산은·MuHyup Host Startup Fair 'NextRise 2021'

June 28-29 Event Held at COEX, Seoul

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] The Korea Development Bank and the Korea International Trade Association announced on the 13th that they will hold 'NextRise 2021, Seoul,' the largest domestic global startup fair, at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on the 28th and 29th.

Now in its third year, this event is the largest startup fair in Korea, jointly hosted by the Korea Development Bank, the Korea International Trade Association, the National Research Council of Science & Technology, the Korea Venture Business Association, and the Korea Venture Capital Association. It consists of booth exhibitions, conferences, and one-on-one consultations for business cooperation and investment attraction.

This year, the booth exhibition will feature a record number of over 270 startups. Large domestic and international companies such as Hyundai Motor Company, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft will also participate, attempting win-win cooperation with startups.

Additionally, a university pavilion and a global zone have been newly established to foster a healthy startup culture and promote the globalization of the domestic startup ecosystem. In particular, at the Hyundai Motor Company booth, Boston Dynamics' robot dog 'Spot' will be showcased to the public for the first time at a domestic fair. The one-on-one consultations will involve over 1,300 domestic and international startups, 138 large and medium-sized enterprises, and 42 venture capital firms. Consultation schedules will be arranged and conducted according to mutually needed areas of interest surveyed in advance.

The startup support platforms operated by the Korea Development Bank, 'KDB NextRound' and 'KDB NextOne,' will also hold special rounds and demo days respectively. Visitors wishing to attend can register through the website and mobile app. Admission is free, and on the day of the event, visitors can enter the venue after filling out a health questionnaire on the web or mobile app and scanning the generated QR code.

Jang Byung-don, Vice President of the Innovation Growth Finance Division at the Korea Development Bank, said, “We hope that 'NextRise 2021, Seoul' will serve as an opportunity for Korea's startup ecosystem to overcome COVID-19 and move into a new era.” He added, “The main focus of this event is win-win cooperation between startups and large and medium-sized enterprises, globalization of the domestic startup ecosystem, fostering a healthy entrepreneurial atmosphere among the youth, and supporting university students' job-seeking activities.”

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