The annual “Taiwan Tech Youth Entrepreneurship Star” competition, organized by the Taiwan Tech Distinguished Alumni Association, recently announced its winners. “Bolin Smart Control” stood out among the contestants, earning the Outstanding Team Award and receiving a NT$1 million startup grant from the association.

“Bolin Smart Control” wins Taiwan Tech Youth Entrepreneurship Star Award, Earns NT$1 Million Startup Grant.

The Bolin Smart Control team was co-founded by Taiwanese second-year master’s student Chun-Yi Shih and two Indonesian partners, Ikhwan Iqbal and Aldi Permana. Their product, Boring AI, is an AI-driven automation platform that helps businesses quickly identify potential clients, candidates, and partners.

The Bolin Smart Control team was co-founded by Taiwanese second-year master’s student Chun-Yi Shih and two Indonesian partners, Ikhwan Iqbal and Aldi Permana. Pictured: Taiwanese team leader Chun-Yi Shih.

Chun-Yi Shih explained that the core value of their product lies in automating the tedious and time-consuming process of searching and filtering contact lists, allowing professionals to focus on more strategic B2B engagement. He gave an example: “If a design company suddenly needs to find overseas manufacturing partners, it’s often hard to know where to start. In such cases, Boring AI can quickly generate accurate leads, saving a great deal of time and manpower.”

Speaking about the motivation behind the startup, Shih noted that whether in business development or talent hunting, the process often feels like “finding a needle in a haystack.” The team therefore set out to use AI technology to address this “most boring yet most crucial” pain point. He also shared that, unlike many other startup competitions, the Taiwan Tech Youth Entrepreneurship Star Selection is judged by alumni who are corporate chairpersons, focusing more on a founder’s long-term vision and personal qualities rather than just execution details.

At the award ceremony, Taiwan Tech President Jia-Yush Yen remarked that entrepreneurship requires courage and the determination to face failure. He acknowledged that many Taiwan Tech alumni have achieved entrepreneurial success and serve as valuable role models. The university, he added, will continue to be a strong supporter - providing resources and platforms to empower young entrepreneurs.

Taiwan Tech President Jia-Yush Yen (left) presents a certificate of appreciation to the Taiwan Tech Distinguished Alumni Association, accepted by its president Hung-Yi Chen (right).

Hung-Yi Chen, President of the Taiwan Tech  Distinguished Alumni Association, remarked, “Although only one team received the NT$1 million grant, entrepreneurship is like a marathon - the one who leads the first lap isn’t necessarily the final winner. As long as you work diligently and stay grounded, more senior alumni will be willing to offer support and resources.” He expressed hope that alumni and students can work together to build a more impactful entrepreneurial ecosystem, give back to their alma mater, and carry forward the spirit of youth innovation.

Judges from the Taiwan Tech Distinguished Alumni Association attentively listen to the team’s product presentation.

It is worth noting that, in addition to awarding the Outstanding Team “Bolin Smart Control” with a NT$1 million startup fund, the Taiwan Tech Distinguished Alumni Association also provided a total of NT$250,000 in entrepreneurial incentives to the ten teams that advanced to the semi-final and final rounds - encouraging more students to pursue hands-on startup experiences. Now in its fourth year, the Taiwan Tech Youth Entrepreneurship Star Selection began with 28 shortlisted teams, underwent 31 rounds of startup mentoring and multiple professional training sessions, and ultimately selected the winning team. The dedication and guidance of distinguished alumni and industry mentors played a key role throughout the process.

Group photo of the Bolin Smart Control founding team. Top left: Taiwanese team leader Chun-Yi Shih; bottom left: Chief Technology Officer Aldi Permana; bottom right: Indonesian team leader Ikhwan Iqbal.