NDC Invigorates Ecosystem for Taiwanese EdTech Startups, Creates Engine for Future Growth

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach – 3 December 2021 – In 2021, investment in education around the world doubled. According to the “2021 Taiwan Startup Ecosystem Report” published by global accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in November, the number one keyword for enterprise startups is education technology, or “edtech”. More than 40% of startups surveyed responded that they were solely focused on edtech.

2021 International Conference on Education Innovation

In the era of artificial intelligence, 5G communications, and blockchains, edtech has become the hot new trend that will revolutionize education; because creating a new education system is key to nurturing tomorrow’s talented minds. Ever since it spearheaded the Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan (ASVDP) and created the national startup brand “Startup Island Taiwan” in 2016, the National Development Council (NDC) has set its eye on invigorating Taiwan’s startup ecosystem. Its contributions to the edtech startup scene in Taiwan include the sponsorship of the plan to “Accelerate Taiwan’s Education Startups on the World Stage” for two consecutive years, headed by Taiwan’s foremost parenting and education brand CommonWealth Education Media and Publishing, and investment in Taiwan’s online learning startups PaGamO and Hahow.

The plan to “Accelerate Taiwan’s Education Startups on the World Stage” involves the selection of twenty promising Taiwanese edtech startups and providing them with the critical resources they need to succeed, as well as investment in CommonWealth Education Media and Publishing’s annual branding extravaganza, the “International Conference on Education Innovation”, for more than ten years. This year’s “International Conference on Education Innovation” revolves around the theme of “Sustainability X Education”. Over 125,000 participants attended the hybrid online and offline forum. Nearly fifty speakers, representing the business and education sectors, were invited from the United States, the United Kingdom, Finland, and Taiwan. Notable guests included Taiwan’s former vice president Chen Chien-jen; Rob Riordan, co-founder of Silicon Valley’s incredibly popular High Tech High; and Abner Chao, Founder and CEO of AmaizingTalker, a Taiwanese online learning startup that boasts an annual revenue of one billion Taiwan dollars and continues to double its value every year.

The National Development Council will continue to be the driving force behind Taiwan’s edtech startups. It will keep working with private platforms to create digital content and services, as well as propel digital education in middle schools, build smart classrooms, and provide tablet computers for schoolchildren in remote areas. It will also improve 5G communications integration through smart education, train talent in the digital era, and nurture bilingual skills. Ultimately, its aim is to introduce a greater number of rapidly growing Taiwanese startups to the world stage, so the international community can witness and benefit from Taiwan’s creative energy.