The 5th Gwanak S-Valley Startup Festival Held

Challenge Spirit and Startup Experiences Shared by National Mentor Kim Mi-kyung, Entrepreneur Kim Hyung-woo, and CEO Lee Yoon-seok
▲IR Competition ▲Robot and AI Contests ▲Robot Exhibition and Experience Events Offering Various Startup Programs and Networking Opportunities

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) will hold the ‘5th Gwanak S-Valley Startup Festival’ from November 8 to 9 at the Gwanak-gu Office auditorium and plaza.

Under the theme of ‘The Great Journey of Startups,’ this event will bring together prospective entrepreneurs, young startup founders, investors, and startup experts to share insights and the spirit of challenge in entrepreneurship.

Co-hosted by Gwanak-gu, Seoul National University, and the Seoul Startup Center Gwanak, the ‘Gwanak S-Valley Startup Festival’ has established itself as a flagship event leading the startup ecosystem in Gwanak-gu.

Expected to attract around 2,000 participants both online and offline, this year’s festival will offer a variety of startup-related programs and networking opportunities to enrich the experience.

On the first day, November 8, national mentor CEO Kim Mi-kyung (MKYU) will deliver a special lecture titled ‘Awakening the Giant Within Me: Challenge and Achievement.’ CEO Kim aims to inspire young entrepreneurs with strong motivation and a spirit of challenge.

Following this, the ‘IR Competition’ will provide a platform for prospective and student entrepreneurs to present their innovative startup ideas. Notably, Yu Hyun-joo, CEO of TopTable and recipient of the CES 2024 Best Innovation Award, will share her success story of expanding overseas and insights necessary for startups.

Last Year's Event

The district has also prepared various participatory programs that the general public can enjoy. Participants in the ‘Startup Golden Bell’ can learn basic startup knowledge through quizzes.

Additionally, the ‘Startup Idea Battle’ offers mentoring sessions to help individuals concretize their vague startup ideas.

On the morning of November 9, the ‘Seoul National University Robot and AI Competition’ will be held to foster local technical startup talent and raise interest in future technologies among elementary and middle school students.

A ‘Robot Exhibition Experience Event’ will also be operated, allowing participants to experience various future technologies such as ice cream robots and humanoids.

In the following startup special lecture, Kim Hyung-woo, CEO of TravelWallet, and Lee Yoon-seok, CEO of Doit Co., Ltd., will share practical secrets to startup success under the theme ‘Stories of Entrepreneurs Who Achieved Innovation with Their Own Beliefs in a Red Ocean Market Dominated by Large Corporations.’

Applications for participation and event details can be found on the official website of the Gwanak S-Valley Startup Festival.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “We prepared the Startup Festival to help entrepreneurs overcome the uncertainties they face in the early stages of their business and to provide a stepping stone toward success,” adding, “We will continue to support entrepreneurs and young people to develop the capabilities to compete on the global stage through innovation and challenge.”