CJ Group OVENTUS 8th Demo Day: 9 Innovative Startups Showcase Vision

CJ Group's startup acceleration program 'OVENTUS,' operated in collaboration with the Seoul Center for Creative Economy & Innovation, has contributed to vitalizing the domestic startup ecosystem through its successful journey of seven years. The OVENTUS 8th batch demo day, which recently concluded successfully at Seoul Dreamplus Gangnam, was a testament to these efforts. At this demo day, nine carefully selected startups from various fields including food/bio, logistics/commerce, and entertainment/media participated, presenting the results of their Proof of Concept (PoC) conducted with five CJ affiliates: CJ CheilJedang, CJ Freshway, CJ Logistics, CJ Olive Young, and TVING. The startups showcased tangible possibilities for collaboration with CJ affiliates, raising expectations for future investment attraction and business partnerships. Notably, the case of Lesser, an OVENTUS 6th batch alumnus, successfully supplying AI voice in collaboration with CJ ENM, drew attention as a prime example demonstrating the program's tangible achievements. OVENTUS supports the substantial growth of selected startups by providing not only PoC support but also professional training and mentoring covering all aspects of business operations, including management strategy, IR, and PR consulting. To date, OVENTUS has discovered a total of 70 startups, with 16 CJ affiliates participating in collaborations with them. Even after the program concludes, the follow-up linkage rate with affiliates, including CJ Investment, reaches 33%, indicating the establishment of a successful open innovation model that goes beyond mere discovery to actual commercialization and investment. Kim Do-han, CEO of CJ Investment, emphasized the importance of technology that understands people in the AI era, stating that it is crucial to develop innovative business models and create mutual synergy through collaboration between promising startups and CJ affiliates. CJ Group plans to continue providing unwavering support for the sustained growth of startups, including seeking follow-up commercialization linkages with affiliates and opportunities for investment attraction.