The debut of the Korea Conference, led by Jenny Chu, was held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on August 17. It welcomed over 200 attendees including Korean innovative startups and investors, and has already started making an impact.
Designed to introduce Korean startups to U.S. investors and venture capitalists, the conference aims to foster expansion into the American market through investment attraction. The Korea Daily proudly stands as the event’s exclusive media partner.
Distinguished startups from diverse domains like SP&E, RNR, KeyPair, VITABON.Bio, MindAI, Art in Motion Labs, ShiftBio, and Daeyoung Chaevi unveiled their advanced technologies and ambitious roadmaps during the event.
[Korea Conference showcases 8 innovative startups in U.S. market]
Subsequent one-on-one meetings with investors following the event led to fruitful talks of potential investments and collaborations.
Emerging as a standout, SP&E introduced a groundbreaking sprinkler system adept at extinguishing fires and removing hazardous smokes. Gyu Kim, SP&E’s CEO, shared their team engaged in detailed dialogues about the product’s commercial viability with multiple investment groups, receiving positive feedback from premier venture capitalists.
VITABON.Bio’s CEO, Bo Min Lim, expressed satisfaction with the acceleration of their discussions with potential partners from the U.S. and China, driven by their innovative smoking cessation aids.
Spotting the latent value, several investors committed to maintaining ties. Ray Seok, CEO of theater equipment firm RNR, confirmed engaging with multiple interested parties and fostering continued relations.
ShiftBio, marking their second Korea Conference appearance this year, revealed an investor’s intent to monitor their progress and deliberate investing at a suitable juncture. They are also expected to be introduced to major pharmaceutical firms in the U.S. for potential collaborations.
Reflecting on the event’s future, Jenny Chu, Korea Conference’s CEO, commented, “Rome wasn’t built in a day. We envision refining the conference annually, ensuring Korean startups increasingly find their spotlight.”
James Huang, president of eXp’s commercial division eXp World Holdings and a Korea Conference advisory board member, recognized the potential of Korean firms in their unique industry positions. He emphasized LA’s emerging stature as a tech epicenter, succeeding Silicon Valley.
However, some feedback hinted at areas of improvement. One event attendee suggested a more transparent approach from organizers regarding startups’ specific needs—whether investment or partnerships—to enhance networking outcomes.
BY HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
