Primer's 26th Batch: 15 Firms Break Through Investment Slump with Concrete Results

Primer 26th Demoday, A Battleground for Startups Competing with Performance Indicators The 26th Demoday, hosted by startup accelerator Primer, successfully concluded on the 17th. At this event, 15 very early-stage startups presenting problem-solving solutions across a wide range of fields including AI, healthcare, food tech, logistics, and consumer goods, attracted attention by unveiling differentiated solutions alongside concrete operational metrics. This demonstrates the startups' determination to prove their value through tangible results, even in a cooled investment environment. In particular, several companies captured the attention of attendees by demonstrating remarkable growth in figures. Monandol Company, which introduced 'Lucky Meal,' a solution for reducing fresh food waste, announced that it surpassed its break-even point by securing 130,000 cumulative users and over 800 partner stores within one year of launch. Its achievement of ranking #1 on the App Store and in the top tier of the Play Store, driving explosive user influx without separate marketing, was particularly impressive. Freeder's 'Qdot' revealed even more extraordinary growth rates. Starting as a sole proprietorship in May 2024, it announced that its transaction volume grew approximately 6,300% in one year, achieving a monthly transaction volume of KRW 580 million and surpassing KRW 2 billion in cumulative transaction volume. Strong operational indicators such as collaborations with over 160 brands, a maximum conversion rate of 20%, and a retention rate of 47% clearly demonstrated the service's potential. Blylabs, with its 'Nomot' no-drill curtain bracket, also proved its strong reception in the 1-2 person household market by recording monthly sales of KRW 100 million. Heisenberg, which operates 'SOD,' a YouTube channel specializing in technology and economics, boasted overwhelming media power with 830,000 subscribers and 200 million cumulative views. In addition to these, innovative technology-based services such as 'Carelink' (Care Minder) for patient voice-based nursing automation, 'Hairbe' (Basic Five) for AI-based hairstyling, and a children's edufintech platform (Crabbit) also garnered attention. Original approaches and market penetration strategies stood out in various fields, including 'Sugardy' (Elokean), a low-sugar, low-carb bakery; 'Sonboda' (Banjo), 3D-printed prostheses; 'VCMS' (Minseong) for integrated management of unmanned stores; a vintage clothing platform (Bingle Corporation); 'Baecha King' (HK Logistics) for B2B cargo transportation management; 'Rewake' (Sunicorn), an outlet for brand inventory disposal; 'What's In My' (Linkhive) for performance-based influencer marketing; and 3D heat exchange technology for AI data centers (SwirlX). Kwon Do-kyun, CEO of Primer, stated, "The fact that over 1,300 people applied despite the challenging investment environment demonstrates the potential of the Korean startup ecosystem," adding that he would continue to support the tenacity and execution power of entrepreneurs. Primer, which has invested in 312 very early-stage startups since 2010 and propagated the 'senior entrepreneur DNA,' vividly showcased the realities faced by startups and their efforts to overcome them through this Demoday, once again confirming the bright future of the Korean startup ecosystem.