May 14, 2024, at the Semiconductor Technology Innovation and Startup Summit (Semiconductor Innovation and Industry Startup Summit), the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has officially launched the competition “IC Taiwan Grand Challenge” based on the Taiwan Chip-based Industrial Innovation Program (Taiwan CBI) focuses on IC design and semiconductor-related applications.
The competition aims to attract research teams and startups to Taiwan to propose research, development and commercialization plans, taking advantage of Taiwan's advantageous industrial resources, focusing on Topics include IC design innovations and chip-based innovative applications.
Participating in the competition, research groups and startups with qualified projects will be sponsored with 30,000 USD to travel to Taiwan. Then, based on actual needs, projects can be considered for support of up to 3 million USD. The first round of the contest accepts online applications until June 30, 2024.
For detailed information, please refer to the program's official website: http://ictaiwanchallenge.org/
—————
TIMELINE
- The award selection process is through online competitions. There are two rounds of applications. Teams can participate with no entry limits.
- Application will be initially reviewed. Candidates will be notified based on the results if they proceed to secondary review.
- Candidates that pass the initial review must submit the “IC Innovation Acceleration Platform Resource Requirement Application Form”.
- Secondary review consists of a 20-minute online presentation and Q&A.
- Results will be announced two weeks after review, based on application volume.
INCENTIVES
IC INNOVATION ACCELERATION PLATFORM INDUSTRY LINKS AND GUIDANCE OF CHIP DEVELOPMENT IN TAIWAN
An initial funding of USD 30,000 will be provided for teams coming to Taiwan. Based on actual needs, teams will be offered in chip development during the project execution period, including access to EDA tools, silicon intellectual property licensing services, IC professional design services, and shuttle services for multi-project wafer (MPW) runs, with a total cap of USD 3 million. This will mainly be conducted through a SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) model for equity exchange. If the SAFE is not applicable under the regulations of the respective country, alternative equity exchange methods will be negotiated.
INDUSTRY EXPERT REVIEW AND MENTORSHIP
A review committee will be formed by senior technical experts from Taiwan's semiconductor industry and venture capitalists. The committee will review the resource requirements proposed by startups on the platform. Based on the identified needs, mentors will be arranged to provide professional guidance and consultation to the selected startups.
LANDING RESOURCES
Provide the winning team with the access for office space rental at Taiwan International Start-up Base – Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) and TTA South (https://www.taiwanarena.tech/) and related business development. The coaching manager serves as a bridge between selected teams and consultants/industry mentors, helping entrepreneurs connect with the necessary resources.
Source: NSCT, ictaiwanchallenge.org
EN