[Report] From AI Farms to Space Satellites... Visiting the Exchange Site of Over 1,000 Startups [MWC??]

Agriculture, Healthcare, and Finance Fused with AI
Tomorrow's Unicorns Discovered at '4YFN'
Exploring Collaboration with Korean Companies

At the 'Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC2025)' held in Barcelona, Spain, the vibrant booth of agricultural technology startup Enkitek caught attention at the '4YFN' startup fair, which featured over 1,000 booths on the 5th (local time). Cameras were moving over freshly growing sprout vegetables being cultivated on site.

"We develop farm management platforms," explained Watson, Enkitek's manager, whom we met at the 'Green Tech Zone,' showcasing eco-friendly technology startups. Enkitek's solution allows farmers to monitor and automate all processes from a single dashboard. In particular, AI cameras observe the plants' conditions to check if they are diseased or if they are being watered properly.

4YFN (4 Years From Now) is a fair that discovers startups with the potential to participate in the main MWC exhibition four years later. According to KOTRA, last year alone, 930 startups and over 1,000 investors participated, raising approximately 50 billion euros in funding.

In the digital healthcare sector, Neuroelectrics showcased advanced neuroscience equipment. A special brainwave measurement helmet worn on a mannequin head attracted attention. Nikolaou, the CPO who has participated in MWC for seven years, said, "We treat depression by stimulating specific parts of the brain," adding, "Through AI technology, we create a digital twin (simulation) of the patient's brain to find the optimal stimulation for the patient."

A special energy was felt in the 'Awards Zone' set up on one side of the fair. This area, where the five companies that made it to the final round of the '4YFN Awards' gathered, was constantly bustling with visitors. It was impressive to see visitors and company representatives flocking to seek collaboration opportunities. The company that won the final prize that day was 'Bangquishy,' a startup solving the problem of freelancers such as delivery app couriers and YouTubers being denied loans because they are not traditional salaried workers. By analyzing app usage records, income details, and reputation data, they create a new form of credit score and provide it to banks, enabling people excluded from financial services to obtain loans or credit cards.

Bangquishy was also able to explore business cooperation with domestic companies through this MWC. Fernandez, CEO of Bangquishy, said, "We had an in-depth conversation with the management of K-Bank in Korea the day before about Korea's financial environment and the credit evaluation difficulties faced by new types of workers, and we agreed to seek more advanced business plans through a video conference soon," adding that they see this as a foothold for entering the Korean market.

Spanish company Horus ML developed AI technology that detects asymptomatic arteriosclerosis early through retinal imaging. CEO Alonso said, "It is tough because customers line up to visit, but it is really good to keep explaining and seek business opportunities," adding, "For us, who want to expand beyond Spain to European and South American markets, this kind of event is a valuable networking opportunity."

Israel's Ramon.Space is a space technology startup developing technology to add high-performance computing capabilities to satellites. Vice President Range said, "Recently, the war in Ukraine has become so significant that it is called a 'space war,' highlighting the importance of space technology," adding, "Ultimately, we want to grow the company to the level of actually manufacturing real satellites."

Mukai Rockfish Data CEO. Photo by Yujin Park

Rockfish Data, a startup created at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, USA, introduced a platform that solves AI data bottlenecks with synthetic data. CEO Mukai explained, "In an era overflowing with AI models, the new 'gold' is exclusive data and the data needed for training," adding, "We have created a platform that allows access to such data without concerns about information leakage." He said, "We have already secured various clients such as Deutsche Telekom, Ford Motor Company, and the U.S. Army, and our goal this year is to grow 2 to 3 times compared to last year."