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Global Startups Converge in Kaohsiung: Southern Taiwan’s Deep-Tech Edge
codeKAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — Southern Taiwan’s startup ecosystem has attracted growing interest from global founders looking beyond Taipei, particularly those working in deep tech, hardware and industrial applications.
That was on display at Meet Greater South 2026, which brought together 280 exhibitors, including 30 Global Startups from 10 overseas cities. Over the two-day event, participants took part in 306 matchmaking sessions, while startups delivered 167 pitches, nearly double the number recorded last year.
For the 30 Global Startups participating in Meet Greater South, the experience began before the exhibition opened, as founders from markets including the United States, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan and Russia joined the Global Startup Tour in Kaohsiung. The program included visits to startup facilities, meetings with local startups and ecosystem partners, and matchmaking and networking sessions.
The Kaohsiung Evolution: From Startup Weekend to Deep Tech
Volker Heistermann of Yushan Ventures, one of the key guests and mentors on the Global Startup Tour, has witnessed Kaohsiung’s startup ecosystem evolve firsthand. “Back in 2012, when we hosted the very first Techstars Startup Weekend in Kaohsiung, many doubted whether a tech startup ecosystem could thrive outside of Taipei,” Heistermann said.
He said Kaohsiung now offers a different proposition for early-stage and deep-tech companies.
“While VCs are easy to find in Taipei, Kaohsiung offers something far more valuable for early-stage and deep-tech founders: direct proximity to advanced manufacturing, heavy industry, and actual corporate customers.”
He noted that capital is only one part of what companies working in deep tech, hardware, and industrial transformation need. “In deep tech, hardware, and industrial transformation, venture capital is only one piece of the puzzle; you need real-world testing grounds and B2B validation.”
Heistermann pointed to MetaRosetta, a Kaohsiung company developing flat optics and metalens technology, as an example of the potential created by connecting advanced technology with Southern Taiwan’s industrial supply chain.
Global Founders Meet Local Ecosystem
The Global Startup Tour took the 30 Global Startups into Kaohsiung’s startup community ahead of the exhibition.
The program included a visit to Startup Terrace Kaohsiung, where the founders met the Meet Greater South Fellows and learned about the local startup environment.
The tour also brought together investors and ecosystem leaders based across the U.S. and Asia, including Volker Heistermann of Yushan Ventures in San Francisco, Ta-Wei Wang of Pinehurst Venture Studio in New York, Curtis Bergh of Startup Grind Singapore, and Johnson Lam of Taiwan Origin Business Consultancy in Hong Kong, alongside Igor Žilák of Smart Capital, Arturs Vancans of Second Space, and Karan Kapur of the Southern Taiwan Technology Council.
They participated in matchmaking and discussions with visiting founders, bringing perspectives from startup and investment communities outside Taiwan into the program.
At Second Space, Arturs Vancans shared his experience building an AI startup and founder community in Kaohsiung. The visiting founders also met startups already operating in the city and exchanged ideas about their respective businesses.
Putting the Connections into Practice
The Global Startups then joined the wider Meet Greater South exhibition at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, alongside hundreds of local and international exhibitors. Thirteen startups were selected to join a pitching session with Nick Siao of CDIB Capital Group 中華開發資本 and Sandy Tsai (Min Yu) of Kenbun Capital, who questioned the founders and shared feedback on their businesses.
The pitch session capped a three-day program that connected international founders with startups, investors and ecosystem leaders across Kaohsiung, moving the conversation from what the city offers to how those connections might translate into business opportunities.
In Southern Taiwan, the growth of its startup ecosystem is taking place alongside an established industrial base that remains central to the region's economy.
For deep-tech companies, that combination of technology, manufacturing, and access to corporate customers may be what sets Kaohsiung apart from a conventional startup hub, and increasingly puts Southern Taiwan on the map for founders looking to build and scale physical technologies.
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