"Leading Global Innovation"... Korea's Largest Startup Event 'COMEUP' Opens

Scheduled for November 11-12 at COEX, Seoul
260 domestic and international startups to participate

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that Korea's largest global startup event, COMEUP 2024, opened on the 11th at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul.

Oh Young-joo, Minister of SMEs and Startups, is taking a commemorative photo with attendees at the opening ceremony of 'COMEUP 2024' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups

This year's COMEUP theme is "Innovation Beyond Borders." It signifies startups leading global innovation beyond national and technological boundaries. Over two days, from today until the 12th, the event will serve as a platform for exchange, with participants from the startup and venture ecosystem including innovative startups and investors from more than 40 countries overseas.

Various programs have been prepared, including startup exhibitions, conferences, keynote speeches, investor relations (IR) pitching, open innovation programs, and startup legal counseling, all centered around the detailed themes of Deep Tech, Inbound, and Sustainable Innovation (SIS).

Approximately 260 domestic and international startups are participating in the exhibition, with more than half being overseas startups. Countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India, Japan, and Sweden have set up national pavilions to promote their domestic startups. Exhibition zones categorized by deep tech technologies such as Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI), Bio & Health are also operated, allowing visitors to experience innovative technologies in the deep tech field both domestically and internationally.

At the conferences, keynotes, and panel sessions, global figures will participate to share insights with attendees on various topics including global expansion, investment attraction, and deep tech trends. Experts including domestic and international large corporations, corporate venture capital (CVC), and overseas government officials will discuss global alliances and cooperation centered on startups. More than 70 key overseas venture capital (VC) representatives will also visit COMEUP to discover innovative startups.

Many foreign entrepreneurs aspiring to start businesses in Korea are also participating in this COMEUP. Over 20 overseas startups are participating in the "Startup Korea Pavilion" to promote their business items to Korean startups and investors.

Notably, Carlos El-Kik Lloret, CEO of AiMA Beyond AI, who received the first "Startup Korea Special Visa," is also participating in the exhibition. AiMA, a Spanish startup that developed a digital human solution using AI, had planned to relocate its headquarters to Korea but faced difficulties obtaining the existing startup visa due to Carlos's educational background. However, with the establishment of the Startup Korea Special Visa, which excludes quantitative requirements and evaluates only the innovativeness and excellence of the startup item, the path to entering Korea has opened.

At the opening ceremony, Yoon Chan, CEO of EverX, and Sina Albanese, CEO of Corallo, took the stage representing domestic and global attendees respectively and delivered opening speeches. They shared their thoughts and experiences on Korea's startup ecosystem and COMEUP, encouraging innovation and challenges in "Korea, a great country to start a business."

Minister Oh Young-joo of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups emphasized, "We will realize the 'Global Top 4 Venture Investment Powerhouse,' further support domestic startups' overseas expansion, and actively attract outstanding foreign entrepreneurs," adding, "We will make every effort to nurture deep tech startups so that Korea can become a first mover in the global technology hegemony competition."