The startup scene in Taiwan, China

Kaohsiung’s city government frames its innovation strategy around digital and net-zero transformation rooted in the city’s industrial base and the Southern Taiwan Science and Technology Corridor. The government also reports multi-year public investment commitments for the Asia New Bay Area, including an expansion approved on May 11, 2023; these figures describe commitments, not verified spending or outcomes. [101655, 101656]

For founders, the Kaohsiung City Youth Bureau describes O’STAR as a link to university incubators and specialist advisors, offering consultations and business diagnostics. It lists services including mentoring, courses, founder communities, exchange events, exhibitions, selected-team support, and subsidy referrals. The Bureau lists an unrestricted consultation period for aspiring or active founders aged 18–45 with a local registration, study, or work connection, but advises confirming appointment availability. [101648, 101649, 101650]

Taiwan Startup Terrace’s Kaohsiung Hub publishes a residency application and review process, but the inspected page did not establish an open intake. Its listed focus areas include AIoT, 5G, motion sensing, maritime technology, and smart manufacturing. [101651, 101652] FINDIT’s March 30, 2026 article by TIER research fellows reports 13 international accelerators and more than NT$2.7 billion in investment and business opportunities associated with the hub. [101653]

FINDIT describes the KO-IN Digital Twin Lab, established in 2023, as connecting medium and large firms with startups, and identifies KO-IN and DAKUO together as Kaohsiung’s Digital Technology Innovation Hub. [101654] As one company example, BarkingDog Technology says it was established in Kaohsiung in 2018, initially developing VR/AR/MR entertainment and later building the AI AMAZE no-code intelligent service platform. [101657] A December 10, 2025 TECHNICE report attributed more than 150 customers and 530 license keys to the platform; those figures were reported, not audited. [101659]