#South Korea #Seoul #startups #Korea #COMEUP2025

COMEUP 2025: Recode the Future Festival in Seoul

The highly anticipated COMEUP 2025 festival has officially commenced in Seoul on December 10, running until December 12. Organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, along with the Korea Startup Forum, this event strengthens Korea's position in the global startup ecosystem. With the slogan "Recode the Future," the festival showcases the immense potential of technology and innovation across various sectors.

Now in its seventh year, COMEUP has evolved into a premier platform where startups connect with investors and corporations to explore collaborative opportunities. This year’s event features a lineup of 275 startups hailing from 46 countries, displaying cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions. Notably, seven nations, including Saudi Arabia and India, have established national pavilions to promote their startup ecosystems and leading companies.

The festival kicked off with a remarkable opening performance by Jinwoo Kim, CEO of LINER, who provided an interactive demonstration that illustrated how startups can redefine the future, even as AI technology continues to evolve. Throughout the three-day event, attendees can partake in various programs, including conferences, exhibitions, investor pitching sessions, and business matchmaking initiatives, all focused across three main themes: Tech, Global, and Entrepreneurship.

Among the distinguished speakers is Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN, Saudi Arabia's national AI company, who is set to deliver a keynote speech. Attendees will also hear from Sunghyun Park, CEO of Rebellions, providing insight into the festival's theme of recoding the future. Conference sessions tackle an array of pressing topics, such as the future of mobile apps in the age of AI, technologies designed to combat climate change, and the entrepreneurial spirit of Generation Z, who were born between 2004 and 2006.

In a bid to bolster relations between global investors and innovative startups, COMEUP 2025 has invited a broad spectrum of venture capitalists, corporate venture capitalists, and accelerators. The festival will host 35 major global and Korean corporations on-site, facilitating potential partnerships and co-innovation opportunities. Over 2,000 business matchmaking meetings are organized, offering startups the chance to engage directly with investors, even without prior appointments.

Additionally, several prominent side events complement the main festival. Highlights include the launch of the OpenData X AI Challenge, which allows AI startups to test and validate their projects, the Challenge! K-Startup 2025 Grand Finale showcasing the nation’s largest startup competition, and the K-Startup Grand Challenge Demo Day that features top international startup teams from the year. The event will culminate in the Venture Startup Awards Ceremony, celebrating individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to Korea's dynamic startup ecosystem.

For those who cannot attend in person, major sessions and programs from the festival will be made available for replay on the official COMEUP YouTube channel. The COMEUP 2025 event not only celebrates innovation but also lays the groundwork for stronger collaborations and partnerships within the startup community globally. As the festival unfolds, it continues to inspire new startups to emerge and thrive in the competitive landscape of technology and beyond.