Taiwan Gives $30K Grants to Global Health Innovators

Winston Yang left a comfortable career at Deutsche Bank and Deloitte because he couldn't stop thinking about how athletes get injured. He'd watched it happen over and over: shoulders compensating for subtle weaknesses, throwing motions shifting by millimeters each week, until suddenly a career-ending injury arrived without warning.

The technology to catch these problems early already existed in 2017 when Yang founded IdeasLab Inc. The catch? It lived in expensive labs that only elite sports programs could afford.

Yang built XView AI to change that equation. His system reads human body mechanics in real time using nothing more than a smartphone video. No sensors, no markers, no lab equipment required. Point a phone at a pitcher mid-throw, and the AI maps joint mechanics and flags stress points before they become injuries.

The proof came from an unexpected source. Golf legend KJ Choi's son filmed his father's swing and ran it through the app without telling him. The AI caught a flaw Choi himself hadn't noticed. One month after fixing it, the 54-year-old became the oldest Asian-born golfer to win a PGA tournament.

Last December, Yang won the Taiwan Excellence "Go Healthy with Taiwan" competition. His Smartedge Baseball system, which pairs his AI with Taiwanese smart sensors and apparel, took home $30,000 as one of three winners selected from 638 proposals across 55 countries.

Taiwan Excellence launched the competition to connect global health innovators with Taiwanese technology partners. The program offers more than prize money: winners receive mentorship and a sponsored trip to Taiwan to develop their solutions.

The Ripple Effect

The competition reflects Taiwan's broader vision to become a global health solutions hub. Director General William Liu of TITA says "Healthy Taiwan" is a key government policy aimed at making Taiwan the world's preferred partner for health innovation.

Applications for the 2026 challenge are now open through August 5, 2026. Health and wellness innovators from any country, including India, can apply. The program seeks proposals that combine innovative thinking with Taiwanese manufacturing and technology strengths.

Yang's win proves the model works. His partnership with Taiwan began in 2021 through the National Taiwan University of Sport and grew from there. The competition gave him access to hardware manufacturers who could turn his software into an affordable system that school coaches can actually use.

Now coaches anywhere can access analysis that used to require a fortune and a team of specialists.