The latest-generation cellular mobile communications, 5G, is just around the corner. The first phase of 5G spec is set to be completed in April this year, and the second phase will launch in April 2020. Telecommunications companies and technology providers stand to gain from the much-anticipated upgrade, which highlights faster data rates, reduced latency, better energy saving, cost reduction, higher system capacity, and better interconnectivity.

Taiwan’s Asia Pacific Telecom 5G Accelerator Programme — jointly developed by Asia Pacific Telecom and the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan — recently collaborated with e27 in recruiting startups at NUS Enterprise. APTG Accelerator selected the 15 most promising teams from more than 300 startups at home and abroad.

These teams passed several rounds of review to enter the final selection — all have demonstrated outstanding capabilities and exceptional potential. The selected teams will collaborate with Asia Pacific Telecom to co-develop the 5G market and find business opportunities worth tens of billions.

A fierce selection process whittled this down to 15 companies, aspiring to leverage 5G technology, as well as Big Data, Cloud, internet-of-things, and sensors, in disrupting and innovating in their respective spaces.

These teams were chosen for their potential in creating 5G applications in building systems, services, applications, and hardware integration.

Also read: e27 teams up with APTG to provide startup founders scholarships to attend e27 Academy

The APTG 5G Accelerator Programme cohort 2019 had its programme opening ceremony on February 14, 2019 , at the first floor at the Asia Pacific Telecom HQ, where the selected teams successfully showcased their winning applications and content for 5G innovation. Teams also had the opportunity to interact and inspire more ideas with media, partners, and investors from all over the world.

Here are 7 of the 15 companies that had the opportunity to showcase their technologies:

1. Hyper Immersion Technology Taiwan Co. Ltd.

Hyper Immersion Technology Taiwan Co. Ltd. was founded in 2014 by a group of entrepreneurs with great enthusiasm for stereoscopic 3D imaging and virtual reality images. Formerly known as the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Electronics and Optoelectronics Research Labs. The team consistently develops 3D related techniques, and it is targeting to make virtual reality (VR) and interactive technology widely available for individual and family use.

Hyper Immersion Technology focuses on VR 360 panoramic video production technology and provides exclusive VR Live streaming services. Highlights include:

  • Real-time stitching: Proprietary VR360 real-time stitching software stitches multiple cameras to make VR360 video streaming.

  • High performance algorithm: Optimises stitching resolution up to 8K 30 fps to meet the needs of real-time VR live streaming.

  • Extremely high quality: A VR 360 capturing system consists of multiple digital mirrorless camera with higher resolution, sensitivity and sharpness is suitable for various applications.

2. Cheng Jie Technology Co., Ltd.

This smart education company was founded by parents with preschool children, and it has invented the “Witspal Smart Pen” and “Witspal Smart Case”, which are devices that link up via IoT in helping address nearsightedness among children, by combining computer vision with speech.

The company’s project has won three prizes, including a second-place finish in the Seventh Information Service and Innovation Competition across the Taiwan Straits.

3. InnovArt Design

This LA- and Taiwan-based design startup that integrates design, technology, business, and user experience, with focus on creating innovative products that greatly compliment the user’s lifestyle. The company believes that technology is an extension of a user’s personality, and this can be enhanced through better mobility.

Its product, CarWink is a highly interactive internet-on-vehicle (IoV) consumer electronic gadget, which InnovArt Design expects to reduce road rage, improve communication between vehicles, reduce cable mess and personalise vehicle styles.

The aim is to help improving traffic conditions and enhance business behavior prediction through back-end data analytics, with the aim of leveraging AI toward a mature automotive industry.

4. OSENSE

This startup leverages image processing, computer vision, artificial intelligence, indoor positioning and navigation, and augmented reality, in producing vision-based smart solutions and services. The technology-driven team has its core strength in computer vision and artificial intelligence. The latest product gives a computer “eyes” to understand physical space in order to solve tasks with smart solutions in various industries.

OSENSE’s world leading indoor positioning technology, VBIP, is a fusion of spatial recognition and magnetic filtering to create an easy-to-use, compact and reasonably priced indoor positioning and navigation solution.

With the support of AI and cloud computing, VBIP can quickly identify and recognise space, providing indoor positioning and navigation for the environment with no GPS signals. Furthermore, VBIP does not require Bluetooth beaconing or Wi-Fi devices to provide a plethora of innovative applications and smart services via the AR user interface.

VBIP has been awarded with multiple international patents. The fusion of technologies can effectively enhance the strength and reduce the limits of indoor positioning, dramatically increasing the accuracy and effectiveness of positioning and navigation. VBIP can be quickly deployed with minimum hardware requirements (in terms of installation costs and operating requirements).

Also read: 5G Technology: how Taiwan’s APTG Accelerator Programme is approaching the future of tech

5. GranDen Corp.

GranDen devotes to integrate VR, AR, and MR technologies into entertaining interactive services. A global team from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, and with averagely more than seven-year experience in game development, GranDen focuses on the O2O space in pioneering “XR” or “Extended Reality” which refers to all real-and-virtual combined environments and human-machine interactions generated by computer technology and wearables.

Currently, GranDen’s services includes the VR music game I’m ready to Fly, and AR and location-based-services social mobile game AliGala, a go-and-play casual game that lets players interact with augmented reality, location, and O2O marketing.

AliGala’s first cooperation with the Bravo Bear Mascot from Taipei City Government enables users to collect items via mobile phone’s AR camera and exchange for practical Bravo Bear dolls. In only one month, the event generated an expected US$650,000 in Taipei 101 and other 14 department stores and 4 shopping districts.

In the future, AliGala will cooperate with the largest video marketing company to offer precision marketing and big data as B2B solutions.

The company is in cooperation with Shin Kong Bank, Taipei 101, and the Museum of Archaeology in delivering content, and also plans to expand into Japan and Hong Kong markets.

6. AccuPai

AccuPai enhances visual imagery with instant, high-quality photos and watermarks, which enables businesses to build strong brand images across online communities.

The service allows real-time cloud uploading and photo editing, which works best in events. Users can simply scan a QR code, and the startup’s editing and quality assurance platform uploads images to an event album within five minutes. AI aids in facial recognition to automatically tag users during events.

7. igloohome

igloohome smart locks and smart lockboxes allow home and property owners to grant access to visitors remotely, with time-sensitive PIN codes and Bluetooth keys. Headquartered in Singapore, the 60- strong team has its offices around Asia, USA, Europe and India.

igloohome’s products have been rolled out to over 90 countries with over 50 distributors globally, and these have been featured in numerous publications, which include The Wall Street Journal, Channel NewsAsia, The Business Times, The Huffington Post, and GQ.

igloohome products are designed to provide 24 hour access, even when the home or property owner is away. They work with the igloohome mobile app, which allows access for guests to be granted remotely via PIN codes or Bluetooth keys.

The ability to work offline makes igloohome products suitable for properties with weak or no Wi-Fi and negates the risk of Wi-Fi hacking. The technology behind it is similar to that of an Internet banking token, which involves cryptography and synchronisation.

APTG 5G Accelerator Programme’s opening ceremony hosted potential partners and investors, where they met with these promising startups, media, potential partners, and other investors.

You can find more information about the APTG 5G Accelerator Programme, as well as investment opportunities, roadshows, recruitment events, and partnerships.