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YZU Startup ChallengeYUAN ZE UNIVERSITY 2026

First edition. Fall semester 2026. Theme: AI innovation and application

From one idea
to a national contender

The 1st YZU Startup Challenge Title subject to the official approved announcement. Organized by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Yuan Ze University. Advised by the Office of Research and Development, Yuan Ze University. Co-organized by the Youth Affairs Bureau, Taoyuan City Government. Subsidised by the Higher Education Sprout Project, Ministry of Education.

You do not need a company. You do not need a product. You do not even need teammates yet. You only need one idea you have not given up on.

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20,000

Top prize for a single team (NT$)

11 awards

Competition awards. Every finalist wins something

3 to 6

People per team. Any department, college or year

Go to online registration Find my track first No entry fee. Fully online, zero paper. A phone is enough.

Step one

First, find your track

There are only two tracks and no sub-categories. Answer four questions to see which one fits and what you need to prepare. This tool runs entirely in your own browser and sends nothing to us.

1. Where is your idea right now?

2. Does this build on a capstone project, lab research or coursework?

3. Do you have evidence you can show? For example prototype photos, a demo link, usage data or order records.

4. How many of your teammates are first-year students admitted in AY 115 (2026), including first-year transfer students?

Suggested track

    Conditional items: if your team includes a member under 18, the team leader also uploads a signed single-page parental or guardian consent form. If your team includes a member from another university, the team leader collects and uploads their proof of enrolment. If neither applies, neither document is needed.

    Tracks

    Two tracks, one for each stage

    Your track is fixed once registration closes. If the eligibility check finds a clear mismatch, we will email the team leader to adjust it before the supplementary submission deadline.

    Idea Track

    First and second years and international students welcome
    • For people with an idea but no concrete product or service yet
    • A one-page proposal is all you need. No prototype required
    • Guaranteed final slots for Freshman Teams, plus the Freshman Award

    Proposal document: one-page proposal (PDF)

    Prizes: Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, one each, NT$25,000 in total

    Venture Track

    Capstone projects and lab technology welcome
    • You have a prototype, you are already operating, or you are aiming at a national programme
    • Capstone project extensions and lab technology both qualify
    • Evidence of traction required

    Proposal documents: proposal (PDF) plus evidence of traction (prototype photos, a demo link, usage data or order records; at least one)

    Prizes: Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, one each, NT$40,000 in total

    First-year students: you can compete in year one

    If half or more of your members are first-year students admitted in AY 115 (2026), including first-year transfer students, simply tick Freshman Team when you register. Freshman Teams qualify for the guaranteed final slots and the Freshman Award.

    3 teams

    Guaranteed final slots in the Idea Track. Added on top of the regular slots, so no regular team is displaced. A preliminary score of at least 60 is required

    NT$10,000 total

    Freshman Award, 2 awards, for Freshman Teams in the Idea Track only. May be left unawarded

    Prizes

    11 competition awards. Every finalist wins something.

    Final amounts follow the approved budget and will be announced by 13 Nov 2026 (Fri). An amount once announced will not be reduced, only added to. Any award may be left unawarded.

    NT$20,000

    Single-team maximum

    11 awards. NT$93,000 in total prize money.

    All amounts in New Taiwan dollars, given as the total for each tier. Individual award amounts will be announced with the prize announcement on 13 Nov. Special Awards depend on sponsorship talks and will be announced separately before the final.
    TierAwards and basisTotal prize
    Main awardsVenture Track, 3 awards: Gold, Silver and Bronze, one each40,000
    Main awardsIdea Track, 3 awards: Gold, Silver and Bronze, one each25,000
    Category awardsAcross both tracks, 3 awards: AI Innovation Award (this year's theme award, best use of generative AI), Smart Symbiosis Award (best use of smart technology), Sustainability Impact Award (best social impact)18,000
    Freshman Award2 awards, for Freshman Teams in the Idea Track only10,000
    11 competition awards in total93,000

    Finalist Package: every team that reaches the final gets it

    • Finalist certificate and public recognition
    • Eligibility for the Center virtual incubation review, with the first-year contract review fee waived on approval
    • In-depth mentoring hours with an industry mentor
    • A named recommendation letter from the Center, usable for U-start, FITI and Taoyuan Youth Innovation Base applications
    • Nomination for international startup competitions
    • Visits to the Taoyuan Youth Innovation Base and Far Eastern Telecom Park (Tpark)

    After the competition: winning and high-potential teams continue with the Center towards the NSTC FITI programme (from December) and the Ministry of Education U-start programme (January to February 2027). The competition prize money is the starting point. The external programmes are the real destination.

    Please note: registration is fully paperless, but paying out prize money is not. The receipt, the internal split declaration, ID copies and bank account details still have to be submitted as paper originals, because the university accounting and cashier offices do not accept electronic signatures. The team leader of each winning team handles this after the final. It affects winning teams only and has nothing to do with registering.

    How to enter

    Three steps, all online

    This competition follows the paperless policy, and registration is fully digital. A typical team prints nothing, signs nothing and submits no physical document, and can finish on a phone. We do not accept paper, email, walk-in or phone registration. There is no entry fee.

    PAPERLESS

    Three things are handled entirely online, with no supporting documents to submit: proof of enrolment is established by signing in to the form with your university account, so YZU students do not submit an enrolment certificate or student ID copy; consent is given by one tick box per member inside the form, with the account and submission timestamp recorded, which carries the same effect as a signature, so there is nothing to sign or scan; and the supervisor is confirmed by the Center directly by email, so no supervisor consent form is needed.

    Language: write your proposal in either Chinese or English. One language is enough, no bilingual version is needed, and your choice of language does not affect scoring. Teams may also pitch in English at the final round; note this in the remarks field of the registration form.

    Form a team and pick a track

    3 to 6 people with one team leader. The leader must be an enrolled YZU student. Teams may mix departments, colleges and year levels. Students from other universities may join, as long as YZU students make up at least half the team. One person should enter one team only.

    Prepare your proposal and upload it

    Proposals are uploaded as PDF, and Venture Track teams add evidence of traction. Consent is given by tick box inside the form, one per member, with nothing to print or sign. Only teams with a member under 18 or a member from another university upload an extra document, and the team leader does that.

    Submit, then wait for the Center's confirmation

    Submitting the form sends an automatic copy to your own address. That means received, pending review; it does not mean you are registered. After the eligibility check the Center sends a separate registration confirmation email, copied to every team member, and you are registered when that arrives. If the automatic copy does not reach you, email us before the deadline. The form closes automatically at 17:00 on 16 Oct 2026.

    Documents you need

    Tick states are saved in your own browser and do not sync across devices.

    0 / 6

    Not required: proof of enrolment or student ID copy for YZU students, a scanned signed consent form, a supervisor consent form. A team made up entirely of YZU students who are all 18 or over has nothing to sign at all; submitting the online form completes the registration.

    Document downloads

    The competition regulations, schedule, registration guide, registration field reference and proposal template are in one cloud folder. No sign-in is needed to open it, so members from other universities can read them too. Every section of the proposal template carries a writing prompt to write against. The cloud copy is a PDF, so draft in Word or Google Docs and export to PDF before uploading.

    Open the document folder →

    The full text of the Participation Agreement and Personal Data Consent is linked inside the registration form itself, and will be added to this folder once the legal review is complete. Nothing needs to be printed or signed to register.

    Go to the online registration form Registration runs 14 Sep (Mon) to 16 Oct (Fri) 17:00. The form closes automatically after that.

    The eligibility check runs from 19 Oct (Mon) to 23 Oct (Fri). If anything is missing we email the team leader, and the supplementary submission deadline is 23 Oct (Fri) 17:00. After that the registration counts as incomplete. Make sure the team leader inbox is working, and add the Center address to your contacts so our mail does not end up in spam.

    Timeline

    September to December 2026

    The dates below are provisional and the official announcement prevails. The organizer may adjust the number of finalists and the schedule according to how many teams enter.

    FAQ

    What people ask before they register

    Can I enter on my own?
    No. A team is 3 to 6 people; finding people to build with is part of the exercise. If you have not found teammates yet, come to the kick-off briefing on 16 Sep or to either workshop. Other people there are looking too.
    Can first-year students enter?
    Yes, and we particularly encourage it. The Idea Track is designed for ideas that have not taken shape yet. If half or more of your members are first-year students admitted in AY 115 (2026), including first-year transfer students, tick Freshman Team when you register and you qualify for the guaranteed final slots and the Freshman Award.
    I have no startup experience and no product. Can I still enter?
    Yes. The Idea Track asks for a one-page proposal. No prototype, no revenue and no company required. Judges look at whether the problem you observed is real and whether the solution holds up, not at how far you have already got.
    Do we need a supervisor?
    No. One or two supervisors are optional, and having none affects neither your eligibility nor your score. A named supervisor may not also serve as a judge for this competition.
    We registered for the Idea Track. Can we switch to the Venture Track?
    Not after registration closes. Before the deadline you can edit your own form entry. If the eligibility check finds a clear mismatch, we will email the team leader to adjust it before the supplementary submission deadline.
    Can we team up with students from other universities?
    Yes. YZU students must make up at least half the team, and the team leader must be an enrolled YZU student. Members from other universities need to attach proof of enrolment from their own institution. Prize money is always paid to the team leader, who is a YZU student, and the team agrees its own internal split.
    Can we enter with a capstone project or a lab result?
    Yes, and this is where most Venture Track entries come from. Push what you have already built one step further: towards a business model, and towards something you can submit to FITI and U-start. If lab technology is involved, confirm IP ownership with your supervising professor first.
    Do I have to write in Chinese?
    No. Write your proposal in either Chinese or English. One language is enough, no bilingual version is needed, and your language choice does not affect scoring. You may also pitch in English at the final round; note this in the remarks field of the registration form.
    I am an international student. What else should I know?
    You are very welcome, and the Idea Track is a good place to start. Two things worth knowing. Language: your proposal may be in Chinese or English, one language only, and the choice does not affect scoring; you may also pitch in English at the final round by noting it in the remarks field of the registration form. Documents: the registration form is opened through a university account, and that sign-in record is what replaces a proof of enrolment, so students whose YZU account gives access to the form do not submit one. If your account status differs for any reason, email the Center before the deadline and we will confirm how to proceed.
    Can the same idea be entered by two teams?
    One person should enter one team only. If the same person is listed on two or more teams, we will email each team leader to settle on one entry before the supplementary submission deadline. If nobody replies in time, the team whose form was submitted earlier is the one kept.
    How long should the proposal be?
    One page for the Idea Track. Five to eight pages is a good length for the Venture Track. Both follow the proposal template, which carries a writing prompt in every section, so you can simply work through it.
    Are the workshops compulsory?
    No. Both workshops are open, free and take no attendance, and you can come before you register. 23 Sep covers market validation and business model design with GenAI; 7 Oct covers producing your proposal and pitch with GenAI. The final pitch is five minutes, and the second workshop practises exactly that.
    Is there an entry fee?
    No. Entry is free.
    Is it really zero paper?
    Yes. This competition follows the paperless policy and registration is fully digital. A team made up entirely of YZU students who are all 18 or over has nothing to print and nothing to sign, and can register on a phone. Only two situations call for one extra upload by the team leader: a team member under 18 (a single-page parental or guardian consent form with a signature), or a member from another university (their proof of enrolment).
    If nobody signs the consent form, what counts as consent?
    The full text of the consent terms is available to read inside the registration form, and every team member has their own compulsory tick box, which the team leader ticks after confirming with that member one by one. At the end of the form there is a team leader declaration. The system automatically records the account, the email address and the submission timestamp, and that record is the evidence of consent. The confirmation email is also copied to every team member, so you will know you have been listed and can reply to withdraw before the supplementary submission deadline if you object.
    Why don't YZU students submit proof of enrolment?
    Because the registration form has to be opened with a university account before you can fill it in and upload files. Being able to sign in already proves you are enrolled, so handing in a student ID copy on top of that adds nothing. Members from other universities have no YZU account, so their proof of enrolment is collected and uploaded by the team leader.
    Is everything online after we win too?
    No. Registration is fully paperless, but paying out prize money is not. The receipt, the internal split declaration, ID copies and bank account details still have to be submitted as paper originals, because the university accounting and cashier offices do not accept electronic signatures. This happens after the final in December and is handled by the team leader of each winning team, so leave time for it.
    How is the prize money split?
    Prize money is paid to the team representative, that is the team leader, against a signed receipt. How the team splits it internally is agreed within the team and recorded in a split declaration. The Center does not intervene and does not arbitrate.
    Can I call you?
    This competition is run digitally end to end, and enquiries are handled by email or online form only. We do not take enquiries by phone. Email usually gets a reply within one working day, and it leaves a record, so nothing falls through the cracks.

    Contact

    How to reach us

    Email

    [Email: TBC]

    This competition is run digitally end to end. Enquiries are handled by email or online form only, and we do not take enquiries by phone. Put YZU Startup Challenge and your team name in the subject line.

    Kick-off Briefing

    16 Sep 2026 (Wed), 12:10 to 13:30, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Building 1. Held onsite with simultaneous online access (the meeting link will be announced). You can ask about teams and track choice on the spot.