In this podcast, we take a look at the role Venture Capital and Accelerator programs play in the tech ecosystem. While some countries, like Singapore, are inundated with them, why have other markets, like Taiwan, not seen the same level of interest?
Podcast Overview with time stamps
01:30 Intro to Edgar Chiu, Managing Partner of SparkLabs Taipei and founder of JumpStart Global, a talent acceleration program that focuses on matching top talent from large corporates with exciting startups.
03:00 The evolution of SparkLabs Taipei since its founding less than two years ago
06:00 Overview of SparkLabs Taipei Demo Day 2
- Over 800 attendees, including 150 investors from Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Silicon Valley, etc.
- 6 startup presentations
- Panel with 4 leading players from the Silicon Valley VC scene
- How high labour costs are forcing Silicon Valley startups to look farther afield for talent – and why Taiwan is well suited to reap the benefits.
11:30 Overview of the fireside chat with best-selling author Steven Johnson where he discusses his book Where Good Ideas Come From: A Natural History of Innovation
12:40 How has the Taiwan start-up scene has evolved over the past 8 years
- Used to be well known for manufacturing products (e.g. iPhones)
- Companies (e.g. Google) are now coming to Taiwan to leverage its strong Software Engineering skills to drive their R&D
- The transformation from a manufacturing power to a digital power
14:45 Singapore has been invested heavily by both Venture Capital firms and Accelerator programs in recent years, is Taiwan going to be Asia’s next “hot spot” for startups and innovation?
17:00 The importance of startups in Taiwan having a “global” mentality due to the limited size of the local market
18:35 What types of companies presented at Demo Day?
23:40 What advice would Edgar give to Taiwan and international startups or entrepreneurs?
25:20 What advice would you give to the Silicon Valley Venture Capital players about tapping into Taiwan market opportunity?
26:30 What advice would you give the Taiwanese government to help drive entrepreneurship and innovation while attracting foreign investment?
27:30 Which emerging technologies do you think will create the next wave of opportunities for startups?
29:30 And which emerging technologies will have the greatest impact on society?
31:55 How do you think the Taiwanese startup scene – and SparkLabs Taipei – will evolve in the coming years?
33:00 What do you think will happen in Taiwan’s 2020 Presidential election – and how do you think that will/could impact the country’s startup ecosystem
36:15 Tell us something about yourself or your background that will surprise us
- Note: if you want to know why Edgar started JumpStart and SparkLabs Taipei, his answer to this question will make it clear.
39:30 What is the best food for visitors to Taiwan to try
- Try the fruit!
- Edgar's wife’s CookInn Taiwan cooking school - which teaches foreign visitors how to make local dishes like beef noodle, xiao long bao, and bubble tea.
41:25 How can the listeners get more information about SparkLabs Taipei?
SparkLabs Taipei
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sparklabstaipei/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparklabs-taipei/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparklabs_taipei/
JumpStart Global:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jumpstart.do/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jumpstart-global/about/
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