Grand Opening of Korea's Leading Startup Festival, COMEUP 2025

Seoul COEX was abuzz with innovative energy. This is because 'COMEUP 2025', the nation's largest global startup festival, kicked off its grand three-day event on the 10th under the slogan 'Recode the Future'. This year's COMEUP, marking its 7th edition, featured 275 startups from 46 countries worldwide showcasing products and services set to change the future, while national pavilions from 7 countries, including Saudi Arabia and India, opened avenues for global cooperation. At the opening ceremony, an AI performance by Kim Jin-woo, CEO of aspiring unicorn Lyaner, raised expectations for the future era, and Tarek Amin, CEO of Saudi AI company HUMAIN, along with Park Sung-hyun, CEO of Rebellions, garnered significant attention by emphasizing the importance of AI and innovation in their keynote speeches. CEO Park Sung-hyun's appearance as a speaker for two consecutive years showcased the strength of the Korean startup ecosystem. Notably, the meeting between Han Sung-sook, Minister of SMEs and Startups, and Tarek Amin, CEO of HUMAIN, was one of the key highlights of the event. HUMAIN, established by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, is a massive enterprise pursuing large-scale investments across the entire AI value chain, from AI infrastructure to hyperscale language models, with the goal of fostering Saudi Arabia into an AI hub nation. During the meeting, both parties engaged in an in-depth discussion on expanding the entry of Korean AI startups into the Saudi market and revitalizing cooperation in the AI venture and startup sectors. HUMAIN expressed a strong willingness to collaborate with Korean AI semiconductor and deep-tech startups, even revealing that it is considering establishing a Korean office, 'HUMAIN Korea', which raised significant expectations among domestic startups. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to further strengthen bilateral cooperation through practical support, such as publishing a guide for entering the Saudi market. Throughout the event, various conferences were held, including "The Future of the App Ecosystem in the AI Era," "Technologies to Overcome the Climate Crisis," and "Stories of Gen Z Entrepreneurs," offering insights into future technologies and societal changes. Furthermore, a total of 35 organizations, including global VCs, CVCs, and accelerators, as well as domestic large and mid-sized companies participated, facilitating over 2,000 business matching sessions. Dedicated investor and corporate booths provided countless on-site networking opportunities, fostering the growth of startups. In addition to the main COMEUP event, various related events such as the "Challenge! K-Startup 2025 King of Kings Battle" and the "K-Startup Grand Challenge Demoday" took place simultaneously, further fueling the entrepreneurial spirit. Minister Han Sung-sook reiterated the event's significance, emphasizing, "We support the challenges of startups that are rewriting the future, and communication and exchange within the startup ecosystem are key to innovation." COMEUP 2025 will go beyond being a mere festival; it will serve as a springboard for startups poised to lead global innovation.