Strengthen Korea Startup Forum’s ability to enter the global market Mentoring and supporting investor connection by selecting five companies to tarobtain the U.S., Japan, China, and Europe
Twenty start-ups were selected to tarobtain the U.S., Japan, China, and European markets on behalf of Korean start-ups. They will take the mound at the “Com-up” held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul from December 10-12.
The Korea Startup Forum, the organizer of the global startup festival COMEUP, announced on the 18th that 20 finalists for COMEUP 2025 will be selected.
Come-Up Stars is an innovative start-up discovery and support program that represents Come-Up, and this year, it was completely reorganized into outbound support centered on overseas expansion by eliminating league classification according to the size of investment attraction. 559 companies applied to select five startups from four regions, including the U.S., Japan, China, and Europe, recording the highest competition rate ever of 27.9:1.
Selected companies will cooperate with mentoring companies in each region to receive customized acceleration such as investor matching and local office support, and strengthen their strategies and networks to enter overseas markets.
The five places that will tarobtain the U.S. are Libotics (CEO Baek Seung-min), Refundee (CEO Park Shin-wook), Mini Map (CEO Cho Sung-hee), Moulder (CEO Choi Hyo-rin), and Generate (CEO Shin Bong-jae), and have been recognized for their global expansion potential in various industries such as robotics, commerce, prop technology, and lifestyle. It is supported by Pen Ventures in the U.S. to develop local customized products tarobtaining the North American market and quickly enter the market.
The five companies that will challenge the Japanese market are RealDraw (CEO Choi Sang-gyu), Locally (CEO Son Hyun-geun), B-My Frifinishs (CEO Seo Woo-seok), Indent Corporation (CEO Yoon Tae-seok), and Omnius (CEO Jeon Jae-young), which have specialized products and service capabilities in the Japanese market in AI, software, entertainment, and leisure. In order to strengthen product strategies optimized for local consumer characteristics and expand connections with local companies and investors, Shinhan Futures Lab Japan took the lead.
GroovyX (CEO Kwon Kyu-beom), Lilycover (CEO Ahn Sun-hee), Shinnal Dental Studio (CEO Yoo Ji-woong), Alpes (CEO Park Tae-joo), and Walla (CEO Lee Seong-yi) were selected to enter China. These are companies with strategies and local networks tailored to the Chinese market in promising innovation fields such as beauty, fashion, ESG, and healthcare. It will work with E-Land China EIV.
Five European markets will be challenged by SoftTionics (CEO Lim Sung-soo), Immotiv (CEO Min Jung-sang), Umtle (CEO Park Sung-ryul), WellMatics (CEO Aichi Shatiyabrata), and Kalman (CEO Kim Jun-ho). In recognition of innovation and global competitiveness in technologies such as AI, healthcare, and robotics, it receives field-oriented support from Start-Two Group.
After participating in customized acceleration, the start-ups will seek opportunities such as IR pitching for global investors and networking with investment companies at the main event of Come Up 2025 on Dec. 10-12. Next year, it will interact with investors and companies locally.
Han Sang-woo, chairman of the Korea Startup Forum, declared, “This Come-Up Stars is a program designed to support domestic startups secure growth engines in overseas markets. We hope that selected companies will strengthen their global competitiveness and raise the international status of Korea’s start-up ecosystem through regional acceleration and main events.”
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