'ComeUp 2022', Final Selection of 70 ComeUp Stars Announced

Cumulative Investment Attraction Amount Approximately 523.7 Billion KRW Sets All-Time Record

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Korea Startup Forum, the organizer of the global startup festival 'COMEUP,' announced on the 6th that it has finalized the selection of 70 companies as COMEUP Stars participating in COMEUP 2022.

COMEUP Stars are promising startups leading the global startup ecosystem, selected annually by COMEUP. They are provided with various support programs and opportunities for business growth. The recruitment for COMEUP Stars, held from July 4 to August 5, saw participation from 881 startups across 38 regions worldwide, competing for 70 spots, achieving a record-high competition rate of 12.6 to 1.

The final 70 companies were confirmed after a month-long evaluation in August by 30 expert judges through written and interview assessments, followed by a review by the advisory committee. The Rookie League, which selects early-stage startups with high growth potential, chose 30 companies, while the Rocket League, accelerating innovative growth toward unicorn status, selected 40 companies. Their cumulative investment attraction amounted to approximately 523.7 billion KRW, with an average investment of about 7.5 billion KRW, marking the largest scale of investment attracted by COMEUP Stars to date. Seventeen companies (24%) that have successfully attracted over 10 billion KRW in investment include H2O Hospitality, Galaxy Corporation, Airs Medical, Codebox, Deeping Source, Doctor Diary, Team Sparta, and XYZ.

Among the startups selected for the Rookie League is the US edutech company Nao Now, while the Rocket League includes Indonesia’s mobility startup Soul Parking and AI drug development company Oncocross, expanding into North America and Europe, all of which are gaining attention in overseas markets.

By industry sector, the software field accounted for the largest share with 23 companies, about 33%, followed by healthcare & bio with 13 companies, about 18%. Startups from diverse fields such as commerce & shopping, finance, mobility, education, metaverse, energy & sustainability were also selected, promising to showcase the capabilities of startups leading global economic trends. COMEUP 2022 will be held for three days from November 9 to 11 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) and will also be available via online live streaming.

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