South Korea’s startup ecosystem is growing stronger each year. The country’s progress towards the 4th industrial revolution is incomparable. The growth and success of many Korean startups in just the past decade have proved that South Korea’s domination in technology is no more restricted to few global brands. The country’s startup ecosystem has the ability to drive technological innovation through small and smarter entrepreneurial ventures. 

Korea’s unicorn startup numbers are the fastest growing in the world. Currently, it is home to 11 unicorn startups and still counting, ranking fifth globally after the US, China, UK and India. Korea’s startups are not only serving the domestic market efficiently but are also fulfilling global demands. Technology, Entertainment, E-commerce, Manufacturing, Digital Market, FinTech, Cryptocurrencies, etc., are some of the many sectors where Korean startups are creating innovations and getting noticed worldwide. 

In 2020, the Korean startup ecosystem saw growth and resilience despite the economic impact of COVID-19. The startups developed creative technological innovations that helped in running an ‘untact’ world more efficiently. Events like COMEUP 2020, NextRise, were held virtually and got positive attention from global investors. Korean startups’ success can also be attributed to the strong local government support, friendly policies, flawless internet connectivity, advanced technology infrastructure, fast-growing economy, consumer awareness, corporate backing, number of accelerators and incubators, global investors and VCs, etc.

As a dedicated online-media supporting the Korean startup ecosystem, KoreaTechDesk keeps working towards introducing some of the best Korean startups to the world. We have been covering promising startups, important events, and news and partnering with various events and organizations that interest the startup world. Our parent company beSUCESSS has been a pioneering media house supporting the Korean startup ecosystem. In keeping with our goals, we are bringing ‘KoreaTechDesk Monthly Startup Pitches’ for Korean startups.

KoreaTechDesk launches ‘KoreaTechDesk Monthly Virtual Pitch’ to promote innovative Korean startups and help them expand their global network from March 2021 onwards.

What can Korean startups look forward to:

• Every month, five startups will get the opportunity to pitch their services and products to two international Venture Companies/Investors.
• Each startup will get 10 minutes of pitching time followed by 10 minutes of Q&A.
• These are one-on-one sessions between VCs and the startups and not open to general audiences.

All Korean startups are welcome to participate in the pitch sessions and send their details to us at [email protected] We will select five Korean startups every month based on the slot availability.

The investors taking part in the session on 31st March 2021 are:

Brian Lee, Investment Associate, Chinaaccelerator, SOSV

Brian is an analyst in SOSV and Chinaccelerator. His responsibilities include portfolio management, fundraising, mentor relations and communication with Korean organizations and startups. Before Joining SOSV, Brian worked in a South Korean Software company as programmer and interpreter for technology transfer process. He also had an internship in a consulting firm as a research assistant for Turkey G20 summit supply chain examination. He studied in Shanghai Jiao Tong university, and majored in Eletrical and Computer Engineering. Brian was also an exchange student in Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, studying Computer science and German.

Gani Putra Lie, Investment Manager, MDI Ventures

Joining MDI Ventures in 2016, Gani is now an Investment Manager and Head of Portfolio Services. Although his role is primarily to manage the company’s investment activities he is also charged with managing divestments, portfolio management, portfolio strategizing and supporting strategic corporate activities between MDI Ventures and Telkom Group. Gani was previously positioned in MDI Ventures Incubator & Accelerator division where he oversaw the investment, mentoring and fundraising operations of the Indigo Incubator & Accelerator program, otherwise known as Indigo Nation, which is Telkom Indonesia’s tech incubator program aimed at developing the nation’s digital ecosystem.