The doors have opened for 'COMEUP 2025,' where global startups gather to discuss innovation. At this year's COMEUP, attended by domestic and international startups, various startups showcased their technological prowess and served as a space for sharing different services, playing a role in jointly promoting the future of startups.

On the 10th, the Korea Startup Forum hosted 'COMEUP 2025' at COEX in Seoul. Since its inception in 2019, COMEUP has been a startup festival where stakeholders in the startup ecosystem—including domestic and international innovative startups, investors, and global, large, and mid-sized enterprises—gather and interact in one place. It is hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and organized by the Korea Startup Forum (KOSPO), the Korean Venture Capital Association, the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), and the Venture Enterprise Association.

The biggest feature of this year's COMEUP, held under the theme 'Recode the Future,' is the expansion of contact points with global VCs, CVCs, and accelerators, along with strengthened exchanges with global startups. Accordingly, the 'Investor Booth,' the official investor booth for COMEUP located at the entrance of the venue, saw a continuous stream of visitors. Representative domestic and international VCs, ACs, and CVCs participated, with companies like Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance and E-Land China filling the booths.

Right opposite was the 'Business Matching Lounge,' which operated 1-on-1 meetups through pre-arranged and autonomous matching to strengthen startups' investment attraction. Almost every section was fully occupied, and visitors could be seen deeply immersed in listening to the explanations.

Global startups were also easily spotted. Following the establishment of national pavilions by four countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), at last year's COMEUP, this year features national pavilions from seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, Japan, and India. Global startups showcased their respective technological capabilities more deeply through sessions, strengthening their sharing with startups worldwide.

In fact, right in front of the stage where the 'Korea-Japan Regional Ecosystem Connection Symposium' was held, a booth hosting the 'Korea-Japan Startup Ecosystem Exchange' was set up, attracting a steady stream of visitors interested in Japanese startups.

A dedicated session for social venture startups pursuing social value was also prepared. The 'Climate Tech Demo Day: Switch Ground Stage' introduced the stories of entrepreneurs attempting to solve the social problem of the climate crisis through innovative technologies.

In addition, various linked events stepped up to revitalize the startup ecosystem. Representatively, at the 'Challenge! K-Startup 2025 Grand Final,' a joint startup competition held by 10 ministries, the response from the audience was so enthusiastic that the large-scale session hall was completely full. The session hall was filled with startup representatives confidently showcasing their technology despite their nervous and trembling voices, alongside the proactive engagement of the judges, who, apart from their rigorous evaluations, looked on with warm eyes hoping for the startups' growth. The Grand Final runs for three days, with the final match taking place on the 12th.

Booths encouraging visitor participation could also be seen. 'Sweet&Data', which operates an artificial intelligence (AI) photo studio, demonstrated how people's photos are transformed by AI through an AI photo booth. If a user selects a version such as cartoon or retro animation before taking a picture, the AI processes it into that concept. Visitors who received their results showed interest, saying, "It's amazing. It can change like this."

Also, 'Swig', a startup that created the development project management tool 'Ryuido', allowed visitors to directly experience Ryuido through a survey on the reasons why team projects get delayed.

COMEUP, where active communication unfolds between domestic and international startups, will be held until the 12th.

Reporter Bae Soo-hyun hyeon2378@techm.kr