The startup conference “beGLOBAL SEOUL 2015″ ended with a bang at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza Information Hall. The conference, which attracted 2,500 observers, served as a venue for genuine networks, with 120 startups, 150 domestic and foreign media outlets and 55 speakers participating.
There were voices from government agencies supporting local startups’ overseas expansions. “The government is currently working with Maru180, DiCamp and Google Campus to develop an ecosystem for startups, and is directly supporting startups through TIPS of Ministry of SMEs and Startups,” said Vice Minister of Ministry of Science and ITCT, Lee Seok-joon through a participating session. “The name can change, but the trend of startups will continue even after the creative economy administration ends.”
There was also a lot of interest in starting businesses that participated in booths. WayWearable, which created the wearable device Way for skin care, has exceeded the target amount of the Indian project during the exhibition of non-global booths. The one-man director startup “Zimcar” received a great response by keeping the luggage of visitors at a beGLOBAL site inside its own luggage box. In response, Aving and SBS News reported the Zimcar service. The “Insta Wash,” a mobile car wash service, showcased a car wash performance along with the car-sharing service “Socar.” A variety of O2O and wearable services participated in the event with booths, giving spectators the colorful pleasure of breaking down barriers between online and offline.
The victory of Startup Battle, the high point of “beGLOBAL SEOUL 2015,” was won by Toss Lab of the JANDI. Toss Lab’s “JANDI” is a communication tool against “slack” and serves customized communication tools for the Asian market. Toss Lab, which won the Q Prize, will receive 270 million won (about US$ 230,376) from Qualcomm Ventures through convertible notes. In addition, they will compete in the international finals for the Q Prize in September. This year’s international finals for Q Prize will be held in September at the Qualcomm Ventures CEO Summit, which will be attended by global companies and over 40 Silicon Valley VCs.
Ryu Joong-hee, CEO of Future Play, said of the event, “This year’s conference was a place where various countries, diverse people participated and learned a lot from the participation of people who felt that the name changed to beGLOBAL SEOUL,” adding, “It was a meaningful event that brought China, Silicon Valley, and Korea to one place, and it was an honor to participate as a speaker.”
