Starups Cultivation

Release date:2025-08-06

In keeping with its founding principles, the ITRI continues to play a pivotal role in driving Taiwan’s industrial enhancement and transformation. Fostering startups is a key strategy for ITRI, aimed at injecting
vitality into Taiwan’s industries and realizing research and development outcomes. This strategy encompasses 4 key aspects: 1) Culture Building; 2) Guidance and Incubation; 3) Startup Investment
Attraction; and 4) Post-Investment Management. By leveraging its expertise, technological capabilities, and intellectual property resources, ITRI provides substantial support to startups during their early
growth stages.
Most ITRI startups are in high-tech industries, developing cutting-edge technologies with unique market potential. These teams often pioneer new market opportunities, exemplified by TSMC and UMC,
founded by ITRI in the 1980s, whose innovation and entrepreneurship have established Taiwan’s semiconductor industry as a global leader. Overall, ITRI has successfully nurtured 165 technology-based
startups and ventures.
Moving forward, ITRI will continue to cultivate a culture of innovation, encouraging R&D that meets market needs and internalizing the spirit of entrepreneurship. In addition, to facilitate early market
validation and increase the success rate of startups, ITRI will also integrate diverse support resources, strengthen the capabilities and competitiveness of startups, and guide them in establishing robust
business models. Furthermore, with Taiwan’s continuous innovation in technology R&D, ITRI aims to elevate industries to new heights.

4 Key Aspects of Developing New Business Ventures

1	Culture Shaping	2	Mentoring and Development	3	Startup Funding	4	Post-Investment Management
ITRI fosters and invigorates the startup atmosphere institute-wide, shaping a capital market-oriented DNA. In 2023, ITRI offered 37 inperson and online entrepreneurship courses, with over 5,000 attendances. Over the past 3 years, the attendance amount has reached 11,000. The 3rd ITRI Startup Competition also was held with the participation of 24 startups. ITRI continues to enhance the business mindset, market focus, entrepreneurial skills, and psychological resilience of both R&D and non-R&D staff, nurturing and encouraging potential entrepreneurs.		With the support from the Industrial Technology Investment Corporation (ITIC) and the Commercialization Advisory Committee (CAC), ITRI strengthen startups’ market presence. This entails providing customized resources and leverage external programs, such as the MOEA’ innovation and entrepreneurship plans, connecting startups with mentors, financial modeling, business models, equity design, accelerators, corporate investors, and venture capital, enhancing team capabilities and supporting startup growth.		ITIC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITRI, is a professional investment company supporting startups. Since its establishment in 1979, ITIC has actively assisted ITRI’s spin-off startups through mentoring, leading investments, and raising capital to sustain operations. Additionally, early-stage funding models have been developed to integrate capital and technology markets, leveraging domestic corporate groups to help ITRI’s technical teams achieve product and market validation.		ITRI has established the Equity Management Committee to handle equity-related matters and continuously visit spin-off startups to provide substantial assistance. This is done through a proactive support mechanism, where the operational status of each startup is reviewed, and growth assistance is provided based on market expansion, product technology enhancement, and fundraising, while also managing risks.

Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Highlight Projects | Largan Energy Materials

The development of energy storage systems and related technologies is in high demand, driven by Taiwan’s strategic policies, the Executive Yuan’s energy transition goals, and Taiwan Power Company’s power needs. Recognizing the growing market for carbon reduction and energy industries, particularly in electric drive and energy storage, which further drives demand for lithium batteries, ITRI leverages its years of research in lithium battery negative electrode materials to offer leading-edge achievements and substantial technical
capabilities. Entering the development of related material technologies through fast-charging lithium battery negative electrode materials, ITRI aims to industrialize the technology, continuously conducting verifications and technical improvement to support the growth of startups and related industries. This has been recognized and supported by the industry, leading to the establishment of Largan Energy Material Co., Ltd. (Largan Energy Materials) in collaboration with Largan Precision in 2023. Largan Energy Materials focuses on developing lithium titanate niobate battery negative electrode material products suitable for markets such as fast-charging buses, energy storage systems, hybrid vehicles, forklifts, and drones; the features of fast charging, high safety, and long life bring new business opportunities to the company. Moving forward, ITRI will prioritize applications in high-capacity power battery markets to enhance Taiwan’s competitiveness in the global lithium battery industry, creating new opportunities for Taiwan’s energy transition and green industries.

Business Opportunity & Market Assessment	Talent & Technology Introduction	Industry & Capital Matching
With the increasing demand for lithium batteries, the global lithium battery market is projected to reach a value of US$450 billion by 2030 Leading manufacturers and research institutions are developing innovative battery materials, giving lithium batteries significant growth potential; thus, entering this emerging market early and collaborating with domestic battery supply chain vendors can help seize market opportunities	ITRI will be circulating its experienced technology team, which has extensive expertise in nanomaterials, lithium battery materials R&D and production, battery design, and process verification, around the industry to support technological development and continuously enhance material performance Primary application areas for Largan Energy Materials’ initial battery cell supply are the energy storage industry and electric buses; in the future, besides establishing a pilot production line for niobium titanium materials, Largan Energy Materials will continue to collaborate with ITRI on developing newgeneration energy storage materials	The Department of Industrial Technology, MOEA, has invested NT$1 billion in research funding over the past 5 years to support R&D in related fields, helping Taiwan establish a competitive edge in fast-charging batteries, solid-state batteries, and green low-carbon processes Attracting a cross-industry investment of NT$450 million from Largan Precision, aiming to seize the lead in the global electric vehicle and energy storage markets, accelerating the energy transition process Form alliances with domestic and international battery material manufacturers, with the longterm goal of becoming a professional energy materials company