Korea Startup Accelerators and Early Stage Investors Association (K-AIA) unveiled the main programs and speaker lineup for the 2026 Startup Investors Summit, to be held in Busan from the 29th to the 30th.
Held under the subtitle "Beyond capital, shaking paradigms," the summit will be co-hosted by Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Institute of Startup and Technology Investment. Major domestic accelerators, venture capital (VC) firms, limited partners (LPs), and regional innovation stakeholders will participate in large numbers to discuss changes in the traditional venture investment paradigm and the future of a private-led investment ecosystem.
In the keynote session, Park Ji-woong, head of Fast Track Asia, will speak on shifts in the domestic and global startup investment environment and the strategic role of early-stage investors.
In the main session, participants will include Jeon Hwa-sung, K-AIA chair, Lee Yong-kwan, head of Bluepointpartners, Park Dae-hee, head of the Daejeon Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, Hong Jong-cheol, head of InfoBank iAccel, and Myeong Seung-eun, head of VentureSquare. They will hold in-depth discussions on "the 10-year journey of the early startup investment industry and changes in the venture investment paradigm."
The summit will center on five key agendas: ▲ directions and significance of investments by local governments and the Korea Fund of Funds in 2026 ▲ investment in and scale-ups of innovative companies in lifestyle culture and local sectors (LYCON) ▲ accelerator business 2.0 ▲ AI-based investment and growth-acceleration technologies.
In the LP session, local governments including Busan Metropolitan City, Korea Venture Investment Corporation, and the Agricultural Policy Insurance & Finance Service (APFS) will present this year's investment directions. In addition, Mirae Science and Technology Holdings and Rising S Ventures will share the status and strategies of secondary fund operations. In the LYCON and regional innovation sessions, Busan Economic Promotion Agency Project (BEPA), The Invention Lab, The Bigger Tomorrow Center, and Groove Round will discuss investment strategies that connect the growth of local small-business startups with global markets.
In the accelerator business 2.0 session, Sopoong Connect, UD Impact, AILUM Ventures, Series Ventures, and Hallym University Technology Holdings will explore practical solutions for sustainable early-stage investment business models. In the session on AI and investment technology, MY Social Company, FactSheet, New Paradigm Investment, Bigbang Angels, and Pacemakers will share real-world applications of AI for investment managers, deal sourcing, and portfolio management.
On the second day of the summit, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will introduce policies and directions for nurturing small businesses and startups. In addition, the startup and venture investment law firm DLG will deliver a special lecture on "amendments to the Venture Investment Promotion Act and startup investment guidelines."