We Were One

Startup Alliance successfully hosted the 'Startup Ecosystem Conference 2025' over two days from May 22nd to 23rd at the Changwon Convention Center. This 10th iteration of the event gathered over 200 key stakeholders of the startup ecosystem, including investors, government officials, corporate executives, academics, and support institution representatives. They engaged in in-depth discussions on the sustainable development of the Korean startup ecosystem amidst a rapidly changing global environment. The conference provided extensive global insights, starting with an an analysis of China's AI industry by Park Jun-seong, Co-CIO of Legend Capital; an update on the domestic ecosystem status by Lee Ki-dae, Director of Startup Alliance; an outlook on the US AI ecosystem by Park Yi-an, Partner at Primer Sazae Partners; and a diagnosis of the Japanese startup reality by Lee Chang-hwan, Managing Partner at RISE Worldwide Capital. This was followed by focused discussions on specific operational issues such as legal matters, CVC operations, government policy directions, and assetization of failure, as well as various investment strategies including the specific characteristics of the bio sector, VC 2.0, secondary investments, and pioneering the venture debt market. Founders, investors, government, and various support entities engaged in active discussions, debating the present and future of the ecosystem from their respective perspectives. Particularly at this conference, there was a shared understanding that each stakeholder within the startup ecosystem needs to deepen their understanding of one another and build practical cooperative relationships. There was a strong call for reflection, emphasizing that it's time for founders, investors, and the government to move forward together as partners "in the same boat," based on mutual understanding and solidarity, rather than speaking different languages. Against this backdrop, Startup Alliance reached a significant turning point, announcing the addition of 22 new member companies. Expanding from a single existing member, Naver, to a total of 23 companies, the new members comprise major domestic and international investment firms and support organizations, including D.CAMP, Altos Ventures, Gowid, Dunamu & Partners, Kakao, and IMM Investment. In particular, their global network capabilities will serve as a core driving force in meeting the contemporary demand for accelerating the overseas expansion of Korean startups. Director Lee Ki-dae emphasized "depth over expansion," stating that the alliance will focus on building initiatives that can genuinely contribute to ecosystem revitalization through close collaboration with the new partners. Over the past 11 years, Startup Alliance has championed the quantitative growth of the Korean startup ecosystem. Now is the time to transition to qualitative growth, pondering "what kind of startup, what kind of investment." It is anticipated that these discussions, which began in Changwon, will lead to new partnerships of mutual understanding and cooperation in various fields, fostering a more mature and innovative startup ecosystem.