COMEUP Concludes with Participation from 46 Countries and 3,447 Matchmaking Achievements

Programs Centered on Deep Tech, Globalization, and Entrepreneurship
"Enabling Startups to Stand at the Heart of Global Innovation"

The Korea Startup Forum announced on the 15th that the global startup festival 'COMEUP 2025', held at COEX in Seoul from the 10th to the 12th, concluded successfully.

This year's COMEUP event was held under the slogan "Recode the Future," focusing on the trend of startups redefining the landscape of future industries based on technological innovation and entrepreneurship. With deep tech, globalization, and entrepreneurship as its core pillars, the event featured a variety of programs including exhibitions, conferences, IR sessions, and open innovation, expanding exchanges and cooperation among members of the global startup ecosystem.

COMEUP 2025 saw participation from a record 46 countries. A diverse group of ecosystem members, including domestic and international entrepreneurs, investors, representatives from large corporations, and government agencies, gathered in one place for active networking, resulting in a total of 3,447 investment and business matchmaking sessions.

The COMEUP 2025 event held from the 10th to the 12th at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Korea Startup Forum

Additionally, with the Korea Startup Forum, the Korea Venture Business Association, and the Korea Venture Capital Association co-hosting the event for the first time, the alliance within the private startup ecosystem was further strengthened. By combining the Korea Startup Forum's startup network with the investment and scaling-up expertise of the Korea Venture Business Association and the Korea Venture Capital Association, the event enhanced its structure to focus on generating tangible, investment-centered outcomes from program planning to overall operation for startups.

The Korea Startup Forum highlighted the expansion of international participation as one of the biggest achievements of this year's COMEUP. Seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, India, Japan, and Canada, operated country pavilions to showcase their technologies and startup ecosystems, thereby expanding the global network. Thirty-five major corporations, such as Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Nvidia, and NHN Cloud, participated in the open innovation program, creating real opportunities for collaboration. HUMAIN, a Saudi state-owned artificial intelligence (AI) company, participated as the keynote speaker on the first day of COMEUP 2025 and announced plans to collaborate with Korean startups.

This year's COMEUP also focused on promoting the "value of entrepreneurship." Through the newly established "Future Founder" program, the event emphasized the importance of nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs and prospective startup talent. Sessions such as student startup team presentations and mentoring, as well as stories from Gen Z entrepreneurs, underscored the significance of cultivating entrepreneurial talent for the nation's future competitiveness.

In addition, sessions on technology for addressing the climate crisis shared examples of technology-based solutions to social problems. Other programs included trend analysis sessions led by Gen Z entrepreneurs and talks exploring the lives of entrepreneurs from a family perspective, attracting significant attention from participants.

Programs covering the entire spectrum from early-stage to global scaling up were also held, such as the final pitch of "COMEUP STARS 2025" aimed at expansion into the US, Europe, China, and Japan; the joint government startup competition "Challenge! K-Startup 2025 Grand Finale" involving 10 ministries; and the "K-Startup Grand Challenge (KSGC) Demo Day" for foreign startup teams.

Han Sangwoo, Chairman of the Korea Startup Forum, stated, "It was an occasion where entrepreneurs from around the world, global companies, and investors could gather in one place to discuss a new future based on technology and entrepreneurship," adding, "We will continue to strengthen our role so that startups can grow at the center of global innovation."