Last Monday,Korean startup accelerator ActnerLab and SparkLabs held a Global Korea Startup demo day for IT startups at TIPS Town, a startup cluster in southern Seoul. Ten startups, incubated by ActnerLab and SparkLabs, were chosen to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges including British Telecom(BT) Managing Director Jean-Marc…
Crowdfunding is officially open for Korean startups. This week, Korea’s National Assembly passed a package of economic stimulus bills, including one that makes crowdfunding and crowdfunding websites legal in Korea. Before this bill, Korean entrepreneurs couldn’t ask their compatriots for small investments in return for…
Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED) will be accepting foreign entrepreneurial applicants for their startup support program, which runs from May 18 to June 25. The program is designed to support entrepreneurs who plan on starting their own technology-related business in Korea. Last…
“The goal of Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED) is to strengthen the Korean startup ecosystem and create soft-landing possibilities for Korean startups to scale up their business at a global level” Last month, KISED held a discussion session on a technology foundation…
Five years ago on a fine spring day, I went and talked to a certain organization with a business plan and website proposal in hand for VentureStory (the name at the time). The head of this organization simply stared at me and said, “I’m sorry?…
On February 5th, Seedstars World held their final startup competition event in Geneva, Switzerland. The final event was hosted at the Lift Conference. Each of the ten startup finalists were given a chance to compete, pitch, and win up to $500k in equity investment at…
South Korean startups have been given the green light, and the nation has become one of the key startup hubs in Asia. After the dot.com bubble burst, few people dared to start their own business. However, some internet portals and online game companies survived the…
There is a new Korean “Unicorn” (a company valued at US$1 billion): Yello Mobile. Founded in August 2012, Yello Mobile is a company that bought 61 mobile companies just last year in Korea. This might make you wonder if it’s really a startup. Yes and…
Avellino, a biotech startup based in Seoul, has developed a pioneering technology that has so far protected over 460 people from losing their sight. Avellino Corneal Dystrophy is a genetic condition which weakens eyesight over time, leading to visual impairment or even total blindness.…
Last Friday, Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA) held an informational session on Tech Incubator Program for Startup (TIPS) for 2015 at MARU 180, a startup incubating institution in Gangnam Seoul. The session drew more than 600 people from various fields of business. During the…
Molit(Minister of land, infrastructure, transport) announced plans to build a new community to attract software enterprises in an effort to expand the current tech community. The minister of Molit described the new construction as “an urban, high tech industrial valley.” The new area will constructed…
Looking for fertile grounds for startups in Korea? There are some booming regions for startups in Korea, such as Pangyo Techno Valley and Gangnam Startup Valley. The Korean government plans to develop these areas to form core communities for startups. Pangyo Techno Valley Pangyo Techno…
Daum Kakao announced the web version of KakaoGroup for PC, which allows users to write and upload pictures and videos to Kakao Groups. Many users felt limited by Kakao’s PC offering when wanting to write longer messages or upload multiple files. KakaoGroup was released to…
KEEPING THE HALLYU WAVE ALIVE Richard Choo, founder of KpopUnited (KU), is no stranger to bringing Korean brands to other countries. His previous works include founding Red Mango in the U.S. and also throwing K-pop concerts in Las Vegas. After coming up with the idea…
