MOEA Introduces 4 New Measures to Accelerate Startup Growth, Targeting NT$20 Billion in Investment by 2030
The Industrial Development Administration (IDA) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced four new measures to support startups, including raising the government-private investment ratio to 1:3, allowing CVC participation, increasing follow-on investment by NT$50 million, and relaxing eligibility for overseas companies with operations in Taiwan. The goal is to attract NT$20 billion and support at least 150 startups by 2030.
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- 📰 Published: May 27, 2026 at 15:39
- 🔍 Collected: May 31, 2026 at 23:43 (104h 4m after Published)
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Central News Agency, Taipei, May 27. To foster the growth of domestic startups and continue providing necessary capital to high-potential enterprises, the Industrial Development Administration (IDA) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced four new strategic investment measures today. These include increasing the government-private investment ratio from the current 1:1 to 1:3, allowing Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) to participate as a matching source, increasing the follow-on investment limit by NT$50 million, and allowing investment in overseas companies that have their primary operations in Taiwan.
The IDA estimates that through these four new measures, it expects to attract NT$20 billion in capital by 2030 and support at least 150 startups, thereby boosting the overall momentum of industrial development.
The National Development Fund is collaborating with various ministries to promote seven thematic investment programs worth NT$10 billion each. The programs under the IDA's responsibility, 'Strategic Service Industry' and 'Strategic Manufacturing Industry,' began in 2013 and 2015, respectively, with NT$10 billion allocated to each for strategic investment. The government funds are matched with private venture capital to assist in industrial upgrading and startup development.
The IDA held a press conference today on 'Results and New Measures for MOEA Strategic Investment,' where Director-General Chiu Chiu-hui announced the four new measures. First, the matching ratio for startup investment will be increased. Chiu pointed out that previous programs provided higher matching ratios for key industries aligned with national policy, such as the 'Five Trusted Industries' which could apply for a 3:1 government-private matching ratio. Now, startups are included in this scope to encourage private capital investment.
The second measure is to open up Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) as a source for private matching, no longer limited to general Venture Capital (VC). Chiu stated that CVCs have accounted for an increasing share of global and Taiwanese startup investments in recent years. This 'large leading small' model allows large enterprises to acquire new technologies and talent, helping startups gain more resources to grow.
The third measure is to increase the follow-on investment limit by NT$50 million. Chiu noted that the National Development Fund's single-case matching investment limit is NT$100 million. If a company performs well and conducts a new round of fundraising, the government often cannot participate further. Therefore, this additional NT$50 million limit is intended to allow the government to 'follow the victory' and expand investment performance.
The fourth measure relaxes the eligibility for investment targets to include overseas companies with primary operations in Taiwan. Chiu explained that many startups establish companies abroad for international fundraising and market expansion, but their R&D and main operations remain in Taiwan. As long as they meet conditions such as having more than half of their R&D or revenue in Taiwan, they can be included in the investment scope.
Chiu stated that the IDA aims to drive a total of NT$10 billion in government and private investment by 2028, and a total of NT$20 billion by 2030, injecting capital into the industry. They hope to support at least 150 startups and increase the proportion of startup investment from the current 50% to 80%.
Three invested companies were invited to share their results: TongBao Semiconductor, Linker Vision, and Coretronic Intelligent Robotics Corporation (CIRC). Chiu noted that TongBao Semiconductor received NT$96 million in government investment in 2025, driving NT$178 million in private investment. It is the world's first office machine SOC chip design company to meet international semiconductor security standards, currently holding about 9% of the global market share. It is also the only IC design company in Taiwan to receive strategic investment from Arm. It registered on the Emerging Stock Board this May and is expected to list in the fourth quarter of this year.
TongBao Semiconductor Chairman and CEO Shen Shih-jung stated that the company focuses on high-end SOC main control chips. Since office machine chip products have long cycles, customers value long-term stability and financial support. When Japanese and American clients asked about government backing, TongBao explained its investment from the National Development Fund and the IDA, which gave clients confidence in the company's operational stability and helped secure orders.
Chiu pointed out that Linker Vision received NT$98.6 million in government investment in 2024, driving NT$105 million in private investment. It is the first AI software company with Vision Language Model (VLM) technology and completed a Series A funding round of approximately NT$1.26 billion by the end of 2025, including an investment of about NT$450 million from NVIDIA, making it the first Taiwanese AI software company invested in by NVIDIA.
Linker Vision Director Wang Yi-ting stated that the company has built a city-level 'Digital Twin Platform,' using VLM technology to analyze city images such as traffic and pedestrian flow, and developing various generative AI applications for rare scenarios, including accident detection and typhoon detection. It also integrates NVIDIA's complete solution from simulation and training to deployment, allowing NVIDIA's technology to be implemented in the Kaohsiung smart city field.
As for drone company CIRC, Chiu noted that it received NT$90 million in government investment this year, driving NT$110 million in private investment. It is the first drone company in Taiwan to pass security testing and FCC certification for its digital image transmission remote controller. It is also an important sub-system supplier for the government's military-commercial drone program and has successfully entered the North American and Japanese markets with its autonomous domestic non-Red supply chain.
The IDA estimates that through these four new measures, it expects to attract NT$20 billion in capital by 2030 and support at least 150 startups, thereby boosting the overall momentum of industrial development.
The National Development Fund is collaborating with various ministries to promote seven thematic investment programs worth NT$10 billion each. The programs under the IDA's responsibility, 'Strategic Service Industry' and 'Strategic Manufacturing Industry,' began in 2013 and 2015, respectively, with NT$10 billion allocated to each for strategic investment. The government funds are matched with private venture capital to assist in industrial upgrading and startup development.
The IDA held a press conference today on 'Results and New Measures for MOEA Strategic Investment,' where Director-General Chiu Chiu-hui announced the four new measures. First, the matching ratio for startup investment will be increased. Chiu pointed out that previous programs provided higher matching ratios for key industries aligned with national policy, such as the 'Five Trusted Industries' which could apply for a 3:1 government-private matching ratio. Now, startups are included in this scope to encourage private capital investment.
The second measure is to open up Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) as a source for private matching, no longer limited to general Venture Capital (VC). Chiu stated that CVCs have accounted for an increasing share of global and Taiwanese startup investments in recent years. This 'large leading small' model allows large enterprises to acquire new technologies and talent, helping startups gain more resources to grow.
The third measure is to increase the follow-on investment limit by NT$50 million. Chiu noted that the National Development Fund's single-case matching investment limit is NT$100 million. If a company performs well and conducts a new round of fundraising, the government often cannot participate further. Therefore, this additional NT$50 million limit is intended to allow the government to 'follow the victory' and expand investment performance.
The fourth measure relaxes the eligibility for investment targets to include overseas companies with primary operations in Taiwan. Chiu explained that many startups establish companies abroad for international fundraising and market expansion, but their R&D and main operations remain in Taiwan. As long as they meet conditions such as having more than half of their R&D or revenue in Taiwan, they can be included in the investment scope.
Chiu stated that the IDA aims to drive a total of NT$10 billion in government and private investment by 2028, and a total of NT$20 billion by 2030, injecting capital into the industry. They hope to support at least 150 startups and increase the proportion of startup investment from the current 50% to 80%.
Three invested companies were invited to share their results: TongBao Semiconductor, Linker Vision, and Coretronic Intelligent Robotics Corporation (CIRC). Chiu noted that TongBao Semiconductor received NT$96 million in government investment in 2025, driving NT$178 million in private investment. It is the world's first office machine SOC chip design company to meet international semiconductor security standards, currently holding about 9% of the global market share. It is also the only IC design company in Taiwan to receive strategic investment from Arm. It registered on the Emerging Stock Board this May and is expected to list in the fourth quarter of this year.
TongBao Semiconductor Chairman and CEO Shen Shih-jung stated that the company focuses on high-end SOC main control chips. Since office machine chip products have long cycles, customers value long-term stability and financial support. When Japanese and American clients asked about government backing, TongBao explained its investment from the National Development Fund and the IDA, which gave clients confidence in the company's operational stability and helped secure orders.
Chiu pointed out that Linker Vision received NT$98.6 million in government investment in 2024, driving NT$105 million in private investment. It is the first AI software company with Vision Language Model (VLM) technology and completed a Series A funding round of approximately NT$1.26 billion by the end of 2025, including an investment of about NT$450 million from NVIDIA, making it the first Taiwanese AI software company invested in by NVIDIA.
Linker Vision Director Wang Yi-ting stated that the company has built a city-level 'Digital Twin Platform,' using VLM technology to analyze city images such as traffic and pedestrian flow, and developing various generative AI applications for rare scenarios, including accident detection and typhoon detection. It also integrates NVIDIA's complete solution from simulation and training to deployment, allowing NVIDIA's technology to be implemented in the Kaohsiung smart city field.
As for drone company CIRC, Chiu noted that it received NT$90 million in government investment this year, driving NT$110 million in private investment. It is the first drone company in Taiwan to pass security testing and FCC certification for its digital image transmission remote controller. It is also an important sub-system supplier for the government's military-commercial drone program and has successfully entered the North American and Japanese markets with its autonomous domestic non-Red supply chain.
FAQ
What are Taiwan's new startup support measures?
The government introduced four new measures including higher investment ratios and CVC participation.