CNTTech, a leading accelerator in Korea, and ChosunBiz co-hosted C Forum (C-Forum) 2026 on the 2nd at CGV Wangsimni in Seoul, which wrapped up successfully.
Marking its fourth year, C Forum is a startup forum where members of the innovation ecosystem—including startups and investors, large corporations, public institutions, universities, and policy agencies—gather to discuss the future of industry, with "Connect, Collaborate, Create" as its core values. About 300 people, including startup CEOs and accelerators, attended the forum.
This year, C Forum adopted a new format under the theme "The Movie," introducing Korea's first startup film forum. Moving beyond lectures and panel discussions, it used film as content to depict founding and growth, investment and failure, and the process of a second try, resonating with attendees.
The highlight of the forum was the screening of the original film "Batch: Growth." Set against the startup ecosystem, the film realistically portrayed founding and investment, accelerating, team building, failure, and second attempts. In particular, it shed light on the meaning of startup growth through the perspectives not only of founders but also of investors, investment reviewers, accelerators, and operators across the ecosystem.
After the screening, Jeon Hwa-seong, CEO of CNTTech and the film's director, explained the background of the production. Jeon said, "We made the film to raise awareness of the existence and role of accelerators," adding, "Startup founders, as well as the accelerators and investors who help nurture their dreams, are core members of Korea's startup ecosystem."
Jeon continued, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and co-growth in the startup ecosystem, saying, "Only when they grow together can a healthy startup ecosystem be built."
The forum moved away from one-way presentations and was run as an interactive program that freely exchanged views with attendees. Startup leaders and employees, investors, and accelerator officials engaged in active Q&A sessions on topics such as changes in the investment market, the role of accelerators, and trends in the startup ecosystem.
Jeon also described recent changes in the startup ecosystem. Jeon said, "A total of 62,000 people applied for the government's startup project 'Startup for All,' and according to the government, participants ranged from their teens to their 80s," adding, "While mentoring for 'Startup for All' second-chance participants, we often meet high school founders and founders in their 70s at the same time."
Jeon also said, "Going forward, startups that combine domain expertise with AI technology will gain competitiveness," adding, "As building AI models needed for business has become much easier than before, founders with on-site experience and expertise will face even greater opportunities."
Various officials from startup support programs operated by CNTTech also took part in this forum. Major institutions and corporations, including IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO), The Korea Agriculture Technology Promotion Agency (KOAT), Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME), and iM Financial Group, joined as sponsors to support exchanges and collaboration among members of the startup ecosystem.
Startup officials who attended the forum said the film and forum shed new light on the startup ecosystem. A startup CEO said, "It gave me a chance to recall the difficult early days of the business," adding, "The growth of a startup is not achieved by the founder alone but is built together with accelerators and investors, which I was reminded of again."
An accelerator manager said, "Through the film, the message that 'founding a startup is ultimately a story of human growth' was delivered with depth, which was deeply moving," adding, "It was all the more meaningful because we could encounter the latest startup trends based on real incubation program cases."
At the end of the forum, organizers also announced a plan to unveil the sequel "Batch 2" at C Forum 2027 next year. Jeon said, "We are filming you at this very moment," adding, "All of you are key players in the growth of Korea's startup ecosystem and will be the protagonists of 'Batch 2,' to be released next year."