6 Promising Startups Shine with 'Innovation'

Six Startups Showcase Innovative Solutions
at the LeapStart Demo Day
Hosted by Next Elevation and CNT Tech

Here are six startups that have spent about four months refining solutions to address various problems we encounter in life. The fields these startups are innovating in are diverse, including food tech, short-form content, AI audiobooks, and digital healthcare. They focused on inconveniences that might have been overlooked or endured until now. To improve these, they developed technology and built scalable business models. The demo day organized by Next Elevation, established by Asia Economy in partnership with CNT Tech, was an opportunity to witness these achievements.

Ma Young-min, CEO of Next Elevation, attended the 'Leaf Start Demo Day' hosted by Next Elevation and CNT Tech at TIPS Hall, TIPS Town, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 20th, delivering the opening remarks. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

Startup accelerator Next Elevation held the 'LeapStart' demo day on the afternoon of the 20th at TIPS Hall S1 in Tipstown, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. This demo day was arranged to introduce the advanced businesses of six startups that participated in the 13-week acceleration program conducted by Next Elevation and CNT Tech since last October, and to provide investment opportunities. About 200 people attended the event, including over 100 investors.

The six companies that participated in the demo day secured their spots by overcoming a 28:1 competition ratio. They included 'Digital Nutrition,' which developed a health-enhancing auditory stimulation solution; 'Farmkit,' which created a hyper-personalized recommendation solution for food commerce operators; 'Shortflex,' a comprehensive short-form content service; 'Reepees,' a kitchen automation robotics solution for small business owners; 'Isipsajjeomchil,' which developed real estate asset management software as a service (SaaS); and 'Cynthia,' an AI audiobook automatic production platform.

During the acceleration program, these companies were diagnosed through the value check system developed by CNT Tech and received one-on-one expert mentoring from Next Elevation and CNT Tech based on detailed analyses such as setting key performance indicators (KPIs), establishing initial and product strategies, and marketing. Together, they grew their businesses.

Ma Young-min (right), CEO of Next Elevation, and Jeon Seong-sung (left), CEO of CNT Tech, along with other startup CEOs, are taking a commemorative photo at the 'Leap Start Demo Day' hosted by Next Elevation and CNT Tech at TIPS Hall, TIPS Town, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 20th. From the left: CEO Jeon, Yang Seon-heung, CEO of Farmkit, Na Hyung-jun, CEO of Shortplex, Oh Jin-hwan, CEO of Cynthia, Song Jeong-su, CEO of Repeez, Lee Seon-wook, CEO of 24.7, Kim Na-young, CEO of Digital Nutrition, and CEO Ma. Photo by Jo Yong-jun.

The aspirations of the startup representatives who took the stage after this process were bold. Yang Sunheung, CEO of Farmkit, said, "The food commerce category will become a killer." Na Youngjun, CEO of Shortflex, stated, "We will create a platform that people open first when they are bored at home." Oh Jinhwan, CEO of Cynthia, emphasized, "We will transform the slow-to-adopt publishing industry with AI technology." Song Jeongsu, CEO of Reepees, said, "I dream of a future kitchen where robots handle more than 90% of kitchen tasks." Lee Seonwook, CEO of Isipsajjeomchil, said, "Our goal is to build Buddy’s unique real estate value chain using landlord and tenant databases." Kim Nayoung, CEO of Digital Nutrition, set the goal of becoming the "No.1 global healthcare app."

At the demo day venue, exhibition booths were also set up to explain the companies. The six booths, where various promotions and events took place, were bustling with visitors eager to learn more. Next Elevation plans to invest up to 100 million KRW per team in startups selected as outstanding among the finalists. They also support CNT Tech’s TIPS program linkage. Additionally, all participating teams will proceed with follow-up investment attraction through the demo day. Asia Economy supports PR communication by producing video and article content about the startups’ growth stories.

On the 20th, at TIPS Hall in TIPS Town, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, the startup 'Lefiz' is presenting its company introduction at the 'Leap Start Demo Day' hosted by Next Elevation and CNT Tech. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Ma Youngmin, CEO of Next Elevation, said, "We are holding the third demo day after preparing an early-stage investment accelerator program to contribute to the startup ecosystem striving for a new future. This time, 172 teams applied, and six teams were selected and went through professional coaching and preparation." Ma added, "The startup ecosystem requires extensive networking and connections to achieve substantial growth. It is created not only by passionate startups but also by various institutions and investors who can support them. Asia Economy will also strive to contribute to this ecosystem as a media outlet."

Jeon Hwasung, CEO of CNT Tech and president of the Early-Stage Investment Accelerator Association, said, "Global investors also attended this demo day. We will work hard to propel this program into the global market."

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