Jeju: Investment Pitching Stage for 16 Deep Tech Companies

The Jeju Creative Economy Innovation Center successfully hosted the 'Startup-BuS Joint IR' in conjunction with the 'JOIN 2025' event at Jeju Booyoung Hotel on September 1st, contributing to the revitalization of the deep tech startup ecosystem. This event was designed with the goal of supporting deep tech companies from initial investment attraction to subsequent connections. JOIN 2025, a global entrepreneur networking conference held concurrently with the APEC SME Ministerial Meeting, gathered over 500 participants including startups, investment firms, and large and medium-sized enterprises from APEC member economies, creating a platform for startup ecosystem networking. The joint IR that day consisted of an 'Investor Talk' sharing investment trends and deep tech investment strategies, and 5-minute pitches from 16 startups carefully selected by 8 Creative Economy Innovation Centers nationwide. Experts from KAIST Professor Choi Myung-jae, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, CJ CheilJedang, and Korea Investment Accelerator participated in the Investor Talk, sharing insights. Notably, the Jeju Center drew attention by introducing Megaplan, which possesses mackerel aquaculture technology using artificial spawning, and SPECS, which provides hyperspectral technology-based satellite data analysis services. Approximately 70 investment managers and related personnel attended, laying the groundwork for participating companies to explore various investment opportunities. The Jeju Center's 'Startup-BuS' program focuses on discovering deep tech startups (less than 7 years old) in the aerospace, eco-friendly energy, and AI/big data sectors, providing comprehensive support to selected companies including participation in national joint IRs, Jeju Center investment reviews, and consideration for TIPS recommendation upon investment attraction. The 'Startup-BuS' program, launched by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups in May of last year, aims to take responsibility for regional deep tech startups from initial to follow-up investment. It has successfully discovered 406 companies across 5 pilot centers, with 110 of them attracting approximately 29.6 billion KRW in direct and indirect investments. This year, three additional centers, including Jeju (Gangwon, Gyeongnam), have been added, expanding the program to a total of 8 centers, thereby becoming an important driving force for regional innovation and growth.