'ComeUp 2020' to be Held as a Global Startup Festival in the Untact Era

Inauguration Ceremony of the 'COMEUP 2020' Organizing Committee Held on the 20th

At the ComeUp Organizing Committee launch ceremony held at Mapo Dream Square on the 20th, Park Young-sun, Minister of SMEs and Startups (right), is presenting a certificate of appointment to Kim Seul-ah, CEO of Market Kurly.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] 'COMEUP,' a global networking event for domestic innovative ventures and startups, will be held this November at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Park Young-sun, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry) announced on the 20th at Hanwha Dreamplus Gangnam in Seocho-gu, Seoul, that the '2020 COMEUP Organizing Committee Inauguration Ceremony' (hereinafter the Organizing Committee) was held, and that 'COMEUP 2020' will take place at DDP from November 19 to 21.

At this inauguration ceremony, 22 individuals with both credibility and expertise in the startup industry were appointed as members of the Organizing Committee. Kim Seul-ah, CEO of Market Kurly, who will serve as the private sector organizing chairperson, received a letter of appointment from Minister Park Young-sun on behalf of the Organizing Committee.

COMEUP is the largest startup global networking event in Korea, launched last year by the Ministry with the goal of developing it into a world-class startup festival like Finland's 'Slush' or the United States' 'TechCrunch.' 'COMEUP 2019' attracted approximately 21,000 visitors from a total of 61 countries worldwide, bringing together 4,900 startups and 650 venture capitalists in one place to create a networking and business platform that transcended borders.

The Ministry and the Organizing Committee expect that just as 'K-quarantine' became a global standard through the rapid development and distribution of diagnostic kits by Korean bio-venture companies during the early spread of COVID-19, if this year's COMEUP event is successfully held with themes and methods optimized for the post-COVID era's non-face-to-face (untact) environment, it can emerge as a model festival attracting worldwide attention.

Entering full-scale activities over the next six months, the COMEUP 2020 Organizing Committee will be co-chaired by CEO Kim Seul-ah and the Director of the Startup Venture Innovation Office at the Ministry. Under the chairpersons, the committee is composed of three working divisions. CEO Kim stated that with the aim of providing a venue to preview the near future that innovative ventures and startups will face in the post-COVID era, they plan to operate a total of 12 sections by planning four detailed sections under each of the three main themes: Social System, Work, and Life. The event format will focus on untact methods combined with offline elements, featuring live broadcasts, startup digital booths, and online conferences.

Minister Park Young-sun said in her congratulatory speech at the inauguration ceremony, "For Korea to leap forward as a digital powerhouse leading the world in the post-COVID era, innovative ventures and startups must play a key role," adding, "if this year's COMEUP is successfully held with themes and methods optimized for the untact era, it will quickly establish itself as a model of success for global startup festivals."

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