Taiwania Capital’s IoT Fund recently announced new partnerships with Mechavision Inc. (www.mecha-vision.com) and Tricorntech Corporation (www.tricorntech.com). Mechavision specializes in tactile sensing technology solutions for robotic applications. The externally mounted sensing device developed by Mechavision has already been successfully mounted to custom-built robotic arms from the European manufacturer ABB. These devices are used at a Qisda Corporation plant in Taiwan where human-robot collaboration is employed on production lines. A robotic arm equipped with Mechavision’s “contact skin” stops operating when a person comes in contact with it, thus providing for safe collaboration between humans and robots. Meanwhile, Tricorntech’s portable MiTAP (Miniaturized Total Analysis Platform) gas chromatograph, which measures volatile organic compounds (VOCs), won a National Innovation Award in 2016 in the Green Energy & Environment Technology Category and has received glowing praise from leading industrial firms like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and China Steel. It is also highly appreciated by environmental protection authorities such as the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Air Resources Board. Tricorntech is the only firm in Taiwan that engages in independent development and production of high-precision chemical analysis devices.
Human-robot collaboration, said Taiwania Capital CEO David Weng, represents the future direction of smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0, and the development of better air quality testing technologies is key to environmentally sustainable development. These two companies possess leading-edge technologies and have very strong R&D teams in Taiwan. Taiwania Capital will continue providing resources and supporting local firms in their efforts to embark upon international markets.
The launch of Taiwania Capital’s IoT Fund in December 2017 raised a total of NT$4.65 billion in venture capital. The list of firms in which the IoT Fund has invested into date includes Ambiq Micro (a leading maker of ultra-low-power integrated circuits), AEye (a maker of radar systems for self-driving vehicles), MedicusTek (which makes smart mattresses used in nursing facilities), Mechavison, and Tricorntech. The IoT Fund’s top priority is on key industries that the government has targeted for development support and industries that promise to emerge as key sectors in the future. As of the end of May 2019, said Mr. Weng, Taiwania Capital’s IoT Fund has evaluated over 480 companies both at home and abroad. He added: “Mechavision is an important participant in the Industry 4.0 revolution, while Tricorntech is a key player in the field of environmental protection. Taiwania Capital is focusing especially on next-generation technologies.” The IoT Fund’s original investment plan calls for all its investments to be completed within the first three years following the launch of the fund, and this schedule is expected to be met. For further investments currently under consideration, top-priority fields include IoT, smart manufacturing, automated systems, AI, 5G, enterprise software, and network security.
