Gwangju and Jeonnam Venture Businesses Discuss Innovation and Growth

Over 90 Local Venture Entrepreneurs Attend Forum
Exploring Growth Through Funding and Environmental Technology

The Gwangju Jeonnam Venture Business Association and the Gwangju Jeonnam Women Venture Association held the '2025 Gwangju Jeonnam Innovation Venture Forum' to discuss growth strategies for local venture businesses.

On the 15th, local venture entrepreneurs attending the '2025 Gwangju Jeonnam Innovation Venture Forum' are taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Gwangju Jeonnam Venture Business Association

According to the Gwangju Jeonnam Venture Business Association Forum on October 16, this year's event, now in its third year, was held the previous afternoon at the Ramada Plaza Chungjang Hotel in Gwangju. The event was co-hosted by Jeonnam Province, the Gwangju Information and Culture Industry Promotion Agency, and the Jeonnam Information and Culture Industry Promotion Agency, with more than 90 local small and venture business entrepreneurs in attendance.

Changhoon Lee, a partner at Samil PricewaterhouseCoopers, delivered a special lecture on "Funding, Management, and IPO Strategies for Startups." He emphasized that "a company's value and survivability are determined by systematic management," and stressed the importance of overcoming the "Death Valley" phase with customized strategies for each stage of growth. He also introduced government support policies such as TIPS and global scaling-up programs, and highlighted the necessity of technology startups in AI, eco-friendly, and deep tech sectors.

During the IP Venture Story presentation session, Donghyuk Lee, CEO of Air Data Lab Co., Ltd., showcased an ESG cooking fume reduction device. This device has demonstrated the ability to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by more than 98 percent and has been selected as an industrial convergence innovation product, with potential applications in restaurants, factories, and schools. CEO Donghyuk Lee introduced a lineup of smart environmental management products under the vision of "Driving the future and health with data."

Ko Soogyung, President of the Gwangju Jeonnam Women Venture Association, stated, "Innovation and collaboration are crucial for the local venture industry to overcome crises and take a leap forward," pledging to lead the creation of a sustainable venture ecosystem. Hyunsu Kim, President of the Gwangju Jeonnam Venture Business Association, emphasized the importance of networks through regular exchanges, saying, "Trust is stronger than capital, and relationships last longer than technology."