'Global Startup Festival' COMEUP to Open Next Month... Expanded Global Investment and Corporate Collaboration

National Pavilions from Seven Countries, Major Participation from Global VCs
35 Companies Including Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai Motor, and Nvidia to Host OI Booths
Enhanced Programs for Deep Tech, Social Ventures, and B2C Experiences

The global startup festival COMEUP will be held from December 10 to 12 at COEX in Seoul. Now in its seventh year, the event is planned as a startup festival featuring participation from innovative startups, investors, and global, large, and mid-sized companies from both Korea and abroad.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups held a media day on November 20 at the Global Startup Center (GSC) in Seoul to announce the launch of COMEUP 2025. Since its inception in 2019, COMEUP has served as a venue for stakeholders in the domestic and international startup ecosystem to communicate and network. Last year, the event established itself as a global gathering, with a record 150 overseas startups from 45 countries participating.

Hansung Sook, Minister of SMEs and Startups, is delivering a greeting at the 'COMEUP 2025' media day held on the 20th at the Global Startup Center (GSC) in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Ministry of SMEs and Startups

This year's slogan, "Recode the Future," reflects the idea that startups are reshaping the future by transcending industry and national boundaries through innovative technologies and a spirit of challenge. The event will feature a variety of programs, including conferences, exhibitions, IR sessions, and open innovation, with themes such as tech, global, and entrepreneurship. Key speakers include Tarek Amin, CEO of the Saudi state-owned AI company Humane, and Park Sunghyun, CEO of Rebellion.

This year, the program has been designed to facilitate practical cooperation and investment between domestic startups and global investors and large corporations. A wide range of global venture capital (VC) firms, corporate venture capital (CVC) firms, and accelerators (ACs) have been invited, providing promising startups with opportunities to meet global investors.

The open innovation (OI) program will include participation from 35 large and mid-sized companies, such as Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai Motor Company, NVIDIA, and NHN. These companies will operate exhibition booths, share examples of collaboration with startups, and hold one-on-one meetings. International participation has also expanded. Last year, national pavilions were set up by four countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This year, seven countries-including Saudi Arabia, India, Japan, and Canada-will operate national pavilions. Additionally, three new countries-Australia, Angola, and Sierra Leone-will join, with startups from each country participating in various COMEUP programs.

There will also be a special session focused on social venture startups that pursue social value and innovation. Three entrepreneurs, including Kim Jongkyu, CEO of SixtyHertz, will share their journeys of addressing the social issue of the climate crisis through innovative technology. Impact investors such as Sopoong Ventures and the Impact Foundation will also operate booths on-site, offering consultations for social ventures and others.

Programs for the general public have also been enhanced. To increase interest and understanding of entrepreneurship, the "COMEUP Docent Tour" will provide guided tours of the venue with experts. The "COMEUP Flea Market" will allow visitors to experience and purchase products from B2C (business-to-consumer) startups. On the final day of the event, December 12, eight startup teams from six universities, including Seoul National University, will present their startup ideas and participate in a basic entrepreneurship seminar.

In addition to the main event, a variety of related programs are planned. These include the "OpenData X AI Challenge Opening Ceremony," which provides AI startups with opportunities for proof-of-concept; the "Challenge! K-Startup 2025 Grand Finale," a joint startup competition hosted by ten government ministries; and the "2025 K-Startup Grand Challenge Demo Day," which will select the best foreign startup team of the year. All of these will take place at the COMEUP venue.

Hansung Sook, Minister of SMEs and Startups, stated, "COMEUP 2025 will showcase how startups are rewriting the future-from deep tech innovation that drives changes in everyday life, to global expansion that transcends industry and national boundaries, and the spread of entrepreneurship throughout society."

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