Taipei, Jan. 14 (CNA) Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto in the United States aimed at helping Taiwanese tech startups gain global visibility, according to the National Development Council (NDC).
Located at No. 299 California Avenue, the “Startup Island TAIWAN Silicon Valley hub” focuses on “supporting startups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” according to its official website.
The office is the second overseas startup hub established by the NDC, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September 2024.
Representatives from Taiwanese startups, local businesses and venture capitalists attended a launch event held at the Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel on Monday evening (U.S. time), according to NDC promotional materials.
Speaking at the launch, NDC Minister Liu Chin-ching (劉鏡清) said the hub will showcase Taiwan’s strengths in the fields of semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI), while also helping Taiwanese startups connect with global opportunities.
In addition to “nurturing more than 100 startups” this year, the hub also aims to encourage “at least 2,000 talented individuals” to return to Taiwan, Liu said.
Liu highlighted Taiwan’s key position in the global tech industry, citing Taiwan’s “around 90 percent” market share in the semiconductor industry and “more than 90 percent” market share in the AI server industry.
While global startup funding declined by nearly 40 percent in 2024 compared with 2023, Liu said, Taiwan’s startup funding grew by 10 percent to reach a record high of NT$2.8 billion (around US$846 million).
Liu also said at the event that U.S. tech multinational Nvidia would establish its “Asia headquarters” in Taipei, which will employ around 2,500 workers.
Nvidia has not yet announced where it might establish such a site, though CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) had previously indicated that the company is looking for more office space in Taipei.
Also speaking at the launch, Dennis Liu, director of the Startup Island TAIWAN Silicon Valley hub, said the site seeks to provide a “bridge” between Taiwan and the United States while showcasing Taiwan’s tech capabilities.
Steven Su (蘇育民), CEO of Taiwanese AI tech startup Ubestream Inc., said that the NDC’s hubs in Palo Alto and Tokyo are “a great blessing” for Taiwanese startups.
Su urged the Taiwanese government to provide financial aid to help Taiwanese startups mitigate the costs of higher overseas rents, which he said are a heavy burden for new startups.
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