"Let's Go to Silicon Valley" K-Global@Silicon Valley 2021 Starts Tomorrow

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 8th that it will hold the 'K-Global@Silicon Valley 2021' event from the 9th to the 11th to support domestic ICT companies' entry into the U.S. market and investment attraction.

Marking its 10th anniversary this year, the event will host 55 domestic digital companies along with about 600 participants including local U.S. investors and buyers. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the event will be held online again this year following last year.

This year, programs such as the ICT Innovation Forum, pitching competitions for domestic and international startups, and online export consultations are prepared under the theme of ‘Digital Transformation,’ which has been accelerated by COVID-19.

On the first day of the event, the ICT Innovation Forum will examine the global business environment changed by the pandemic and discuss the responses of major companies and the future ahead. In the keynote speeches, CTOs from major Korean and U.S. digital companies such as SK Telecom, IBM, AWS, and Twitter will share their experiences and success stories of digital transformation. During the panel discussion, CEOs of startups from both countries will share their thoughts on the future that digital transformation will bring from an entrepreneur’s perspective.

The pitching competition held over two days on the 10th and 11th consists of two programs: ‘K-Pitch,’ featuring 16 domestic startups aiming for U.S. market entry and investment attraction, and ‘I-Pitch,’ where global startups compete. The first-place winner of K-Pitch will receive the Minister of Science and ICT Award along with a prize of 10 million KRW, while the second and third place winners will receive 5 million KRW and 3 million KRW respectively. The first and second place winners will also qualify to participate as Korean representatives in the ‘I-Pitch’ the following day.

On the 11th, the I-Pitch will feature 11 teams from 8 countries including Korea competing in a friendly contest. The top three companies will receive prizes and opportunities to network with local Silicon Valley investors and buyers.

Additionally, during the event period, 39 companies participating in the online exhibition will conduct one-on-one video consultations with global companies such as IBM, AWS, Visa, and Tesla. Programs to enhance export performance, including consulting linked to video consultations, small-scale webinars, and SNS connections between companies and buyers, will also be supported.

Cho Kyung-sik, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, “The global acceleration of digital transformation is creating new opportunities for startups armed with creative ideas and innovative technologies. We will actively provide the necessary support so that digital startups can leap into a broader world through participation in ‘K-Global@Silicon Valley 2021.’”

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