KOTRA Sets Up Korea Pavilion at the Largest US Startup Exhibition

15 Korean Pavilion Participating Companies

KOTRA, in collaboration with the Korea Institute of Information Technology, announced on the 20th that it has established a Korea Pavilion at the startup exhibition 'TechCrunch Disrupt' held in San Francisco, USA, from the 19th to the 21st.

TechCrunch Disrupt is the largest startup conference in the United States, held annually since 2011 in major cities with developed startup ecosystems such as San Francisco, New York, and Berlin. This year’s event featured ▲booth exhibitions ▲industry-specific conferences ▲pitch competitions ▲networking events between global companies and startups.

The Korea Pavilion hosted 15 participating companies, making it the largest among the six national pavilions including Japan and Belgium. The Korea Pavilion was the only one among the participating countries to be allocated a 'Live Pitch' stage for two days, where big tech companies and venture capitalists (VCs) could be introduced to the companies. Through this, our innovative companies showcased various cutting-edge technologies such as AI-based financial solutions in front of over 10,000 visitors from 130 countries.

Meanwhile, KOTRA collaborated with POSCO to promote VC-tailored IR pitching consulting and a networking reception inviting global companies. This was to ensure that participating companies achieve effective results. The pitching consulting, conducted over a month in advance, was directly coached by VCs active in the field. Pitching strategies targeting North American partners and methods for verifying market suitability were introduced.

Park Seong-ho, head of KOTRA’s North America regional office, said, "As the race to secure new technologies intensifies among local global companies and investors, the demand for partnerships with K-innovative companies is increasing," adding, "We will support our innovative companies to leap overseas through partnerships with global companies."

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