A new force has joined Taiwan’s vaccine national team. TaiU Biotech, a startup spun off from the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI), announced yesterday (July 31) that it has successfully closed a NT$60 million seed funding round with support from Mosaic Venture Lab. The round was led by the Mosaic Seed Fund, and with assistance from the Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Association, TaiU also secured co-investment from the National Development Fund.
Dr. Min-Shi Lee, Founder and CEO of TaiU Biotech and Researcher at NHRI, shared that the company is advancing two major product pipelines. Its lead product, a bivalent enterovirus vaccine, has already made headway in market expansion, having initiated joint venture discussions with Vietnam’s largest pharmacy chain, vaccine administration centers, and a CDMO. The second key pipeline, a seasonal influenza virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine, has garnered international attention due to its ability to rapidly adapt to viral mutations through VLP technology.
TaiU Biotech is also making significant strides in industry collaboration. Dr. Lee revealed that the potential of the influenza vaccine has already attracted proactive interest from global pharmaceutical companies, who are closely monitoring its development. TaiU has also signed memoranda of understanding with domestic biotech firms specializing in adjuvants, aiming to combine strong antigen and adjuvant platforms to accelerate product development and enter the global vaccine market, estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
Dr. Ho Mei-Shang, Chairperson of the Taiwan Vaccine Industry Association (TAVI) and Adjunct Research Fellow at Academia Sinica, emphasized: “The VLP platform can shorten development timelines, and its high safety and efficacy make it the next-generation vaccine trend. It provides a solid foundation for Taiwan to address emerging infectious disease challenges.”
Professor Wu-Shou Chang, a former Control Yuan member who led investigations into four major vaccine cases, also commented: “TaiU Biotech exemplifies the successful linkage between Taiwan’s ‘R&D national team’ and ‘industrial national team’. It showcases how Taiwan is building an internationally competitive biomedical industry chain and represents a major step forward in strengthening the nation’s public health capabilities.” Both Dr. Ho and Prof. Chang currently serve as advisors to TaiU Biotech.
Johnny Yu, Vice Chairperson of TAVI and Managing Partner at Mosaic Venture Lab, added, “Taiwan needs more innovative companies like TaiU with flexible business models that prioritize collaboration over competition, to close critical gaps in the vaccine value chain—from research and development to mass production.”
The funds raised in this round will be used to complete preclinical studies. TaiU aims to file for a new drug clinical trial application in 2026 and seeks to list on the Taiwan OTC Emerging Stock Board in 2028, striving to become a shining star of Taiwan’s vaccine national team.
Resource: 疫苗國家隊新戰力：國衛院技轉「台宇生醫」完成6千萬種子輪募資 宇斻種子基金領投
