APEC Ministers' Meeting Side Event to Be Held on September 1
Expanding Exchanges with Overseas Startup Stakeholders from Japan, Indonesia, and More
16 Startups to Hold IR Sessions with Over 30 Investment Firms
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on August 27 that it will host the entrepreneur networking conference 'JOIN 2025,' an affiliated event of the APEC SME Ministers' Meeting, at the Jeju Booyoung Hotel on September 1.
Jointly organized by the Jeju Center for Creative Economy and Innovation and the Council of Centers for Creative Economy and Innovation, JOIN 2025 marks its third year as a startup conference in the Jeju region.
Taking place on the first day of the Ministers' Meeting week, JOIN 2025 aims to 'strengthen cooperation through networking among domestic and international innovation and startup stakeholders.' The sessions are structured around themes such as expanding interconnectedness for inclusive growth of the startup ecosystem, fostering open innovation, and reinforcing public-private partnerships.
This year's event especially enhances exchanges within the startup ecosystem both domestically and internationally. While previous years focused on collaboration between Jeju and other regions in Korea, this year, leveraging the SME Ministers' Meeting, opportunities for exchange and cooperation have been expanded to APEC member countries such as Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Local startups will also have the chance to meet with a variety of stakeholders, including global investors and support organizations.
Six private associations and organizations specializing in startup development and investment will sign business agreements during the event and work together to seek ways to revitalize regional entrepreneurship. Based on a shared understanding that the startup and venture ecosystem must move beyond its current concentration in the capital area, they plan to jointly identify and propose tasks to invigorate regional entrepreneurship.
Through joint investment presentations (IR) and one-on-one meetings with investors, the event will also provide opportunities for local startups to attract investment. The IR session will feature 16 promising regional startups in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), bio, and robotics-discovered by Centers for Creative Economy and Innovation nationwide-as well as participation from over 30 investment firms.
Additionally, on the day of the event, Sung-Hoon Kim, CEO of Upstage, is scheduled to deliver a special lecture on the topic of 'AI Trends and Global Expansion Strategies.'
Meanwhile, the SME Ministers' Meeting, to be held in Jeju from September 1 to 5, will provide a forum to discuss key agenda items under the theme 'SMEs: The Driving Force of Sustainable and Inclusive Growth.'
Han Sung-sook, Minister of SMEs and Startups, stated, "This year's JOIN 2025 event is meaningful in that it provides local startups with opportunities to meet not only domestic investors but also major overseas partners. The government will continue to expand capital, infrastructure, and networking environments so that promising regional startups can be given ample opportunities."
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