NextRise 2025 Kicks Off in Seoul, Driving Global Innovation with an AI Focus
NextRise 2025, Asia’s largest innovation expo officially opened on June 26 at COEX in Samsung-dong, Seoul. Co-hosted by the Korea International Trade Association and Korea Development Bank, the seventh annual event, running through June 27, gathers global companies, startups, and...
Large Supplementary Budget Allocation for AI and Deep Tech
This week, the startup ecosystem saw notable growth across various sectors, driven by government and local government-led funding expansion, technology demonstration, and concentrated startup support programs. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) has allocated a second supplementary budget plan...
Legal Tech Startup LBox Completes KRW 30 Billion Series C Funding
Korean legal technology startup LBox has successfully completed one of the largest Series C funding rounds in the domestic legal technology sector, raising KRW 30 billion. The funding round was led by Kiwoom Investment with participation from Legend Capital. Founded...
Gangnam Unni’s Thai App 'UNNI' Gains Rapid Traction in Thai Market
Healing Paper, the operator of South Korea’s beauty medical information platform Gangnam Unni, announced that its Thai-language app ‘UNNI’ has achieved a tenfold increase in the number of users booking Korean medical beauty services, just seven months after its launch....
26 Korean Startups Showcase Innovation at VivaTech 2025
A delegation of 26 innovative Korean startups participated in VIVA Technology (VIVA Tech) 2025, Europe’s largest startup and tech exhibition, held from June 11 to Saturday, June 14 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in France. Organized by South Korea’s...
Robos, AI Slaughterhouse Robotics Startup Raises KRW 25 Billion
Robos, a startup specializing in automated slaughterhouse robotics, has raised KRW 25 billion in its latest investment round. Founded in 2022, Robos develops advanced automation solutions for slaughterhouses, leveraging cutting-edge robotics and AI technologies. Robos’ core technology integrates deep learning-based...
Google Startup Campus Seoul Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Google Startup Campus Seoul marked its 10th anniversary on June 17, 2025, celebrating a decade of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in South Korea’s startup ecosystem. The milestone event, held at the Campus in Samseong-dong, Seoul, featured the Startup AI Festival,...
Seoul Rises as Global Startup Hub Amidst Diverse Innovation and Strategic Investments
Seoul has significantly advanced its position in the global startup ecosystem, securing the 8th position worldwide in Startup Genome’s 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report. This achievement marks its highest-ever ranking, maintaining a presence within the top 10 for two consecutive...
Baby Unicorns Propel Korea’s Startup Ecosystem
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups hosted the annual ‘Baby Unicorn Performance Sharing Event’ this week, spotlighting the remarkable achievements of Korea’s most promising early-stage startups. The Baby Unicorn program, launched to nurture startups with high growth potential, has supported over...
Gangnam Job & Startup Hub Hosts First Demoday of 2025
The Gangnam Job & Startup Hub Center held its first Demo Day of 2025 at the COEX Startup Branch. The event showcased the impressive progress of 12 early-stage startups participating in the center’s incubation program. The Gangnam Job & Startup...
Gwanak-gu's Startup Scale-up Demo Day Showcases 8 Startups
Gwanak-gu, a district in Seoul, just held its first Startup Scale-up Demo Day. This event was set up by Gwanak-gu to help promising startups from all over Korea get money for their businesses and attract investors. It’s the first of...
Korean SMEs Bridge Developer Gap with Indian Tech Talent Initiative
South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) has taken a significant step to address the software developer shortage faced by Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by linking them with a large pool of Indian tech talent. On May...
Korea's Global Fund Program Attracts Record 79 Overseas VCs
A record-breaking 79 overseas Venture capital firms applied for this year’s global fund investment project launched by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Korea Venture Investment Corporation, generating unprecedented interest and resulting in a highly competitive ratio of 6:1....
Korea's LICORN Program Selects 160 Small Businesses
South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups has selected 160 small businesses from a pool of over 7,000 applicants for its ambitious Strong Small Business Growth Support Program, aimed at transforming traditional enterprises into global lifestyle and innovation companies valued...
South Korea Selects 50 'Baby Unicorn' Startups in 2025
South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups has announced the selection of 50 promising ‘baby unicorn’ startups as part of its ambitious 2025 Global Unicorn Project, marking a crucial milestone in the nation’s drive to cultivate world-class technology startups and...
South Korea's Beauty Industry Reaches Record-Breaking Heights in 2024
South Korea’s beauty industry achieved unprecedented success in 2024, with both production and export figures reaching historic highs, according to an analysis conducted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the country’s cosmetics production, export, and import performance....