Global innovation is entering a new cooperative phase, where AI giants and industrial powerhouses are no longer just market players but co-architects of startup ecosystems. Korea’s expanding open innovation strategy, anchored by the AroundX platform, reveals how cross-border partnerships are transforming from selective alliances into systemic engines of deep-tech acceleration and global market readiness.

Korea Expands AroundX with OpenAI, Mercedes-Benz, and Global Partners

Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) announced that four new global corporations—OpenAI, Mercedes-Benz, HP, and Astellas—will join its flagship open innovation initiative, AroundX, beginning in 2026.

The announcement was made on December 12 at the AroundX Open Innovation Seminar during COMEUP 2025 in Seoul’s COEX Convention Center. With these additions, the program will grow to 17 participating global corporations, deepening its reach across AI, mobility, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing.

Since its 2019 inception, AroundX has evolved from a pilot collaboration with Google Play into one of Korea’s most recognized public-private innovation platforms. The initiative now connects over 1,600 Korean startups with multinational corporations including NVIDIA, Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, IBM, Intel, and L’Oréal.

AroundX: Seven Years of Open Innovation and Global Scale

AroundX was created to help startups leverage global infrastructure, R&D networks, and commercialization pathways. The program operates under a partnership model—each global corporation co-develops proof-of-concept (PoC) projects, co-marketing campaigns, or localized R&D pilots with Korean startups.

Between 2019 and 2024, companies supported by AroundX created nearly 4,000 new jobs and attracted KRW 603 billion (USD 460 million) in cumulative investment. Startups that graduated from the program, such as Colosseum Corporation—an AI logistics company supported by AWS—have expanded internationally, launching joint projects in Japan with AWS Japan and Daiwa.

The addition of OpenAI and Mercedes-Benz expands the program’s technological depth and industrial range. It also reinforces Korea’s strategy to position itself as a deep-tech and AI-driven startup hub within the Asia-Pacific region.

A Turning Point in Global Co-Innovation

At the event, MSS First Vice Minister Noh Yong-seok emphasized that the inclusion of new global partners represents a major inflection point for Korea’s innovation strategy, saying:

“With new global partners joining, AroundX is poised to become Korea’s representative global open innovation platform. The Ministry will continue supporting outstanding startups as they collaborate with global corporations to co-create innovation.”

Mercedes-Benz Korea also formalized its participation by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED).

In addition, participating startups—including Soojib, IPIN LABS, Colosseum, Circulus, NdotLight, and Wellmatix—shared success stories of technology validation and international expansion through global partnerships formed under AroundX.

Deep-Tech Alignment and Global Positioning with OpenAI and Mercedes-Benz Collab

The expansion of AroundX to 17 global corporations reflects a strategic shift in Korea’s innovation diplomacy. The participation of OpenAI, one of the most influential AI firms globally, and Mercedes-Benz, a leader in smart mobility, signals a move toward deeper collaboration between deep-tech ecosystems and global industrial networks.

This development aligns with Korea’s broader startup policy direction: accelerating technology scale-ups rather than increasing startup quantity. The government’s focus now centers on AI infrastructure, bio-innovation, defense tech, and advanced manufacturing—domains that mirror the industrial footprints of the new AroundX participants.

AroundX’s structure also gives startups a credible pathway to global exposure without leaving Korea’s ecosystem. By working directly with multinational R&D teams and corporate venture arms, Korean startups gain validation, investment visibility, and export readiness—critical factors in today’s capital-tight environment.

Korea’s Expanding Open Innovation Frontier

The inclusion of OpenAI, Mercedes-Benz, HP, and Astellas marks a defining moment in how Korea integrates global innovation networks into its startup policy architecture.

With more than 1,600 startups and 17 multinational partners now connected through AroundX, Korea is shaping a collaborative model where deep-tech, AI, and global scale intersect. The program’s continued evolution is expected to amplify Korea’s role as a cross-border innovation hub, connecting Asia-Pacific founders, investors, and corporations in a single open platform for the next decade of global startup growth.

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