KOSPO Aids 20 Firms' Global Expansion in H1, Launches AI Council in H2

Korea Startup Forum Reveals H2 Strategy to Lead Future Innovation and Strengthens Key Ecosystem Partnerships The Korea Startup Forum (hereafter KOSPO) successfully held its 2nd Board of Directors Meeting, Operations Committee Meeting, and Partners Day at Gangnam DreamPlus on the 23rd, reviewing its H1 activities and presenting key operational directions for the H2 leap forward of the startup ecosystem. The meeting was attended by approximately 20 officials from board member companies and operations committee member companies, as well as key personnel from special member companies such as AWS, Naver, Coupang, and Google Korea, engaging in in-depth discussions and networking. Since the beginning of this year, KOSPO has focused on expanding the proportion of global and deep tech startups and strengthening its position as an opinion leader within the ecosystem. In H1, through its global 'Business Trip' series in locations such as Shanghai, China, Tokyo, Japan, and Vienna, Austria, KOSPO provided over 20 member companies with connections to local investors and collaboration opportunities, establishing a bridgehead for global expansion. Domestically, in response to the early presidential election situation, KOSPO swiftly launched a task force (TF), actively communicated with major political parties, and listened to the challenges faced by startups on the ground. Based on this, it published the policy proposal 『"Scale-up Korea": A New Republic of Korea Created by Startups』 and presented 9 key tasks, thereby strengthening its policy leadership. In H2, KOSPO is preparing to launch the 'AI Industry Council' to strengthen its policy proposal function centered on the AI industry, aiming to expand the external influence of AI and deep tech-based startups. Furthermore, it will expand business trips to major hub cities such as Chungbuk, Jeju, and Busan to strengthen solidarity with regional startups. Its recently successful in-house IR Day, 'The PITCH,' demonstrated its potential as a flagship program for startup growth, offering practical feedback from investment experts, and KOSPO plans to further develop such key programs. Maintaining its role as a key counterpart to the government, it also plans to extensively promote collaborations with large corporations, big tech companies, and local governments. Particularly, Partners Day saw a large attendance from representatives of leading domestic and international big tech companies, including AWS, Naver, NICE Payments, Coupang, and Google Korea. They exchanged in-depth opinions with KOSPO member companies regarding future collaboration possibilities and operational directions, maximizing synergy within the ecosystem. Han Sang-woo, Chairman of the Korea Startup Forum, emphasized that "startups are the key players driving future industries such as AI and deep tech," and revealed a vision to "expand support for startup growth, establish key programs, and further strengthen cooperation with relevant ministries." Through these diverse efforts, KOSPO is expected to solidify its role as a leading player in driving the growth and global leap of the South Korean startup ecosystem.