Cool Innovation Wins Grand Prize at 2024 Meet Neo Star Demo Show!

Amid fierce competition, Cool Innovation secured the top prize for its groundbreaking low-temperature, high-humidity preservation technology. The company also received the CDIB Capital Innovation Accelerator Special Award, earning a term sheet from the CDIB Capital Innovation Accelerator, cementing its position as one of the most promising startups of 2024.

Extending Freshness, Transforming the Future

Cool Innovation specializes in innovative cold chain technology that extends the shelf life of fresh produce far beyond traditional methods. Its groundbreaking approach, combining high humidity and low temperatures, enables leafy greens to remain fresh for 30 days, Shine Muscat grapes for 90 days, and chestnuts for six months—all while meeting the stringent quality standards of major retailers.

Dan Chang, COO of Cool Innovation, emphasized that this technology achieves shelf-life extensions of up to 10 times without the need for chemical treatments or special packaging. The company's preservation environments maintain over 90% humidity while keeping cardboard dry, allowing clients to retain their existing logistics and storage practices.

A Solution to Global Challenges

According to FAO data, over 63% of fruits and vegetables are wasted globally, resulting in economic losses exceeding $1 trillion annually. The carbon emissions generated throughout the production-to-retail process exacerbate this issue. Cool Innovation’s solution directly addresses these global challenges by improving preservation technology. This helps farmers reduce losses from natural disasters like typhoons, stabilize market prices, and minimize supply chain inefficiencies—all while creating new economic opportunities and driving local economic growth.

About Meet Neo Star

Meet Neo Star, hosted by Business Next Media and Meet Startup, has been a key indicator of Taiwan’s startup ecosystem since 2011. This year’s Demo Show featured a two-stage evaluation process, selecting 30 outstanding startups from 250 candidates and awarding the top three prizes.

In terms of energy efficiency, Cool Innovation’s cold storage units consume just 50% of the energy used by traditional refrigeration systems. This not only cuts electricity costs but also addresses modern society’s growing energy challenges.

Additionally, Cool Innovation’s technology significantly reduces food waste and enables businesses to adopt more sustainable logistics practices. By replacing air freight with ocean freight, the company can cut transportation costs by up to 80% and reduce CO2 emissions by 97%.

The technology has already achieved successful applications in Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and beyond.

From Taipei to the World: Building a New Cold Chain

At the Meet Neo Star Demo Show, Cool Innovation showcased its vision for the future of cold chain technology. COO Dan Chang shared, “Our goal is not just to extend the shelf life of food but to revolutionize the global fresh supply chain. We aim to deliver fresher, healthier food to everyone while dramatically reducing environmental impact.” The company is actively expanding into more countries, including Taiwan, India, the United States, the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.

Future Outlook: Technology for a Sustainable World

Cool Innovation’s success goes beyond technical achievements—it reflects a deep understanding of and solutions for pressing global issues. The company seeks to collaborate with private enterprises, governments, and social organizations to address food waste, environmental protection, and economic development challenges worldwide.

Winning the top prize at the Meet Neo Star Demo Show inspires Cool Innovation to continue setting new standards for cold chain technology globally

About CDIB Capital

CDIB Capital is Taiwan's leading equity investment company, specializing in direct investment and committed to supporting Taiwanese startups in expanding from the local market to the global stage. It actively fosters the development of an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem. In August 2024, CDIB Capital's subsidiary, CDIB Innovation Advisors, announced the launch of the "CDIB Cross-Border Innovation Fund" in partnership with Cool Japan Fund. This is the first overseas fund targeting the Northeast Asian market, with a scale of $75 million to $100 million. Participating entities include government funds from Taiwan and Japan (National Development Fund and Cool Japan Fund) and industry leaders such as Himax Technologies and Syscom Group.

(Pictured: Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, CDIB Innovation Accelerator Fund General Manager Kuo Ta-hing, Cool Japan Fund Senior Director Kenichi Sawaya, and Business Next Co-Founder and CEO Katie Chen)

Cool Innovation’s victory underscores the importance of environmental conservation, food waste reduction, and economic development. This achievement not only opens new possibilities for cold chain technology but also marks a fitting finale for Taiwan’s startup community in 2024.

By collaborating with other program participants and sharing expertise, we aim to champion Japanese innovation on the global stage while tackling the challenge of reducing food waste—a market opportunity exceeding ¥150 trillion annually. We are always on the lookout for like-minded partners and talent to help drive our mission forward.

Inquiries and Requests

Cool Innovation is seeking collaborative partners, academic institutions, government agencies, agricultural stakeholders, and food manufacturers to utilize, promote, and research our innovative solutions for maintaining the freshness of fruits and vegetables.

Our advanced technology not only addresses the global issue of food loss but also enables a shift from air transport to sea transport, significantly reducing costs and CO2 emissions.

With successful case studies in Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines, our technology, which guarantees reliable ROI through a subscription model, achieves 10 times* better freshness preservation compared to existing methods (*duration varies by product).

We would be delighted to work with you to reform the fresh produce supply chain and contribute to a more sustainable future.

For any questions or requests, please fill out all necessary details in the inquiry form and provide as much detail as possible about your needs. We will respond promptly and contact you regarding specific needs and solutions. Thank you.