country, which is ranked the world’s second-safest, further offers exceptional intellectual property protection, well-educated engineers, as well as stable and transparent government. This is especially impressive, considering the cost of living.

• ImmerVision(Canada)
  http://www.immervisionenables.com

Through the Garage+ Startup Global Program 2016, ImmerVision was able to connect with Taiwan’s thriving industrial resources and promote itself in the Asian market. The company, from Montreal, has successfully partnered with Quanta Computer, a Fortune Global 500 Company and the world’s largest ODM company of notebook PC and cloud systems with an extensive range of solutions for IoT, wearable, and other innovative products. Through Quanta’s immersive camera solutions integrating ImmerVision advanced 360-degree optics and imaging technology, their product, Solo Pi, is a live immersive 360°imaging camera to mobile, Internet-of-Things and virtual reality markets. ImmerVision announced it on Makuake and successfully reached the goal within 24 hours. (Website link: https://www.makuake.com/project/pi-solo/)

 BLOCKS (UK)
http://www.chooseblocks.com

Blocks wearables is the world’s first modular smartwatch, a platform for wrist-worn wearable technology sensors. They were invited to join the Startup Global Program in 2015. Afterwards, they built an office in Taiwan at Garage+ to make use of the talents and business opportunities in Asia.

The company raised $1.6Million on Kickstarter, and is the 2nd biggest smartwatch company in the history of crowdfunding. Blocks has been featured in all kind of press from Forbes to Techcrunch, won various awards including the Reddot and iF, and has a passionate and growing community of more than 150,000 people. They are working with one of the world largest manufacturer Compal electronics in Taiwan and will be ready for shipment by the 1^st Q of 2017.

Lucid VR (USA)
http://lucidcam.com/

Lucid VR, creator of the first 3D virtual reality consumer camera, joined Startup Global Program 2015. Their product, LucidCam, is a stereoscopic 3D camera which captures the world with its 180 wide-angle lenses to enhance the users’visual, audio, and spatial experience.

Through the program, Lucid VR interacted with various Taiwanese industries and angel investors. Since then, they have successfully partnered with Wistron Corporation, a Taiwanese original design manufacturer (ODM) whose clients include Google and Microsoft. Lucid VR will soon be delivering the Wistron-produced cameras to campaign backers and pre-order customers on Indiegogo. Lucid VR has also received funds from S2 Capital, Lab360, TEEC Angel Fund, 17 Miles Technology and other angel investors.

 Author : Josephine Chao President, Epoch Foundation  

Joining the Epoch Foundation (www.epoch.org.tw) in 1998, Ms. Chao helps the foundation to bridge up-to-date technology and innovations between academics and industries to facilitate industrial development with the mission of promoting economic prosperity in the Asia Pacific region. To nurture the next generation’s global vision and ability to compete, Ms. Chao initiated the “Young Entrepreneurs of the Future (YEF)” program (www.entrepreneurship.net.tw) in 2003, YEF has had a great impact on more than 2,800 qualified young entrepreneurs. In 2012, Ms. Chao launched Garage+ incubator, focuses on early stage technology-based startups. Past two years, Garage+ has facilitated 90 startups included 37 teams from worldwide, and reached 75% successful funding rate.