Taiwanese Startup Gwo-Shyuan Biotech Wins at SelectUSA Tech, Plans US Subsidiary
This year, Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs led 24 startups to the SelectUSA Tech competition in the U.S., securing a world-leading total of 1 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze medal. Gwo-Shyuan Biotech won first place in the Health Tech category with its innovative MRI contrast agent technology and plans to establish a U.S. subsidiary this year to expand its market presence. The Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration stated that this achievement showcases Taiwan's R&D strength and international competitiveness in fields like health, defense, and energy.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 19, 2026 at 16:11
- 🔍 Collected: May 19, 2026 at 16:31 (19 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 19, 2026 at 22:53 (6h 21m after Collected)
This year, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) led 24 Taiwanese startups to participate in the "SelectUSA Tech" competition in the United States, winning a total of 1 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze, ranking first globally. The MOEA's Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration (SMESA) stated today that the health tech category saw the most applicants and achieved outstanding performance this year. Among them, Gwo-Shyuan Biotech won the championship in the health tech category with its MRI contrast agent and new-formulation anti-cancer drug technology, and it plans to establish a subsidiary in the U.S. this year.
SMESA held a press conference today to share the results of the "2026 SelectUSA Tech" event. Director-General Lee Kuan-Chih stated that the United States is the world's most important startup market. Since 2022, the MOEA has led Taiwanese startup teams to participate in the SelectUSA Tech competition annually. Over the past four years, it has led a total of 113 startups to compete in the U.S., with 16 winning top-three prizes. The initiative has successfully facilitated investments for 20 companies, raising a cumulative total of NT$2.53 billion, and 8 startups have already established companies in the United States.
Lee pointed out that this year marks Taiwan's most brilliant performance in the competition's history. A total of 8 startups were selected as top 8 finalists across four major global categories, with 5 ultimately winning awards. These awards span core fields such as health, defense, energy, and open tech, representing the broadest coverage in years, with both rankings and scale reaching new highs.
Lee stated that the health tech category had the highest number of Taiwanese applicants this year and achieved excellent results. Even in fields like defense tech and open tech, there were connections to biomedical technology, demonstrating that Taiwan's R&D achievements in biomedicine, smart healthcare, health tech, and remote care are widely recognized.
This year's health tech champion, Gwo-Shyuan Biotech, won with its MRI contrast agent and new-formulation anti-cancer drug technology, describing its R&D as "installing a GPS in cell therapy." Gwo-Shyuan Biotech's CEO, Wang Hsien-Chih, said that winning the award is just the starting point for entering the U.S. market. The product is about to begin human clinical trials, with an expected first-round fundraising of US$10 million. The board of directors has also approved the establishment of a subsidiary in the United States this year.
Furthermore, HeHe Biogen, which was shortlisted as a global top 8 finalist in the defense tech category, has developed a high-concentration "military ration hydrogen capsule" technology. It uses scientific clinical data to apply hydrogen molecule medicine to combat fatigue and aid cell repair. The company is currently in talks with investors in the U.S. defense sector, targeting the U.S. military's multi-billion-dollar logistics and military ration budget, hoping to further expand into the American market.
Lee expressed that through cross-domain applications by startups in smart healthcare, military-industrial materials, green energy batteries, and drone communications, Taiwan will produce more "guardian sacred mountains" (referring to globally crucial companies like TSMC) in the future. The government will continue to use policy tools like the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and increased investment in small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as cluster building, to help Taiwanese startups connect with the international market and attract lead venture capital investments. (Editor: Pan Yi-Ching)
SMESA held a press conference today to share the results of the "2026 SelectUSA Tech" event. Director-General Lee Kuan-Chih stated that the United States is the world's most important startup market. Since 2022, the MOEA has led Taiwanese startup teams to participate in the SelectUSA Tech competition annually. Over the past four years, it has led a total of 113 startups to compete in the U.S., with 16 winning top-three prizes. The initiative has successfully facilitated investments for 20 companies, raising a cumulative total of NT$2.53 billion, and 8 startups have already established companies in the United States.
Lee pointed out that this year marks Taiwan's most brilliant performance in the competition's history. A total of 8 startups were selected as top 8 finalists across four major global categories, with 5 ultimately winning awards. These awards span core fields such as health, defense, energy, and open tech, representing the broadest coverage in years, with both rankings and scale reaching new highs.
Lee stated that the health tech category had the highest number of Taiwanese applicants this year and achieved excellent results. Even in fields like defense tech and open tech, there were connections to biomedical technology, demonstrating that Taiwan's R&D achievements in biomedicine, smart healthcare, health tech, and remote care are widely recognized.
This year's health tech champion, Gwo-Shyuan Biotech, won with its MRI contrast agent and new-formulation anti-cancer drug technology, describing its R&D as "installing a GPS in cell therapy." Gwo-Shyuan Biotech's CEO, Wang Hsien-Chih, said that winning the award is just the starting point for entering the U.S. market. The product is about to begin human clinical trials, with an expected first-round fundraising of US$10 million. The board of directors has also approved the establishment of a subsidiary in the United States this year.
Furthermore, HeHe Biogen, which was shortlisted as a global top 8 finalist in the defense tech category, has developed a high-concentration "military ration hydrogen capsule" technology. It uses scientific clinical data to apply hydrogen molecule medicine to combat fatigue and aid cell repair. The company is currently in talks with investors in the U.S. defense sector, targeting the U.S. military's multi-billion-dollar logistics and military ration budget, hoping to further expand into the American market.
Lee expressed that through cross-domain applications by startups in smart healthcare, military-industrial materials, green energy batteries, and drone communications, Taiwan will produce more "guardian sacred mountains" (referring to globally crucial companies like TSMC) in the future. The government will continue to use policy tools like the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and increased investment in small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as cluster building, to help Taiwanese startups connect with the international market and attract lead venture capital investments. (Editor: Pan Yi-Ching)