IBK Changgong Guro: Investment Demoday for 20 Innovative Startups

IBK Industrial Bank of Korea's innovative startup nurturing platform, 'IBK Changgong (創工)', successfully held its 'GURO DEMO DAY for the 13th Guro Batch' on April 10th at KT&G Sangsang Planet in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, injecting new vitality into the startup ecosystem. Approximately 100 people, including venture capital (VC) officials, executives from large corporations, and representatives from startup-related organizations, attended the event, showing keen interest in the startups poised to lead future innovation. Under the theme, "Soar into the Blue Sky (蒼空) through Changgong (創工)!", this demo day featured 20 startups spanning a wide range of fields including health & diagnostics, information & communication, knowledge services, advanced manufacturing & automation, chemistry & new materials, and environment & sustainability. They showcased their refined business models and delivered enthusiastic IR pitches to attract investment. IBK Changgong provided systematic support programs to these 13th Guro batch startups for approximately four months, helping them build a foundation for growth. This included investment and loan linkages, as well as expert training, customized mentoring and consulting for each company, provision of comfortable office spaces, support for market channel development, marketing strategy formulation, and active networking opportunities. Comprehensive support was provided for business stabilization and sustainable growth. Notably, this demo day stood out for its meticulous consideration for the psychological well-being and resilience enhancement of startup representatives. A professional psychological counseling space was set up at one side of the venue, offering stress management and mental health support for the challenges faced during startup operations, which garnered significant positive feedback from participants. This was a glimpse into IBK Changgong's philosophy, which goes beyond mere business support to consider the personal well-being of entrepreneurs. VC officials who participated as judges provided sharp yet practical growth advice after each company's presentation. This in-depth feedback is evaluated to have made a significant contribution to further refining the participating companies' business models and enhancing their future investment attraction potential. An official from IBK Changgong Guro stated, "IBK Changgong is continuously striving to provide support optimized for each company's unique goals and characteristics," emphasizing, "We sincerely hope that this demo day will serve as a decisive stepping stone for participating companies to leap further towards the future they envision," and expressing IBK Changgong's unwavering commitment to innovative growth.