Yeongdeok County Hosts 'Discovery of Local in Yeonghae Startup Festa'

A Platform for Young Entrepreneurs, Local Creators, and Investors to Connect and Collaborate

Yeongdeok County in North Gyeongsang Province announced that the 'Discovery of Local in Yeonghae Startup Festa,' held in the Yeonghae-myeon area on September 5, concluded successfully.

Winners and participants of the Yeongdeok County Item Utilization Startup Idea Competition are taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Yeongdeok County

This event, organized by North Gyeongsang Province and Yeongdeok County and co-hosted by the Gyeongbuk Center for Creative Economy & Innovation, Korea Angel Investment Association, and Yeongdeok County Neighbor Village Support Center, was held as the largest local creator event in the province.

The goal was to create a platform for local young entrepreneurs, local creators, investors, and residents to network, exchange ideas, and connect for investment opportunities.

The event featured a variety of programs, including: △a startup idea competition utilizing Yeongdeok’s specialty products; △regional company IR presentations and one-on-one investment consultations; △sharing of achievements from the Startup and Startup Relocation Support Project; △the Gyeongbuk Local Creator Festa (Local Week Yeongnam); and △integrated networking sessions.

First, the startup idea competition was held at the Yeonghae-myeon Administrative Welfare Center. Local university students and young entrepreneurs attracted attention by presenting new business models that leveraged Yeongdeok County’s signature resources, such as snow crabs, peaches, and marine resources.

Following this, as part of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Enterprise and Market Service’s '2025 Local Creator Fostering Project,' the 'Local Week Yeongnam' local festa, hosted by the Gyeongbuk Center for Creative Economy & Innovation, took place at the Yeju Warehouse and the former Yeonghae Financial Cooperative.

Thirty-two local creator brands from the Yeongnam region participated, showcasing their startup items and engaging in business introductions, case sharing, insightful lectures, and partnership networking through various exchange programs.

At the company IR presentations and personalized one-on-one investment consultations linked with the Daegyeong Region Angel Investment Forum, eight companies-including four startups from Yeongdeok County-participated, creating a practical platform for direct collaboration with investors.

Additionally, Yeongdeok County shared the achievements of the 'Yeonghae Neighbor Village Startup and Startup Relocation Support Project,' which has been in operation since last year, through this festa. This project, which encompasses discovering and fostering young entrepreneurs, supporting commercialization, and connecting to investment, is expanding the startup ecosystem in Yeongdeok County.

A county official stated, "This event provided an excellent opportunity to promote Yeongdeok’s outstanding resources and local creators to a wider audience," adding, "We expect it will encourage the challenges and growth of local youth startups and contribute to revitalizing the local economy and establishing a sustainable startup ecosystem."