PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Taiwan is taking its Physical AI ambitions to Silicon Valley, bringing semiconductor companies and AI startups together with U.S. technology leaders to explore how AI can move from models and simulations into factories, machines and other real-world environments.

Held around Taiwan Tech Week, the “Silicon to Steel: A Physical AI Stack Mixer” brought Taiwanese companies into conversation with leaders from Phison Electronics and Applied Materials. Co-hosted by Startup Island TAIWAN – Silicon Valley Hub and SparkLabs Taiwan, the event featured startups working across memory, semiconductor security, simulation, AI agents and enterprise AI.

Uly Su, Director and Head of Startup Island TAIWAN – Silicon Valley Hub, moderated the first fireside discussion, while SparkLabs Taiwan Founder and Managing Partner Edgar Chiu moderated the second.

“Most importantly, what does Physical AI mean and how can we turn that technology into something to be commercialized?” Chiu said.

Five Taiwanese startups, JMEMTEK, NeuroShine, metAI, MORALE AI and APMIC, participated in the discussions.

Building the Physical AI stack

The first discussion focused on the infrastructure required as AI moves beyond software.

Daniel Lin, AVP of AI Ecosystem & GTM at Phison Electronics, said AI is pushing the company beyond its traditional hardware role. “Phison is moving from silicon to system, to a total solution provider,” he said, pointing to memory as a growing bottleneck for AI workloads.

Security and data control are also becoming critical as AI enters physical and mission-critical environments. JMEMTEK Founder and CEO John Chang highlighted semiconductor security and post-quantum cryptography, while NeuroShine Business Development Head Sharon Ko emphasized the importance of protecting enterprise data.

The second discussion examined the transition from simulation to the factory floor.

Daniel Wu, Co-Founder and CEO of metAI, said the company is working with TSMC to automate the creation of digital twins, reducing the time required to build detailed factory simulations.

But simulation has limits. Colette Wu, Chief of Staff at Applied Materials, said manufacturers still need real-world experimentation because existing data cannot always predict what happens at the technological frontier.

For startups, she added, strong technology alone is not enough. Companies need a clearly validated problem, an internal sponsor and an economic case for deployment.

Making AI work for manufacturers

MORALE AI Co-Founder and CEO Phil Kao said startups need to speak the language of manufacturing, demonstrating impact through metrics such as production efficiency, quality, downtime and overall equipment effectiveness rather than model accuracy alone.

APMIC CMO and U.S. General Manager Ian Chen highlighted another challenge: navigating the internal decision-making structures of large enterprises.

The conversations also underscored the importance of local networks for Taiwanese startups entering the U.S. market. Chang said startups need to actively participate in Silicon Valley ecosystems, while Ko said Taiwanese companies must shift from simply demonstrating technology to listening first and understanding U.S. customers’ problems.

Together, the discussions highlighted a Physical AI stack extending from semiconductors, memory and security to simulation, domain expertise and deployment in real industrial environments.

For Taiwan, the emerging field offers a way to build on its semiconductor and manufacturing strengths while connecting with Silicon Valley customers, capital, software capabilities and global partnerships.

Startup Island TAIWAN – Silicon Valley Hub was established in Palo Alto in 2025 with support from Taiwan’s National Development Council to help Taiwanese startups enter and expand in the U.S. market. SparkLabs Taiwan, part of the global SparkLabs investment network, has supported more than 80 AI and deep-tech founders since 2018.

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SOURCE Startup Island TAIWAN Silicon Valley Hub

AGP257FT combines an overclocked to 1050Hz refresh rate, 0.1ms MPRT response time, Oxide panel, NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible performance and advanced eye-comfort technologies for next-generation competitive gaming.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AGON, the world’s No.1 gaming monitor brand for seven consecutive years according to 2025 IDC reports, today announces the upcoming AGP257FT. Designed for professional competitors and performance-driven gamers, this groundbreaking esports monitor takes responsiveness and motion clarity to a new level.

The AGP257FT incorporates proprietary ultra-high-refresh-rate gaming LCD technology. Its native Oxide panel combines fast-response liquid-crystal materials with integrated GIA circuit design to support a OC1050Hz refresh rate at 1920 × 1080 resolution.

This advanced panel architecture enables faster pixel driving and overcomes the slower voltage-response limitations of conventional LCD panels. The result is smoother motion, lower frame delay and more immediate visual feedback. Combined with an ultra-fast 0.1ms MPRT, rapid movements, flick shots and fast-changing scenes appear sharper and clearer during high-speed action.

Extreme Motion Clarity and Advanced Eye Comfort for Extended Play

Motion Blur Reduction Plus (MBR+) minimizes perceived blur during rapid movement for sharper object definition. NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible technology synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with compatible GPU output to reduce screen tearing and stuttering while maintaining responsive gameplay. VESA DisplayHDR™ 400 support brings greater brightness and visual impact in compatible games without compromising competitive performance.

The AGP257FT’s hardware-based Low Blue Light solution reduces harmful shortwave blue light at the backlight source while preserving natural colors without the yellow tint caused by software filters. Its TÜV Rheinland-certified Circular Polarization technology, verified at over 50% circularity, produces light that more closely resembles natural sunlight, helping reduce glare, visual harshness and eye fatigue without compromising display performance.

A New Benchmark for Esports Displays

Combining OC1050Hz performance, 0.1ms MPRT, a Fast IPS Technology, MBR+, NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible support and advanced Circular Polarization technologies, the AGP257FT establishes a new benchmark for extreme-speed gaming with enhanced visual comfort.

About AOC

Founded in 1967, AOC is a globally leading monitor and IT accessories brand and a subsidiary of TPV Technology Limited, one of the world’s largest display manufacturers. AOC delivers innovative, ergonomic and environmentally conscious solutions for professional and personal applications.

AGON, AOC’s gaming sub-brand, offers high-performance gaming monitors and accessories for core gamers, competitive players and esports professionals.

Brief Spec:

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SOURCE AGON by AOC

Zcash Foundation joins Project Eleven to shape institutional custody infrastructure for the post-quantum and AI era as more than $1 trillion in digital assets remain at risk of attack by sufficiently powerful quantum computers.

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Project Eleven, the post-quantum security company for digital assets, today introduced Strongpoint, its flagship custody platform built for navigating the transition to post-quantum cryptography. Zcash Foundation joins Project Eleven as an initial development partner, helping shape Strongpoint’s institutional custody architecture.

Strongpoint is designed to give institutions a consistent control layer for securing and managing digital assets as networks change the cryptographic standards underneath them. Rather than rebuilding key-management, transaction approval, and audit infrastructure for each new signature scheme or network migration, institutions can maintain a common set of security controls while the underlying cryptography evolves.

“Institutional digital asset custody was built for a world where the cryptography underneath it rarely changed,” said Alex Pruden, CEO of Project Eleven. “Quantum computing is upending that model. If every network adopts a different solution, institutions could be forced to rebuild their security infrastructure again and again. Strongpoint is built around crypto-agility, so the cryptography can change without the infrastructure changing with it.”

“Institutions holding shielded ZEC need custody infrastructure that respects Zcash’s privacy model today and can adapt as cryptographic standards change,” said Alex Bornstein, Executive Director of Zcash Foundation. “Project Eleven is building Strongpoint with the crypto-agility and technical foundation needed to support those requirements over time, helping strengthen custody infrastructure for the broader ecosystem.”

Zcash Foundation Joins as an Initial Development Partner
Zcash Foundation joins as an initial development partner for Strongpoint, bringing its expertise in privacy-preserving cryptography and protocol engineering to Strongpoint’s institutional custody architecture. Zcash’s privacy-preserving design introduces sophisticated key-management and transaction requirements, making it a valuable environment for developing custody infrastructure capable of supporting evolving cryptographic standards.

The collaboration will help inform how Strongpoint handles network-specific requirements while maintaining a consistent institutional control framework across assets and cryptographic schemes.

Post-Quantum Migrations Are Taking Different Paths
The digital asset industry’s post-quantum transition is becoming a coordination challenge. Among the networks represented by the 20 largest assets in CoinGecko’s Layer 1 (L1) category by market capitalization, Project Eleven found that only 10 have published a network-specific technical proposal, roadmap or implementation path for migrating transaction or account authentication to post-quantum cryptography.

Those approaches span at least six proposed post-quantum signature schemes and vary significantly in how they address account migration, key rotation and legacy-asset recovery. Even where technical roadmaps exist, operational readiness remains uneven, leaving institutions to navigate different standards and requirements across networks.

For institutions operating across multiple networks, that fragmentation means accommodating different cryptographic standards and migration requirements without losing a consistent security model. Strongpoint is designed to provide that common operating layer while allowing the cryptography beneath it to change independently.

Early Access and Deployment
Project Eleven targets production deployment in Q4 2026 and is working with a limited group of development partners ahead of general availability. Additional development partners and supported networks will be announced. Institutions interested in early access can request more information at projecteleven.com/strongpoint.

Founded in 2024 by Alex Pruden and Conor Deegan, Project Eleven raised a $20 million Series A led by Castle Island Ventures in January 2026, bringing its total funding to $26 million. The company recently acquired Riva Labs, a specialized engineering firm with deep expertise in post-quantum signatures, wallet infrastructure and blockchain cryptography, expanding Project Eleven’s in-house research and protocol-engineering capabilities.

Methodology: Project Eleven reviewed the 20 largest assets in CoinGecko’s Layer 1 (L1) category by market capitalization on September 25, 2026. A network was counted only where an official network organization, foundation, core development team or recognized protocol-improvement process had published a network-specific technical proposal, roadmap or implementation path for migrating transaction or account authentication to post-quantum cryptography. General research programs, statements of intent and post-quantum work that did not specify such a migration path were not counted. Draft technical proposals were included and do not imply network approval or adoption.

Alex Pruden and Conor Deegan are available for interview.

About Project Eleven
Project Eleven builds resilient infrastructure and tooling for the post-quantum era. The company develops scalable solutions that strengthen security across a rapidly evolving quantum threat landscape. With deep expertise in cryptography, blockchain, and financial systems, Project Eleven bridges advanced post-quantum research with real-world implementations that prepare the digital asset ecosystem for the future. For more information, visit www.projecteleven.com.

About Zcash Foundation
Zcash Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, builds financial privacy infrastructure for the public good, primarily serving users of the Zcash protocol and blockchain. With expertise in cryptography, protocol engineering, and open-source development, Zcash Foundation works to sustain and improve open financial networks that allow anyone to protect their own privacy, on their own terms. For more information, visit zfnd.org.

Media Contacts
Aubrey Strobel / Elena Nisonoff, Halcyon Communications
projecteleven@halcyonpr.xyz 

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SOURCE Project Eleven