KOTRA Opens Startup Overseas Expansion Event 'Innogate 2022'

150 Startups Participate... Exploring Collaboration Opportunities with 100 Companies from 15 Countries

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Yeju] KOTRA will hold 'InnoGate 2022,' a representative platform event for startups' overseas expansion, for two days from the 6th in Myeongdong, Seoul. From the 11th, the event will be held online for four days.

This year, under the theme 'Startup Investment Winter Era, Strategies to Turn Crisis into Opportunity,' various programs such as overseas expansion strategy forums, demo days, and online showcases have been organized.

On the 6th, about 100 startups expanding overseas participated in person at the 'Startup Overseas Expansion Strategy Forum,' where 12 speakers, including prominent venture investors, global companies, and government officials from eight countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, presented strategies for our startups to grow in overseas markets amid the investment winter.

At this forum, Kumadev Chatterjee, a World Economic Forum advisor and head of digital technology for the Neom City project in Saudi Arabia, participated as the keynote speaker and presented growth strategies for startups. Additionally, panels from various countries discussed diverse methods and cases necessary for startups to grow in overseas markets, including collaboration with global companies and city governments through open innovation and strategies for entering emerging markets.

On the 7th, the 'Innovative Startup Demo Day,' consisting of four sessions, will be held. Representatives from Merck Electronics in Germany will review technology pitches from five of our startups in the semiconductor and display fields to discover startups to participate in open innovation. DH Ventures, a corporate venture capital established by Delivery Hero in Germany, will also participate in the demo day to invest in startups applicable to its delivery services.

Furthermore, an investment attraction demo day for 11 startups selected through preliminary screening targeting prominent domestic and international venture capitalists such as 500 Global and Techstars from the United States will be held. A demo day selecting social ventures challenging social issues in developing countries will also take place. The investment attraction demo day is co-hosted with Korea Venture Investment Corp., and the social venture demo day is co-hosted with the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency to enhance expertise.

During the 'Startup Online Showcase Week' held from the 11th to the 14th, about 100 domestic startups will conduct a total of 350 English pitches targeting 100 overseas partners from 15 countries worldwide. Overseas partners invited by KOTRA's overseas trade centers can freely ask questions and engage in Q&A after watching the pitches of startups they are interested in during the online showcase.

Yoo Jung-yeol, president of KOTRA, said, "InnoGate is a platform where startups can obtain everything they need for overseas expansion in one place," adding, "We will actively support more domestic startups to leap into unicorns in the global market using InnoGate as a stepping stone."