Hualien’s Startup Competes in Venture Café’s ‘World Cup of Innovation’ in Tokyo
MIT REAP Team Hualien is proud to announce that Earthling Biomed, a trailblazing deep-tech startup from our ecosystem, has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious Pitch2Tokyo 2026 competition on 19 February 2026.
Serving as the centerpiece of Venture Café Global Gathering—the annual flagship event of Venture Café Global Institute—Pitch2Tokyo is akin to a World Cup of Innovation, bringing together innovative deep-tech startups from around the world.
Earthling Biomed—led at the Grand Final by CTO Bianca Wang—will travel to Tokyo as the sole finalist from Taiwan to compete against 17 other high-potential startups from global innovation hubs including Boston, Warsaw, London, and Berlin.
Earthling Biomed is a Hualien-based biotech platform dedicated to “connecting the soil to the clinic”. Led by a team of Ph.D. scientists, the company operates the first GMP-certified medical device factory in Hualien. Leveraging the region’s status as a leader in organic, non-toxic crops, the company functions as a white-label biotech platform bridging local farms to global healthcare markets. Their portfolio includes EARTHLING functional supplements and the TO:GETHER companion animal care line.
MIT REAP Team Hualien: Partnering for Global Innovation
The MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (REAP) is a global initiative that engages communities around the world to strengthen their innovation-driven entrepreneurial (IDE) ecosystems. Hualien County, Taiwan, a participant of MIT REAP Cohort 11, has engaged core stakeholders including the Hualien County Government, Hualien County Farmer’s Association (HLFA), Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, National Dong Hwa University, Digital Transformation Association (DTA), Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), and Forte Hotel Group.
The Global Gathering in Tokyo
Hosted at Toranomon Hills Forum and CIC Tokyo, and made possible by the support of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Global Gathering is designed to break down silos between entrepreneurs and established industries. The Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final will take place on the main stage, where Bianca Wang will pitch to a distinguished panel of international judges.
This milestone highlights a flourishing strategic collaboration between MIT REAP Team Hualien and Venture Café Global Institute, the world’s leading innovation ecosystem activator. MIT REAP Team Hualien is a proud partner of the event, supported by DTA and Hualien County Government, playing a pivotal role in ensuring Taiwanese innovation is part of this global conversation.
A Bridge from Taiwan to the Global Stage
Under the MIT REAP program, Team Hualien developed the strategy “Farm to Health and Wellbeing” to foster innovation-driven entrepreneurship. “We are thrilled that a Hualien startup, Earthling Biomed has been chosen in Taiwan’s regional competition, to showcase their solution to safeguard the health of the environment, community, and people in the Global Gathering 2026,” said Dr. Samantha Huang, Co-champion of MIT REAP Team Hualien and Secretary-General of DTA.
Dr. Huang celebrated the regional partnership that mentored Earthling Biomed, highlighting the industry guidance from the DTA and HLFA, which was expertly complemented by the Hualien Venture Studio (hvs) preparation office supported by Forte Hotel Group. Benjamin Liao, Chairman of Forte Hotel Group, will lead the core team to Tokyo to seek deeper collaboration. “Seeing Hualien represented alongside the world’s biggest tech hubs is a testament to the potentials of the local innovation ecosystem,” Liao noted.
Connecting Innovators to Make Things Happen
Founded in 2009, Venture Café is an international innovation activator on a mission to build thriving ecosystems with local roots and global reach. Through its signature Thursday Gatherings and other tailored local programming, Venture Café connects around 100,000 startup founders, investors, researchers, and other innovators annually across cities worldwide. Its mission is simple: connecting innovators to make things happen.
“In a world dominated by digital connections, the real magic still happens when people meet in person, especially when they do so regularly. That’s what Venture Café is all about,” said Tim Rowe, Founder and Chair of Venture Café Global Institute.
How to Support
We invite our entire community to support Earthling Biomed and Bianca Wang as they represent Taiwan on the stage in Tokyo. The event is open to all and free to attend.
Event Details
Date: February 19, 2026
Location: Toranomon Hills Forum & CIC Tokyo
Registration: https://venturecafeglobal.org/global-gathering-2026/
View all the Pitch2Tokyo 2026 Finalists: https://venturecafeglobal.org/global-gathering-2026/pitch2tokyo-2026-finalists/
