Industrial Bank of Korea and Korea International Trade Association to Host Global Startup Fair on 13-14

Exhibition of Over 500 Startup Booths
Platform for One-on-One Meetings Between 218 Global Companies & VCs and 880 Startups

On the 10th, a creditors' meeting of Taeyoung Construction was held at the headquarters of the Korea Development Bank in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

On the 5th, the Korea Development Bank and the Korea International Trade Association announced that they will hold 'NextRise 2024, Seoul,' the largest domestic global startup fair, at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on the 13th and 14th.

Now in its 6th year, this event is hosted by the Korea Development Bank and the Korea International Trade Association, with co-hosts including the National Research Council of Science & Technology, the Korea Venture Business Association, and the Korea Venture Capital Association. Various programs such as startup and global company booth exhibitions, one-on-one business meetups, and domestic and international speaker lectures will be held, along with side events including startup IR pitching, recruitment briefings, networking sessions, and partner events.

With a record scale of about 500 startups, booths will be operated in industry zones and special pavilions focusing on AI, bio, fintech, and more. Domestic and international large corporations and related organizations such as LG, AWS, and Mercedes-Benz will introduce open innovation strategies and startup operation programs at 24 independent booths. Notably, over 100 overseas startups from 20 countries including the United States, Japan, and Germany will participate, providing an opportunity to experience the latest trends in the global startup ecosystem.

The NextRise signature program, the one-on-one business meetup, is the largest in Asia, with 218 domestic and international global companies and investors such as Hyundai Motor Company, LG Electronics, SKT, LVMH, and Airbus, along with about 880 domestic and international startups participating. Over 3,600 investment and business cooperation consultations will be conducted on-site.

At three conference stages within the exhibition hall, lectures by top domestic and international authorities and leading startups in future strategic industries such as AI, advanced semiconductors, and mobility will share industry trends and startup overseas expansion strategies. AI semiconductor concert sessions by FuriosaAI, Rebellion, and Semifive, special lectures by Yoon Il-yong, Head of AI Center at POSCO DX, Choi Young-min, Head of Battery Materials Research Institute at LG Chem, and Suh Wan-seok, Executive Director at NVIDIA, are prepared. Additionally, global insight lectures by overseas experts such as Professor Ilya Strebulaev from Stanford University, FiscalNote CEO Hwang Tae-il, a Silicon Valley unicorn founder, and Fountain founder Ryu Gi-baek will be held.

Furthermore, through four pitching stages, about 170 exhibiting startups will be given IR pitching opportunities, and a dedicated recruitment briefing stage will support startups in talent acquisition and youth employment. Besides the main hall events, independent conference rooms will host demo days by SKT, the Korea Venture Capital Association, and the Korea Venture Business Association. The National Research Council of Science & Technology, AWS, KAIST Startup Institute, and the Korea PropTech Forum will conduct 28 diverse side events including conferences, pitching, and networking sessions.

Lee Jun-seong, Vice President of the Innovation Growth Finance Division at Korea Development Bank, said, "'NextRise 2024, Seoul' will serve as a platform linking startup growth with innovation in large and medium-sized enterprises to drive new industry development and connect investors, providing opportunities to enter the global stage." He added, "Through NextRise, we will expand the K-Startup ecosystem and continue to develop it to broaden the base of entrepreneurship to the general public."

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