Ministry of SMEs and Startups Holds Roundtable with "Super Gap Startup IR in Silicon Valley" Companies

Hearing Global Expansion Plans and More

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on January 9 that it held a roundtable discussion with seven AI startups participating in the "Super Gap Startup Global IR in Silicon Valley" event in San Francisco, USA, to discuss support measures for global expansion and the development of new policies for startups.

This roundtable was organized to hear the global expansion plans of AI startups, gather feedback on the challenges they face during this process, and collect suggestions regarding global support policies, with the aim of developing relevant policies that will help AI startups grow into global unicorns.

The discussion began with a presentation on global expansion plans by Kim Jae-pil, CEO of Aidol, and covered topics such as one-stop support policies for overseas market entry, expanded R&D for deep tech startups, and the establishment of a dedicated investment council composed of global venture capitalists (VCs) and corporate venture capitalists (CVCs), among other policies needed on the ground.

Since 2023, the Ministry has held the "Super Gap Startup Global IR" event annually to support the global expansion of deep tech startups with unrivaled technology in new industries. This year, in addition to the 20 super gap startups, six outstanding TIPS companies will also participate.

This year's IR event will be held on January 9 (local time), beginning with a keynote speech by CEO David Parekh, followed by VC and CVC sessions, reverse pitching by six U.S. state governments, IR pitching by super gap and TIPS companies, and a panel talk on the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem.

More than 100 participants, including global conglomerates, U.S. state governments, overseas VCs, CVCs, accelerators, investors, and technology agents, will attend to listen to IR pitches from Korea's leading deep tech startups and engage in networking.

First Vice Minister Noh Yongseok stated, "For AI startups to grow, securing demand and attracting investment in the global market are essential," adding, "We will do our utmost to incorporate the suggestions received and ensure that domestic AI startups can grow into AI unicorns through global expansion."