‘COMEUP 2023,’ South Korea’s largest startup festival, recently concluded its fifth edition, making headlines with a groundbreaking attendance of 66,000 participants and affirming its status as a leading global startup event. Held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul from November 8 to 10, the festival brought together ecosystem stakeholders from 35 countries, fostering international collaboration and innovation.
The event witnessed significant participation from global figures, including the UAE Minister of Economy, the Chief Ecosystem Officer of Viva Technology, and the entrepreneurial journey of Korean musician and creator Zior Park. The three-day festival focused on enhancing business synergy between startups and investors, establishing a robust international entrepreneurial network.
Unprecedented Global Participation & Diverse Discussions
Representatives from 35 countries, spanning Saudi Arabia, UAE, the United States, France, Austria, Hong Kong, Senegal, and Cambodia, actively engaged in COMEUP 2023. The festival provided a dynamic platform for startups, investors, government agencies, and global corporations to collaborate and share insights. Key figures such as Olivia Hervy from Viva Technology, Susan Marshall from NVIDIA, Howard Wright from AWS, and William Bao Bean from SOSV contributed to the vibrant discussions.
Government officials, including UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri and Saudi SME Authority Chairman Sami bin Ibrahim Al-Hussaini, emphasized the significance of discussions on cooperation between Korea and startups.
Innovative Sessions and Policy Insights
The newly introduced Global Community Zone featured booths and presentations from 18 participating teams, offering practical policy directions. A session titled ‘2023 STARTUP KOREA! Policy Proposal Presentation: Research on the Global Openness of the Korean Startup Ecosystem‘ provided valuable insights into the global landscape.
Insights and Discussions on Startup Growth
The ‘Future Talk’ program featured about 70 speakers who shared diverse experiences on key startup growth issues. Topics included discussions on the latest technologies such as Chat GPT and generative AI, with industry leaders from Microsoft, Wrtn Technologies, and others contributing their perspectives.
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of open innovation, sessions like ‘Open Innovation 2.0: 20th Anniversary and a New Way Forward’ delved into discussions on Google’s support for women entrepreneurs, startup guidelines for Japanese expansion, and successful collaboration cases between global companies and enterprises of varying sizes.
Nurturing Early-Stage Startups & Global Connections
The revamped COMEUP Stars 2023, focusing on early-stage startups, concluded with a spirited pitching competition featuring about 80 startup teams. INTEKMEDI stood out as the most excellent company, chosen through comprehensive evaluations.
Since early this year, COMEUP has played a crucial role in connecting startups and investors through an operational online business matching platform. Over 1,000 pre-event and on-site business matching outcomes were facilitated, eliminating borders, time, and space constraints.
A Global Festival Connecting Startup Ecosystems
Sungjin Choi, Chairman of COMEUP Executive Committee, emphasized the event’s impact, stating, “COMEUP 2023 not only increased the overall scale of participants but also saw a significant increase in on-site and global participants, making it even more impactful.” As COMEUP officially transitions into a global festival connecting startup ecosystems worldwide, it is poised to continue playing a pivotal role as a mediator in expanding the startup ecosystem.
In conclusion, COMEUP 2023 has left an indelible mark on the global startup landscape, serving as a beacon of innovation, collaboration, and growth for startups worldwide. As it transitions beyond the event, its impact is poised to resonate, contributing to the continuous evolution and expansion of the global startup ecosystem.
For more information, please contact Kang Doyeon, PR Team of Korea Startup Forum (CEO STAFF), at +82 10-9745-0724 or dy@kstartupforum.org.
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