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Tuesday 30 December 2025
HUA TEC advances Nano CAST for global liquid biopsy
Cancer is no longer considered untreatable, yet improving the accuracy and timeliness of diagnostics and treatment remains one of the most pressing challenges in clinical practice. Traditional cancer detection methods carry inherent limitations: tissue biopsies are highly invasive, causing discomfort and risk for patients, while blood-based biochemical tumor markers often lack specificity and fail to clearly differentiate between pathological signals and normal physiological fluctuations. As a result, liquid biopsy - valued for its safety, convenience, and ability to complement traditional pathology - has rapidly emerged as a global trend in cancer diagnostics.Developed by CytoAurora and distributed and supported by HUA TEC International, the Nano CAST AI semiconductor liquid tumor imaging system integrates semiconductor processes, AI imaging analysis, optical engineering, molecular pathology, and precision mechanics. The next-generation cancer cell detection platform will officially make its public debut at CES 2026, drawing significant attention from both medical and semiconductor communities.Chung-Er Huang, Chairman of HUA TEC International, noted that CytoAurora has long focused on single-cell biotechnology and device development, offering highly accurate solutions for genomic and protein-level analysis. To support the specialized needs of medical equipment deployment - installation, training, and maintenance - HUA TEC was established to lead Nano CAST's commercialization and technical support, helping hospitals and health examination centers rapidly adopt the system. The platform is already in clinical use at institutions such as Tzu Chi Hospital and Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital.According to Chien-Hsiang Tang, Vice President of HUA TEC International, Nano CAST utilizes semiconductor wafer-level surface modification to efficiently capture target cells circulating in the bloodstream. The system integrates precision mechanics and optical modules to automate cell capture, staining, and imaging. AI-driven image analysis then identifies and differentiates cancer cells from other cell types, enabling clinicians to execute targeted cell isolation, image interpretation, and downstream diagnostic analysis directly from blood samples.Nano CAST Supports the Full Cancer Care CycleAs semiconductor processes continue to advance, complex biochemical analyses that once required large laboratory setups can now be executed through highly integrated semiconductor biochips - making real-time testing more accessible and scalable. While genomic sequencing remains the most common application of such semiconductor-enabled medical technologies, HUA TEC is one of the few Taiwanese companies to extend semiconductor-based diagnostics into protein and biomarker analysis, particularly demonstrating strong breakthroughs in the field of liquid biopsy for oncology.Huang explained that Nano CAST is built upon two core components: the Cell Reveal Series and the CMS 200. The Cell Reveal Series uses semiconductor biochip technology to isolate specific or abnormal cells, forming nanoscale structures through plasma treatment, etching, and chemical modification that significantly enhance cell capture efficiency. The CMS 200 serves as the AI-driven imaging system that rapidly and objectively interprets captured cell and tissue images.Together, the system covers the complete clinical pathway of cancer care - from early detection of rare circulating tumor cells in blood, to monitoring treatment response, to identifying minimal residual disease (MRD) after therapy. By providing clinicians with earlier, more precise, and more actionable insights into disease progression, Nano CAST strengthens decision-making across the continuum of cancer management.TTA's High-Impact Global Pavilion Strategy Helps Drive Expansion into Central Asia, Europe, and the USAfter achieving notable milestones in Taiwan and obtaining BSI ISO 13485:2016 certification for medical device quality management, HUA TEC has accelerated its international expansion in recent years, establishing a presence in Thailand, Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong. The company plans to further extend its footprint into Central Asia in 2026 as part of its broader global medical collaboration strategy.Huang emphasized that HUA TEC's consecutive participation in CES is driven by the strong curatorial and matchmaking capabilities of Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA). TTA's expertise in pavilion design, international outreach, and cross-border business facilitation significantly elevates the global visibility of Taiwanese startups. This enables companies such as HUA TEC to directly engage with major medical distributors, technology corporations, and investment groups across Europe and the United States, accelerating their path to market adoption.He stressed that Nano CAST demonstrates proven clinical performance, verifiable technical foundations, and scalability for commercial manufacturing - making CES the most important launchpad for HUA TEC's entry into the US and European markets. Through CES, the company aims to pursue strategic partnerships, initiate local clinical validations, and expand cross-border commercial activities, ultimately establishing a solid international presence. HUA TEC seeks to ensure that Taiwan's advanced semiconductor-enabled liquid biopsy technologies gain broader adoption across global clinical settings.The Nano CAST Cancer Solution for cancer cell detection. Credit: HUA TEC
Monday 29 December 2025
MetAI to debut MetGen at CES 2026, targeting the US market
In recent years, digital twin technology has quickly gained traction across industries. With the rapid maturation of AI and big data analytics, enterprises can now build highly accurate, real-time synchronized virtual models, enabling predictive maintenance, process optimization, and other benefits that were once difficult to realize. MetAI, invited by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) to join CES 2026, will showcase its proprietary AI - and 3D-driven MetGen digital twin platform, formally signaling its intent to capture opportunities in the US smart warehousing sector.MetAI co-founder and CEO Daniel  Yu noted that the US is home to some of the world's largest warehousing market, driven by digitalization efforts from major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and Costco. As such, the US has become MetAI's primary target for overseas expansion. "We are honored to receive TTA's invitation to exhibit at CES 2026," Yu said, expressing appreciation for TTA's comprehensive support - from pre-show preparation and customer matchmaking to presentation guidance - which has strengthened the company's confidence in entering the US market.AI fused with 3D technology : Digital twins generated in minutesFounded in 2023, MetAI focuses on developing MetGen, the first AI-native, domain-specific generative platform designed for real-to-sim and sim-to-real integration. By leveraging its proprietary AI and 3D synthesis architecture, MetGen automatically converts traditional CAD and 2D design files into SimReady (simulation-ready) 3D digital twin environments. The platform also incorporates AI, 3D simulation, physics modeling, and automation control logic, enabling users in warehousing, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, and automation equipment to design, validate, and simulate workflows in a virtual environment before real-world deployment.MetAI further supports the creation of large-scale, high-fidelity synthetic datasets within the digital twin environment, giving AI models access to virtually unlimited training material. This capability accelerates production-line design and product development, while enabling enterprises to derive optimized strategies in simulation before applying them in real operations.By integrating NVIDIA Omniverse with MetAI's proprietary generative models, complex digital twin environments that once required months or even years to build can now be automatically generated in minutes, effectively resolving one of the industry's most persistent adoption barriers: excessively long deployment timelines. The company currently focuses on three key application areas - smart warehousing, semiconductors, and data centers - and completed a US$4 million seed round in 2025, backed by leading investors including Kenmec Mechanical and NVIDIA, making it one of the few Taiwan startups to receive a direct strategic investment from NVIDIA.According to Yu, traditional digital twin development relies heavily on manual data processing, resulting in implementation cycles that may stretch across several months or even longer than a year. Even with newer solutions emerging, model inaccuracies often lead to costly revisions. "MetAI combines AI with 3D generation to directly interpret 2D blueprints such as CAD or BIM files and automatically construct complete 3D twin environments," Yu explained.This approach reduces the typical modeling workload - from hundreds or thousands of hours - to just a few minutes, while delivering high consistency and zero structural error. It enables companies to rapidly plan production lines, build virtual sandboxes for robot training or logistics flow optimization, and significantly boost deployment efficiency.Establishing a US headquarters to capture smart warehousing and advanced manufacturing opportunitiesDespite being a relatively young company, MetAI has quickly secured partnerships with several high-profile enterprises, thanks to the uniqueness and technical depth of its solutions. In addition to working with TSMC, MetAI is collaborating with Kenmec to fully reconstruct the Chief Global Logistics's smart logistics center  into a virtual environment, creating a highly realistic digital twin featuring physics-accurate modeling, executable control logic, and AI-driven optimization capabilities.According to Yu, the rise of AI has prompted Taiwanese startups to shift their mindset - no longer focusing solely on the domestic market but aiming directly at the world's largest and most innovation-driven arenas. "The US has exceptionally strong demand for smart warehousing solutions. We are actively preparing to establish our US team and headquarters, which will include a local team, customer support, and a technical service center. This will place us closer to key customers and significantly enhance our ability to execute in the North American market," Yu said.Yu added that MetAI will continue to strengthen its real-to-sim and sim-to-real capabilities, while expanding integration with a broader ecosystem of automation hardware. The company aims to build an end-to-end twin platform that spans design, simulation, and deployment. Ultimately, MetAI seeks to enable enterprises to advance smart warehousing and smart factory transformations at minimal cost and with maximum speed.MetAI partners with Kenmec to build a high-fidelity virtual smart logistics center. Credit: MetAI
Monday 29 December 2025
Luna Unveils Luna Band, Voice-Led LifeOS at CES 2026
Luna, the rapidly rising health-tech company redefining human performance, today unveiled the Luna Band, a groundbreaking new wearable designed to deliver real-time, voice-led health guidance. Powered by LifeOS, Luna's adaptive AI engine, the Luna Band represents a new category of personal health technology focused not on displaying data, but on providing timely, actionable guidance."In a market saturated with devices that simply report numbers and do analytics, Luna Band introduces a radically different philosophy: guidance over data"said the company's spokespersonBuilt around Luna's core pillars of biomarker intelligence, circadian rhythm, women's health, personal context, and 24/7 AI coaching, the Luna Band brings the full power of LifeOS to the wrist. With no monthly fees, the Band is positioned to democratize high-end health intelligence globally.A Voice-Led, Hands-Free Health ExperienceIn a first for any wearable, Luna band introduces fully hands-free, voice-led interactions, powered by Siri integrations. With Luna's dynamic logging, users can log meals, symptoms, emotional context, and request health guidance entirely through voice-input without even opening the Luna app. By allowing natural, conversational interaction through any earbuds or a connected device, Luna Band advances Luna's vision of a deeply integrated, ecosystem-agnostic LifeOS that works across devices and platforms.Advanced Biosensing for a New Level of PrecisionThe Luna Band features a research-grade optical sensor array paired with a high-fidelity 6-axis IMU. This sensing platform captures detailed physiological information associated with micro-recovery periods, circadian fluctuation, emotional stress signatures, and other subtle patterns that conventional consumer wearables often do not detect. This level of precision enables more informed and responsive health guidance.LifeOS: Real-Time Interpretation and Adaptive CoachingAt the core of the Luna Band is LifeOS, a real-time adaptive engine that processes thousands of physiological signals per minute. LifeOS identifies changes in recovery, stress, circadian alignment, and hormonal patterns, delivering context-aware recommendations throughout the day. The system is designed to offer timely support, ensuring users receive guidance at moments of highest relevance.Unified Health Ecosystem IntegrationLuna Band and Luna Ring serve as Luna's primary high-fidelity data collectors. But LifeOS also seamlessly integrates biomarker and usage data from Apple Health, Google Fit, Clue, Kindbody, and additional ecosystem partners to create a unified, longitudinal view of health. By integrating sleep, menstrual cycles, activity, stress, nutrition, and emotional inputs into a single framework, the Luna Band provides a comprehensive understanding of the user's daily physiological state.Redefining the Role of the WearableThe Luna Band establishes a new class of wearable technology centered on real-time guidance rather than retrospective reporting. By combining advanced sensing, adaptive intelligence, hands-free interaction, and broad ecosystem integration, Luna delivers a continuous health companion designed to support informed decision-making throughout the day, without subscription fees.Luna Band will be unveiled at Pepcom on 5th January 2026. CES attendees can see Luna Band firsthand at 55623, Venetian A-D Hall.