US Korean Venture Investors and Founders Unite for K-Startup

‘82 Startup Summit 2025’ Brings Together Over 1,000 Korean-American Investors and Founders in Silicon Valley
Largest Annual Korean-American Startup Event in the U.S.
Ministry of SMEs and Startups Supports K-Startup Entry into the U.S. Market
UKF Grows Into a Network of 1,500 Members, Expanding Global Connections

More than 1,000 Korean-American venture investors and founders in the United States have come together in Silicon Valley to provide investment opportunities for K-Startups.

On the 10th (local time), the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that the ‘UKF 82 Startup Summit 2025’ was held in Silicon Valley, USA. This ‘UKF 82 Startup Summit 2025’ was hosted by UKF, a private organization consisting of Korean-American venture investors and startups in the U.S., and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups supported the event’s organization and the participation of domestic startups as a sponsoring institution.

‘82 Startup’ is named after Korea’s country telephone code ‘82’. It is a group formed for mutual cooperation between Korean-American venture investors and startups in the U.S. It started on a small scale in 2018 but now has 1,500 members.

82 Startup holds the largest annual Korean-American startup event in the U.S., the ‘82 Startup Summit,’ and last year, with the official incorporation of UKF (United Korean Founders), which connects Korean startups across the U.S. including 82 Startup, this event has been held under the name ‘UKF 82 Startup Summit.’

The event consisted of startup investment attraction presentations (IR), networking luncheons and dinners, keynote speeches, and global market entry strategy sessions. On the first day, the 10th, an investment attraction IR for Korean startups was held. Five startups selected through the Ministry’s global investment attraction platform ‘K-Global Star’ participated and actively sought investments in front of Korean-American investors from across the U.S.

Kim Seong-seop, Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, who attended the event, said, “It is very meaningful that the United Korean Founders UKF has been organically organized in the private sector and grown into a network of over 1,500 members. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will continue to cooperate with UKF to support the entry of K-Startups into the U.S. market,” adding, “Starting with the U.S., the Ministry will play a role in activating Korean venture and startup networks in major countries worldwide, including Asia and Europe, and connecting them with global investment networks.”

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