Global Festival for Innovative Startups 'ComeUp 2021' to be Held from Next Month 17 to 19

Online and Offline Combined... Startups and VCs Participate
ComeUp Stars Selected with 10.9:1 Competition Rate
Promoting Open Innovation with Global Corporations

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The 'COMEUP 2021' event, featuring innovative startups and global investors, will be held both online and offline from November 17 to 19. The goal is to prepare for the post-COVID digital transformation era and provide a stepping stone for domestic startups to leap into unicorn companies.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the COMEUP Organizing Committee announced the plans for COMEUP 2021 at a press briefing held on the 27th at Seoul Tipstown.

The COMEUP Organizing Committee, composed of 21 members including the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, startups, investors, and other stakeholders in the startup ecosystem, has prepared various events such as conferences, COMEUP Stars pitching, open innovation, and business matching.

This year, the offline event will take place at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul from November 17 to 19 and will be live-streamed online. The plan is to strengthen communication and exchange among innovative startups, investors, and global companies both domestically and internationally.

Various programs will be offered, including conferences, COMEUP Stars company presentations (IR) and booth exhibitions, open innovation showcases by global companies, and business matching.

First, the conference will consist of 12 sessions on socially significant topics, presented in the form of fireside chats and panel discussions to provide in-depth conversations.

84 distinguished speakers and panelists leading the domestic and international startup ecosystems will participate to envision the future of the startup ecosystem and share global business trends.

Lee Joo-hwan, CEO of Sweet Technologies, known for its online collaboration software, and Jeon Jin-soo, Metaverse Chief Officer at SK Telecom and metaverse expert, will share their insights in a fireside chat format.

Additionally, panelists include An Seong-woo, CEO of Zigbang; Han Jae-seon, co-founder of FuturePlay and CEO of Ground X; and Lee Jin-ha, co-founder of Spatial, an augmented reality collaboration platform, who will participate in panel talks.

The selection for COMEUP’s representative innovative startups, 'COMEUP Stars,' saw 783 applications for 72 spots, resulting in a high competition ratio of 10.9:1. The final selection includes 56 domestic companies (77.8%) and 16 overseas companies (22.2%), which will be supported with company introductions (IR), business matching, and booth exhibitions during the COMEUP event period targeting domestic and international investors.

Priority opportunities will be provided to participate in domestic and international VC business matching, and networking opportunities will be arranged among senior and peer startups.

A showcase introducing the directions and detailed strategies of 18 global companies actively pursuing open innovation, including Samsung and Google, will be operated to discover collaboration models between startups and global companies.

Special events include the 'Challenge! K-Startup Championship' on the first day, 'Global Startup Day' on the second day, and the 'Daestar Solver Platform Championship' on the third day.

In addition, side events such as business matching between startups and investors and networking among senior and junior startups will provide practical support for startups to leap into global companies.

Cha Jeong-hoon, Director of the Startup Venture Innovation Office at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "We will do our best to prepare for the event so that COMEUP 2021 can become a festival where innovative startups and stakeholders in the global startup ecosystem actively communicate and exchange."

An Seong-woo, CEO and chairperson of the private organizing committee, said, "We will actively support so that 2021 can be concluded as the 'Year of Startups' through COMEUP."

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