In a room packed with young entrepreneurs, ASUS Co-CEO S.Y. Hsu shared ASUS’s journey “from 4 to 15,000.” He was invited by NTUTEC, a platform that focuses on accelerator/incubator programs, to give a keynote speech at their event.
S.Y. used the story of ASUS to encourage the audience. ASUS was founded in 1989 by 4 engineers who were passionate about technology and innovation. From there, ASUS has grown into a global business with 15,000 employees worldwide. Many Silicon Valley tech companies were founded in a garage or some other humble place. The story of ASUS began at a café in Taipei. “With passion and a good idea, you can start a business from anywhere,” said S.Y.
In fact, the speech was just part of the collaboration between ASUS and NTUTEC to recruit startups. Through the joint campaign, ASUS invites startups to work with the company to drive innovations in green tech, EV-related applications, and gaming experience. The ASUS Co-CEO even put himself in front of the camera for a recruitment video.
The collaboration with NTUTEC is not the company’s only effort to support entrepreneurship. In early November, ASUS sponsored X-Pitch, one of the largest startup pitch competitions in Asia. ASUS Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Alan Hsieh joined the stage with executives from other companies at X-Pitch Summit to reimagine the post-pandemic world with smart solutions.
X-Pitch is known for choosing “extreme” locations to hold its pitch competition, such as the elevators of a skyscraper (not for the faint-hearted) or a moving autonomous vehicle. This year, the grand finale of the contest moved to the virtual world and took place in the metaverse. Coincidentally, ASUS recently entered the Web3 world with the establishment of a subsidiary company, ASUS Metaverse, in October.
ASUS Metaverse is the latest addition to ASUS’s growing and diverse business. In 2018, the company embarked on a journey of continuous transformation. Since then, ASUS has ventured into many new territories, driving innovations in software, cloud computing, AIoT solutions, and blockchain. A dedicated office—the Innovation Development Office (IDO) — was established in 2019 and spearheaded by the CTO to devise the company’s innovation strategy.
It is IDO that made the collaboration with NTUTEC happen, among many other partnerships with universities and startups. “ASUS has long been a champion of innovation and entrepreneurship. We’re seeking like-minded partners to accelerate innovation, while at the same time IDO is also driving innovation from within,” said S.Y. Hsu, ASUS Co-CEO, in his speech at the NTUTEC event.
For startups, the road from ideas to market can be a winding one and full of challenges. “When we invite startups to work with us, ASUS tries to smooth out the bumps for them. And, at the same time, we can benefit from the energy and innovativeness of these young entrepreneurs,” added S.Y., “This is a win-win situation for both sides.”
About ASUS
ASUS is a global technology leader that provides the world’s most innovative and intuitive devices, components, and solutions to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. With its team of 5,000 in-house R&D experts, the company is world-renowned for continuously reimagining today’s technologies. Consistently ranked as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, ASUS is also committed to sustaining an incredible future. The goal is to create a net zero enterprise that helps drive the shift towards a circular economy, with a responsible supply chain creating shared value for every one of us.
