The Ministry of SMEs and Startups on Tuesday held a press briefing announcing the details of the upcoming COMEUP 2020 on November 19-21. Attendees to the press briefing included Minister Park Youngsun, Market Kurly CEO Sophie Kim, and Deputy Minister Junghoon Cha.
The ministry conducted the conference in adherence to the strict guidelines on COVID-19 by the government.
Minister Park Youngsun gave the opening remarks during the 1-hour press briefing. She reiterated that they would strive to turn COMEUP 2020 into a festival that would lead the global startup ecosystem. COMEUP, which began as “Venture Korea” in 1997, aspires to become a global startup festival representing all of Asia, Park added.
The COMEUP Organizing Committee planned the event as an online, contact-free global startup festival amid the ongoing pandemic. The committee, co-chaired by Deputy Minister Junghoon Cha, is composed of 22 startup experts.
In consideration of the K-Quarantine Model and the resurgence of the COVID-19 spread, the committee also relocated the event from the initially planned Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) event hall to a new location, the Ilsan CJ E&M Production Center.
Top Global Startup Festival
A total of 1,076 startups, 646 of which came from 88 countries worldwide, submitted applications to participate as one of the 120 companies selected as “COMEUP STARS.”
Meanwhile, the “K-Startup Grand Challenge” program saw 2,648 teams from 118 countries submitting applications, a 58 percent increase from last year’s event.
In its second year, COMEUP pushes to make great leaps to become one of the top four global startup festivals, along with Finland’s Slush and U.S.’s TechCrunch event.
“I sincerely wish COMEUP 2020 will be a grand festival where innovative startups and startup ecosystem professionals throughout the world can communicate and interact, share and cooperate to create a new economic order and business models in the post-COVID-19 era.”
-Park Youngsun, Minister of SMEs and Startups
COMEUP 2020 Key Contents
Meanwhile, Kim explained the key contents of this year’s COMEUP event prepared through private and government cooperation.
- Event Slogan and Agenda
Under the theme “Meet the Future – Post Pandemic,” COMEUP 2020 represents the ministry’s goal to have “startups lead the way in facing the post-COVID-19 future.” The event would discuss changes to industry and lifestyle around the startup ecosystem due to the coronavirus pandemic. The event would discuss the changes in three main areas: Social System, Work, and Life.
- Main Conference Structure Operation
The main conference would conduct 12 sessions, including K-Quarantine, telecommuting, commerce, and others, to address the event’s slogan. These sessions would include 15 speakers and 99 discussion panels from domestic and foreign startups leading various fields.
- COMEUP STARS
COMEUP STARS, composed of 120 selected companies, would create videos to promote their companies and online booths. These companies were selected from 1,076 startups from 89 countries through a three-stage assessment process.
- Hosting of Special Events & Additional Events
The event would also host special events, such as AI Championship and K-Startup Grand Challenge, that would support domestic startup policies. The committee also prepared additional events designed to provide practical assistance to COMEUP STARS to achieve growth as global startups.
- COMEUP 2020 Nurijip & Online Booths
Regular event participants, domestic and abroad, can access the latest event-related information and watch videos live free through the “COMEUP 2020 Nurijip” website. They could also view lively video content through VR technology in a Virtual Showroom within the website’s homepage.
Online booths would provide corporate IR videos and materials for the 120 COMEUP STARS. Investors could support startups through business matching, one-on-one counseling sessions, and senior-to-junior networking.
Anyone that wishes to enjoy the COMEUP experience can log in and pre-register to COMEUP 2020 Nurijip (www.kcomeup.com).
