Martial Arts Startup Delegation Dispatched to Dubai and Abu Dhabi

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Amid the cancellation of most domestic and international exhibitions and trade fairs due to the spread of COVID-19, the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) is taking the lead in helping domestic startups explore the Middle Eastern market.

KITA, in collaboration with Gangnam-gu, dispatched the "Korea-UAE Startup Export and Investment Attraction Delegation" to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for five days starting from the 24th.

The delegation included 10 startups from various fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), healthcare, smart cities, and Hallyu content, including five startups based in Gangnam-gu such as Bitsensing (autonomous driving), N.Thing (smart farm), and Lululab (beauty), which won innovation awards at the CES in the United States in January.

On the 25th and 26th, the delegation visited the Dubai Future Foundation, operated directly by the Crown Prince, and the Dubai Airport Free Zone to discover innovation drivers, and conducted one-on-one consultations with over 50 prominent local investors and buyers.

DC Medical presented medical technology that measures the risk of preterm birth in pregnant women at the Innovation Week event hosted by the Dubai Future Foundation, and also discussed participating in a pilot project conducted before technology commercialization with the Dubai Health Authority and local hospitals. AI-based medical image automatic analysis solutions from Crescom, smart city solutions from Bitsensing and Alt-A, and AI-integrated Hallyu content from Lululab, Zynapse, Jam, and DillyDilly attracted significant interest from local hospitals and shopping malls.

On the 27th, the delegation moved to Abu Dhabi and met with more than 20 local support organizations and investors, including the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. Through this meeting, Bitsensing and Crescom signed a letter of intent for investment with UD Development Investment, the Abu Dhabi royal fund.

Lee Dong-gi, Head of the Innovation Growth Division at KITA, said, "The UAE is jointly discovering and implementing innovation projects with government departments such as the police, health authority, and immigration office in preparation for the post-oil era. Especially, since there is great interest in AI, healthcare, blockchain, and smart cities, there is significant potential for our startups to enter the market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.