Taiwan-based announced on Tuesday it received FDA clearance for its Kinguide Robotic-Assisted Surgical System, a handheld robot that can be used in orthopedic surgeries. 

The system creates 2D and 3D models of the anatomy and pinpoints where there needs to be a drill point. The robot acts like a “hand” for the surgeon to attach different surgical tools to and use for different procedures. It also balances shaky hands and guides the surgeon to make precise drills into the bone and add screws, making the process as minimally invasive as possible. 

Point Robotics’ watershed FDA clearance is a large badge for Taiwan’s small health care and biotech industry. Funding in the space saw a 176.6% increase between 2019 and 2020, according to Crunchbase data, and went to only nine startups.

The next step for Point Robotics is to apply the surgical system to other types of spinal procedures like herniated disc decompression. It will also start pursuing approval in Europe and China.

The 6-year-old company raised $18 million in Series A funding in 2020 from , and through government-assisted funding. In January it raised an undisclosed sum of funding. 

The rise of orthopedic surgery

SpineAssist, the first spine robot, received FDA approval in 2004 with its ability to improve accuracy and decrease complications and recovery time. Precision is of utmost necessity in the spine to prevent long-term spinal problems or permanent damage to the spine, which could affect mobility or sensory experience. 

However, medical technology in orthopedic surgery is a massive upfront cost for hospitals and clinicians, and requires surgeons to train with the technology.

, an Israel-based company that owns a robotic guidance platform, was acquired by in 2018. , another orthopedic-focused robotics company, was acquired by in 2013 and has expanded its product line to assist in knee and hip surgeries.

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Taiwan, in particular, is embracing this wave as investors continue to bet big on the region’s potential. Since the 1980s, technology has driven the economy in Taiwan and transformed the island into one of the world’s leading manufacturing hubs. The island’s geographic location helped it to establish partnerships between both developed Western economies and emerging markets in Asia. Today, Taiwanese citizens are well-known for being first adopters of the latest technologies and solutions.

According to Export.gov, more than percent of Taiwan citizens are connected to the Internet and more than per percent access the Internet using a smartphone device, making it one of the most connected consumer bases in the world. What’s more, a significant portion of the population is now shopping on mobile devices. Currently, of all online transactions are mobile-based in Taiwan, and that number is expected to reach by 2022.

Though Taiwan’s population of 23.5 million is small compared to other markets in the region, consumer habits and market openness make it a relatively easy market to navigate. For software companies, Taiwan provides an attractive market to test consumer acceptance of new services. in Taiwan rank among the top in the world, is well-established, and the cultural similarities to China make for good testing grounds to launch and experiment with new ideas before moving into larger markets.

For hardware companies, Taiwan provides a number of uniquely competitive engineering and manufacturing resources due to its reliance on hardware as a primary source of economic growth since the 1980s. Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics, Pegatron, Wistron and Inventec, all located in Taiwan, still produce more than of the laptops sold worldwide, including those sold under the names of top brands such as Dell and Apple.

Strong Tech Talent

Taiwan’s workforce is well-educated and technologically literate. Universities in Taiwan graduate approximately computer scientists and information systems management students per year, making it particularly easy to find and hire high-quality engineering talent. Technology salaries are also lower compared to other hubs in the region, like China, where there can be fierce battles for talent. In Taiwan, wages for new graduates can start around US$1,084 per month, according to one report cited.

Workers in Taiwan have a reputation for being reliable and trustworthy, and most Taiwanese development teams can speak English and/or Mandarin Chinese. Many Taiwanese engineering teams (approximately) also have a few years of startup experience under their belt, all of which can be incredibly advantageous for technology companies looking to outsource projects or establishing partnerships with local teams.

Global tech giants, such as, have all set their sights on Taiwan. For instance, is planning to hire more than 300 people in Taiwan this year and train 5,000 students in artificial intelligence, according to a company blog post. Alibaba also committed approximately to create its that helps entrepreneurs take their ventures global and attract more global enterprises to the island.

Growing Support From The Government

The Taiwanese government is doing more to develop and support entrepreneurship and new technology companies through several initiatives. In 2017, the government earmarked for a new startup fund, which included tax credits, setting aside land for technology companies, and new laws to encourage foreign talent to come to Taiwan.

Foreign entrepreneurs can apply for the and an, both of which are helping to move the island away from strict immigration policies and attract more international talent. Qualified companies can receive for a team of up to three people for one year, which is extendable for an additional two more years provided the business is doing well. The is another government initiative that offers tax benefits, healthcare, and other perks to skilled foreign talent.

In an effort to cultivate other technology strengths beyond hardware and manufacturing, parliament also approved a new fintech regulatory in 2017. The legislation aims to help fintech startups develop their ideas while avoiding some of the strict regulations that more established financial services firms face. While Taiwanese innovation in financial services trails behind other in the region, such as Hong Kong and Seoul, the passing of the law removes many barriers for entrepreneurs to develop their ideas and to work with other financial firms.

The government is also pushing for Taiwan to become an epicenter for, and one strategy being used to achieve this goal is open data. The allows anyone to access government data across 27,000 categories, ranging from property registration to air quality information. Providing access to this data enables AI and IoT companies in Taiwan to create new applications faster and with greater accuracy.

Amazon was among the first to open an in New Taipei City in Spring 2018 to develop smart appliances and wearable devices. By introducing more IoT devices, Amazon hopes to drive more customers to its cloud-based AWS services. announced an AI research and development center in Taipei in 2018 with plans to hire at least 200 engineers over the next five years. Increased interest in Taiwan is also coming from and, both of which announced local AI research and development centers as well.

Global Startup Resources

Beyond the government-backed initiatives, there are numerous other programs on the ground helping foreign technology companies learn more about Taiwan and establish local connections. World-class accelerator and incubator programs – such as,,, and – all offer resources and mentorship to both domestic and foreign tech teams that are interested in setting up offices in Taiwan.

Additionally, programs such as,, and the help foreign entrepreneurs strengthen their ties with local communities and provide guidance for Taiwanese startups looking to expand globally.

A Future Filled With Possibilities

Taiwanese entrepreneurs still face a number of challenges when it comes to raising venture capital and global awareness. However, the government and an increasingly active startup ecosystem are making it easier to scale within and outside of Taiwan, as well as diversifying Taiwan’s technology sector and pushing it beyond its hardware and manufacturing roots. By combining its existing strengths in hardware and manufacturing with the latest technological advancements, Taiwan is on the path to attracting and keeping more talent, growing investments, and maintaining its innovative-based economy.

is a Partner at, an early-stage venture capital firm with a focus on global technology strategies in North America and Asia. Chih-Kai is an advisor for the Ministry of Science of Taiwan, has raised six venture funds, and has vast experience in building technologies and working with established multinational technology corporations.

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One great thing about the current IPO cycle is that there are more IPOs than before. One bad thing about the current IPO cycle is that we sometimes miss one. Such is the case with .

The Taiwan-based firm , indicating a potential $115 million raise and a complex corporate structure. However, we’ll skip the latter as it seems to be mostly immaterial given how the company intends to operate post-IPO.

So, what do you need to know about M17’s potential flotation? A few things:

• The company claims to “operate the largest live streaming platform by revenue in developed Asia with a market share of 19.2% in the first quarter of 2018.” That business gives M17 33.3 million registered users as of the end of Q1’18, and 1.0 million “average monthly active users” in the same quarter.
• So the huge majority of its registered users are inactive. The firm also operates a dating service in addition to its live streaming product.
• M17’s revenue growth is impressive. In the first quarter of 2017, the company’s revenue came to $11.8 million. In the first quarter of 2018, that figure grew to $37.9 million.
• However, the company’s gross margins aren’t wild by modern standards, generating just $1.1 million in gross profit in the first quarter of 2017, and $10.5 million in gross profit during the first quarter of 2018.
• As you can expect, the firm lost buckets off those results, including $17.5 million in Q1’17 and $26.9 million in Q1’18.

That’s the high-level stuff. It gets slightly weird from here.

It appears that M17’s revenue generation is extremely concentrated. I can’t find another way to read the following passage. After stating in a preceding note that live streaming drives 91.4 percent of its revenue, M17 stated the following:

We have a large and growing base of users. However, only a limited number of users contribute a significant portion of our revenues. For example, our top 10, 100 and 500 users accounted for approximately 11.8%, 29.2% and 47.9% of our total revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2018, respectively, a decrease from 19.0%, 41.3% and 61.8% in the three months ended December 31, 2017.

So M17 is growing quickly with heavy, heavy losses off a subset of big-spending users. This company simply feels a bit too nascent to go public.

That’s up to investors, however. We’ll see. More if it prices.

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