Taiwan's seed pool is small. Most early money is cross-border or from the state. A few real seed funds sit in Taipei. Here are 10 backing Taipei startups in 2026.
Seed money in Taiwan stays thin, and only a handful of funds will write a first cheque into an unproven team. That scarcity shapes how founders here raise.
Much of the early capital actually arrives from abroad, with Japanese and US funds investing into local startups. They tend to look for teams that can grow past the island.
The government also co-invests to widen the pool, and a few committed local funds round out the rest. Together they form a narrow but real seed market.
To work it well you need the right list and clean files ready to share. Ellty keeps all of your fundraising data behind one tracked link.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headline Asia | Cross-border seed VC | US$1M-$5M | Consumer, fintech, deep tech | headline.com |
| Hive Ventures | Seed VC | US$100K-$500K | AI, data, software, IoT | hiveventures.io |
| SOSV | Accelerator + seed | US$100K-$250K | Hard tech, life sciences | sosv.com |
| UpHonest Capital | Cross-border seed VC | US$250K-$1M | AI, SaaS, consumer | uphonestcapital.com |
| Pinehurst Advisors | Seed micro-fund | Seed-scale | Media, mobile, consumer | pinehurstadvisors.com |
| NDF Angel Program | Government co-investment | Co-invest, varies | Sector-agnostic | df.gov.tw |
| JAFCO Asia | Cross-border early VC | Early-stage | Internet, health, security | jafcoasia.com |
| AppWorks | Accelerator + seed | US$50K-$200K | AI, blockchain, SEA tech | appworks.tw |
| Cherubic Ventures | Seed VC | US$250K-$1.5M | AI, robotics, consumer | cherubic.com |
| IBMI Seed Alliance | Biomedical seed alliance | Seed, angel | Biotech, medical | ibmi.taiwan-healthcare.org |
Keep your seed data room ready before the call
Seed funds dig into your metrics and cap table. Ellty logs every view so you know who is serious.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a seed investor backs
A seed fund backs early proof rather than ideas alone, and it wants to see your first signs of real traction. The story matters, but the evidence behind it matters more.
They study your team closely and dig into your earliest data before deciding. When the case is convincing, they tend to move fast.
A clear plan earns their time, and a tidy fundraising file keeps the conversation moving. Disorganised documents are the quickest way to lose momentum.
Ellty gives each fund one tracked link to your materials. You can see who reads your deck first and follow up while their interest is fresh.
Taiwan recorded 605 startup investment deals worth US$3.34 billion in 2024, its first year above NT$100 billion and a ten-year high.
10 Taipei seed investors
1. Headline Asia
Headline Asia backs early founders across Asia.
Recent Activity: Closed Fund V at US$145M in 2025
LinkedIn: Headline Asia LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Consumer, fintech, deep tech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: US$1M-$5M
Location: Tokyo / Taipei
Website: headline.com
2. Hive Ventures
Hive is Taiwan's dedicated AI seed fund.
Recent Activity: Closed a US$13.5M AI seed fund
LinkedIn: Hive Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, data, software, IoT
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed, Series A
Check Size: US$100K-$500K
Location: Taipei
Website: hiveventures.io
3. SOSV
SOSV runs HAX and IndieBio from Taipei.
Recent Activity: Runs hard-tech and bio accelerators
LinkedIn: SOSV LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Hard tech, life sciences
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: US$100K-$250K
Location: US / Taipei
Website: sosv.com
4. UpHonest Capital
UpHonest is a US-Taiwan bridge fund.
Recent Activity: 270+ deals over ten years
LinkedIn: UpHonest Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, SaaS, consumer
Stage Focus: Seed, pre-Series A
Check Size: US$250K-$1M
Location: Silicon Valley, USA
Website: uphonestcapital.com
5. Pinehurst Advisors
Pinehurst is a Taipei seed micro-fund.
Recent Activity: Backs 11 Taiwan startups
Sector Focus: Media, mobile, consumer
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: Seed-scale
Location: Taipei
Website: pinehurstadvisors.com
6. NDF Angel Program
The NDF co-invests in seed rounds.
Recent Activity: Backed a biomed seed round in 2025
Sector Focus: Sector-agnostic
Stage Focus: Angel, seed
Check Size: Co-invest, varies
Location: Taipei
Website: df.gov.tw
Share one link with every Taipei seed fund
Ellty shows when a fund opens your deck. Follow up at the right moment, not days later.
Start free 14-day trial7. JAFCO Asia
JAFCO runs a Taiwan-dedicated venture fund.
Recent Activity: Closed a US$94M Taiwan fund in 2023
LinkedIn: JAFCO Asia LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Internet, health, security
Stage Focus: Early stage, Series A
Check Size: Early-stage
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Website: jafcoasia.com
8. AppWorks
AppWorks is Taiwan's largest accelerator.
Recent Activity: Backed Raccoon AI in early 2026
LinkedIn: AppWorks LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, blockchain, SEA tech
Stage Focus: Seed, early stage
Check Size: US$50K-$200K
Location: Taipei
Website: appworks.tw
9. Cherubic Ventures
Cherubic backs pre-PMF founders globally.
Recent Activity: Launched Fund VI in 2024
LinkedIn: Cherubic Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, robotics, consumer
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: US$250K-$1.5M
Location: San Francisco / Taipei
Website: cherubic.com
10. IBMI Seed Alliance
This is a Taiwan biomedical seed alliance.
Recent Activity: New biomedical seed alliance from 2024
Sector Focus: Biotech, medical
Stage Focus: Seed, angel, Series A
Check Size: Seed, angel
Location: Taipei
Website: ibmi.taiwan-healthcare.org
Why seed money is thin here
Few Taiwan funds focus on seed, so the pool of first cheques stays small. Founders often feel that scarcity at the very start of a raise.
Cross-border funds step in to fill the gap, with Japanese and US money flowing into local rounds. That foreign capital is now a core part of the seed market here.
The state also matches private cheques to stretch each round further. For more on the earliest backers, see our angel investors guide too.
Ellty lets you reach funds anywhere without scattering your files. Just share one virtual data room link and keep everything in a single place.
Working with cross-border funds
Many seed funds bridge from Japan or the US, and they look for global ambition rather than a local-only plan. Showing where you fit in a wider market goes a long way.
Pitch in English and frame the opportunity to think big from the start. Back it up with traction that reaches beyond Taiwan.
Sharing files across time zones has to stay safe and simple to manage. Use secure file sharing so every document moves without risk.
Ellty shows you exactly who opened your deck and when. Set tight access on each link with password protection for added control.
What seed funds check first
Seed funds dig deeper than angels and expect real data rather than just a story. They reward founders who can back every claim with a number.
Have your metrics and cap table ready before the first call, then keep updates flowing afterwards. Consistency here builds the trust that closes a round.
Send clean updates each month so momentum never goes quiet. Use investor relations tools to keep that rhythm steady.
Ellty shows you who actually reads your data room after each send. Try investor update software to keep every fund in the loop.
How to pitch a seed investor
Show real, early traction.
- 1.Show real, early traction.Numbers win the meeting before any narrative does. Lead with the few metrics that prove people already want what you built.
- 2.Explain your market and edge.Keep it short and clear so the size of the opportunity lands fast. Then say plainly why your team is the one to win it.
- 3.Name your raise and runway.State how much you are raising and how many months it buys. Tie every dollar of spend to the milestones it will unlock.
- 4.Send one Ellty link to your data.Share a single tracked link instead of scattered attachments. Then watch who digs in so you know exactly when to follow up.
How Ellty helps you land a seed investor in Taipei
You have your Taipei seed list ready. Set up a data room before the first call.
- 1.Upload your deck, metrics, and cap table.Set access per fund.
- 2.Share one trackable link per fund.Each fund gets a unique link.
- 3.Watch opens and reply on time.Use analytics to time each nudge.
Taipei seed investor questions
- A few local funds and the state. Cross-border funds join too.
- No, the pool is thin. First cheques are rare.
- Often US$100K to a few million. Cross-border funds write more.
- Yes, Japan and US funds do. They want global startups.
- Yes, the NDF co-invests. It matches private cheques.
- Before your first seed call. Track who opens your numbers.
