The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that the largest global startup event in South Korea, ‘ComeUp 2024,’ opened on the 11th at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul.
During the opening ceremony, innovative entrepreneurs from both domestic and international backgrounds heralded the start of ‘ComeUp 2024.’ Yoon Chan, CEO of Everex, and Sina Albanese, CEO of Coraloo, took the stage, representing domestic and global participants, respectively.
Everex is a startup that has been achieving success, having developed a digital rehabilitation exercise solution for musculoskeletal disorders and received an innovation award at ‘CES 2024’ earlier this year after being selected as a ‘ComeUp Stars 2022’.
Coraloo, a vegan fish alternative development and supply startup founded by Albanese, who is of German nationality, established a legal entity in Korea after winning the ‘K-Startup Grand Challenge 2022.’
The two CEOs declared the opening of ‘ComeUp 2024’ and welcomed participants who came with dreams of ‘Startup Korea.’
Following them, Minister Oh Young-joo took the stage for a congratulatory speech, welcoming participants from around the world who visited ‘ComeUp’ and sending a message of support to entrepreneurs globally who will lead ‘innovation beyond the boundaries of nations and technology.’ Minister Oh explained that despite the global multifaceted crisis, startups are finding breakthroughs through innovation and contributing to solving social issues, emphasizing the importance of innovation.
‘ComeUp 2024’ will take place under the theme of ‘Innovation Beyond Borders’ from today until the 12th at COEX in Seoul, and it is expected to be a platform for exchanges among innovation startups and investors from over 40 countries.
Various programs, such as startup exhibitions, conferences, keynote speeches, investor relations pitching, open innovation programs, and startup legal advice sessions will be held, with detailed sub-themes of ▲ Deep Tech, ▲ Inbound, and ▲ Sustainable Innovation by Startup (SIS).
About 260 domestic and foreign startups are participating in the exhibition, with more than half being overseas startups. Countries such as the United Arab Emirates, India, Japan, and Sweden are opening national pavilions to promote their domestic startups, and exhibition zones for deep tech technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence (AI) will also be operational.
There is also an overseas startup-exclusive exhibition hall, ‘Startup Korea Pavilion,’ for foreign entrepreneurs looking to enter Korea. Over 20 overseas startups will promote their business ideas to Korean startups and investors. Notably, Carlos El-Kik Lloret, CEO of Aima, who was the first to receive the ‘Startup Korea Special Visa’ introduced in November, will also participate in the exhibition.
The detailed program for ‘ComeUp 2024’ can be found on the ComeUp website. Anyone interested in the global startup and venture ecosystem can participate through advance registration on the website or on-site registration.