Dragons’ Chamber is Taiwan’s only startup pitch competition built for immigrant entrepreneurs. Held annually since 2016, it connects immigrant-founded startups with mentors, investors and Taiwan’s startup ecosystem.
On the evening of October 14, 2026, Dragons’ Chamber announced its 2026 finalists. Selected from 37 applicant teams after multiple rounds of review, the Final Five will pitch their business models to potential investors on the stage during Meet Taipei, one of Asia’s largest startup events, on November 21.
Enspyre 安石國際 is proud to continue as a co-organizer and sponsor of Dragons’ Chamber as the competition enters its 11th year. Enspyre 安石國際 is a B2B Lead Generation agency that helps both startups and multinationals reach B2B prospects and qualified leads in Taiwan, with services covering B2B lead generation, sales development and cold-outreach.
The 2026 Dragons’ Chamber Final Five
- Kraut Taiwan: naturally fermented foods, crafted in Taiwan (https://kraut.tw/)
- HerbalQi: innovation in traditional medicine (https://herbalqisystems.com/)
- Nairobi: photonic light technology (https://www.nairobilighting.com/)
- ETO (Easy Taiwan Online): housing and real-estate software (https://www.eto.tw/)
- Ridefair: logistics software for delivery fleets (https://ridefair.ai/)
Spanning food, health, property services, and logistics software, the five teams reflect the diversity of businesses that immigrant founders are building in Taiwan.
Immigrant Entrepreneurs: A Key Driver of Startups and Business Economy
Why should we support immigrant entrepreneurs? Let’s look at the US for inspiration.
According to a 2026 study by the National Foundation for American Policy（NFAP）, as of April 2026, about 59% (455) of America’s 775 privately held Unicorn* companies were founded or cofounded by immigrants, up from 55% in NFAP’s 2018 report. These 455 companies are collectively valued at about US$5 trillion. The same study found that:
- About two-thirds (66%) of U.S. unicorns were founded or cofounded by immigrants or the children of immigrants.
- Nearly 80% of U.S. unicorns have an immigrant founder, or an immigrant in a key leadership role such as CEO or vice president of engineering.
- About one in four (24%) U.S. unicorns has a founder who came to the United States as an international student.
These figures come from the United States, but the lesson applies to Taiwan as well: when a market lets entrepreneurs from different backgrounds settle, get noticed, and get funded, it can create new businesses, jobs, and value.
Unicorn: a privately held startup valued at US$1 billion or more that has received venture capital financing and is not listed on a stock exchange Uber, Palantir, Cloudflare, and Zoom were all unicorns before going public. (NFAP’s definition, based on CB Insights’ list of U.S. unicorns).
Enspyre Keeps Building a Stage for Immigrant Founders
Enspyre has long helped startups and companies expand. It continues to sponsor Dragons’ Chamber for three reasons:
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Putting immigrant founders’ potential in front of investors.
Immigrant founders often start businesses with a global perspective and experience from different industries, making them an important source of growth in the startup ecosystem. Through Dragons’ Chamber, Enspyre encourages immigrant entrepreneurs and to put them directly in front of investors and local partners.
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Promoting business exchange between Taiwan and the world.
Founders from different backgrounds bring different business mindsets and ways of working, along with international networks and experience, injecting fresh stimulus and new possibilities into the Taiwan market.
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Keeping outstanding global talent in Taiwan.
Research shows that many successful companies were founded by people who first entered their market as international students or foreign talent. When foreign founders and talent can find resources, networks, and a stage in Taiwan, they are more likely to put down roots and keep growing here.
“Immigrant and foreign entrepreneurs are not just participants in the startup ecosystem. They are an important force that creates new businesses, new jobs, and new value. We support Dragons’ Chamber because we want more founders from different cultural backgrounds to be seen and supported in Taiwan, and we want more international talent to stay and grow with Taiwan. Congratulations to the five finalists. We look forward to seeing your performance on the Meet Taipei finals stage.”
— Elias Ek, CEO, Enspyre
Over 11 years, Dragons’ Chamber has already helped 50 immigrant-founded startups get in front of investors, and most are still operating today. This year’s Final Five will follow them onto the main stage of Meet Taipei.
Elias Ek, one of Enspyre’s founders, is also set to release a new edition of his book “How to Start a Business in Taiwan” at the end of the year, drawing on more than 26 years of observations and experience on starting a business in Taiwan.
Working With the Startup Ecosystem to Connect Taiwan and the World
Enspyre has previously worked with startup and industry partners including Startup Island TAIWAN, the Taipei Computer Association (TCA), TAcc+, the 2026 Smart City Summit & Expo (SCSE), and InnoVEX, to help connect Taiwan’s startup resources with the world. On the night the finalists were announced, community partners including Sparkslab, Smart Capital, Starfab, and the Talent Taiwan came to show their support and cheer on the finalists.
We invite you to join us at the Taipei Expo Park (Yuanshan) from November 19 to 21 to experience the energy and business potential of Taiwanese and international startups. The finals will take place on November 21!
Special Thanks
Enspyre thanks all participating entrepreneurs, the Dragons’ Chamber judges, and the partners who supported this year’s selection process:
Media partners: Business Next (數位時代), ICRT
Sponsors: Taiwan Impact Entrepreneurs (TIE, 台灣創業家聚會社團), True Development (Communication and presentation coaching), Geber (Brand consultancy), Sophistec Global (Video production team), iunctio (Semiconductor business development consultancy)
Venue partner: Day 1 Workspace (Co-working space)
Event Details
Event: Dragons’ Chamber 2026 Grand Finals
Date: November 21, 2026
Venue: Meet Taipei, Taipei Expo Park (Yuanshan)
More information: dragonschambertaiwan.com
