South Korea‘s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) announced on Monday that it would hold COMEUP 2020, the country’s most important event for startups and small businesses, from November 19 to 21, 2020. Launched in 2019, COMEUP 2020 aims to support startups to expand into the global market.
The MSS started accepting applications from startups worldwide to have the opportunity to present virtually their pitches. Promising startups could register for the online startup pitch from July 24, 2020, to August 23, 2020.
In keeping up with participants’ safety during the ongoing pandemic, viewers worldwide could access the event through a live-stream hosted by the MSS.
In 2019, 650 venture capitals and about 4,900 startups attended the first COMEUP with over 21,000 attendees from 60 countries. The MSS, along with the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), and the private startup ecosystem, hosts the startup event at the Dongdaenum Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul.
Startups’ Global Online Pitching
This year, COMEUP 2020 would hold online pitching sessions giving global startups the opportunity to present their startup to venture capitals and other stakeholders. The virtual startup pitch comprises two leagues with a total of 120 teams, the “Rookie League” with 36 teams, and the “Rocket League” with 84 teams.
The Rocket League would accept applications from growth-stage startups. Meanwhile, the Rookie League would accept applications from startups that have raised less than 490 million won ($410,000) in investment and are less than three years old.
During the event, the ministry would showcase pitching videos from the selected 120 startups while streaming them online. The ministry expects over 700 investor companies to participate in COMEUP 2020.
COMEUP 2020 Theme: “Meet the Future – Post Pandemic, Led by Startups”
This year’s COMEUP 2020 theme,”Meet the Future -Post Pandemic, Led by Startups,” would focus on three areas, namely “Social System,” “Work,” and “Life.”
Social System will comprise sub-topics of COVID-19, Politics, Digital healthcare, and the environment. ‘Work’ will involve sub-topics of open innovation, Robotics & AI, remote work, and manufacturing. ‘Life’ will comprise sub-topics of commerce, education, entertainment, and offline retail.
The three-day hybrid event would consist of 12 sessions featuring speakers including SM Entertainment CEO Chris Lee; Market Kurly CEO Sophie Kim; Chief Innovation Officer of Schneider Electric Emmanuel LaLagarrigue; Noom CEO Saeju Jeong; and UC Berkeley Professor Henry Chesbrough.
For more information about COMEUP 2020, visit https://www.kcomeup.com/, where the conference would be live-streamed.
