The Seoul Business Agency (SBA) marked a significant milestone at CES 2025 in Las Vegas by operating the Seoul Pavilion and launching the Seoul Innovation Forum, a novel multi-national startup competition platform. This event, which took place on January 8, brought together startups from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, showcasing a unique collaborative effort in the global startup scene.
At the heart of the forum was an inter-country IR pitching competition, where each nation presented its most promising startups. The competition was judged by a global panel of media experts, with E-Magy B.V. from the Netherlands being crowned the Grand Winner. Japan's BionicM and South Korea's Apollon were named First and Second Runner-Up, respectively. This competition not only highlighted the innovative capabilities of startups from various countries but also set a precedent for future international collaborations.
Post-competition, the forum facilitated a cross-border collaboration discussion, focusing on startup support programs. Representatives from key institutions such as the Seoul Business Agency, JETRO, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, SwissTech, and Taiwan Tech Arena shared valuable insights into their respective startup incubation and growth strategies. This session underscored the importance of global cooperation in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
Hyun Woo Kim, CEO of SBA, underscored the forum's pioneering role as the first platform where national organizations and startups collaborated in a competitive setting evaluated by global media. Kim praised Korea's vibrant startup culture and expressed optimism about the participating startups' future successes. The Seoul Innovation Forum is envisioned as a strategic initiative to bridge entrepreneurial talent across borders, with plans to continue as a key CES-affiliated event, offering sustained support to the participating companies beyond the conference.
