The South Korean government is committed to economic stability and uplifting businesses despite the strong wave of recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While notable events for startups are being canceled worldwide, South Korea has announced that it will continue and organize one of its most significant events for startups and small businesses – ComeUp 2020 in November.

The ComeUp event is organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to support startups to reach global shores. The 2020 edition will be held from November 19 to 21, 2020, in Seoul, and there will be provisions to attend the event online.

“Prominent business conferences such as Spain’s MWC, Slush of Finland, and the Hannover Messe in Germany have announced the cancellation of their events this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, we will host the ComeUp event as planned, and we will connect the world online,”

SMEs and Startups Minister Park Young-sun said during a launch event for the Organizing Committee of the ComeUp 2020 in Seoul on Wednesday.

About ComeUp event & 2019 edition

ComeUp event was launched in 2019 to promote the Korean startup ecosystem at home and abroad. The event was developed on lines with a similar top event like SLUSH, Finland’s largest tech event, and TechCrunch Disrupt of the United States.

In 2019, the event had over 21,000 attendees from 60 countries. There were 4,900 startups and 650 venture capitals, who attended the event.

The event had numerous programs such as lectures, panel discussions, IR, networking, exhibitions, startup ecosystem tours, as well as joint private-public events. It was a perfect platform for startups to network with global investors and reach investment milestones. One of the success stories of ComeUp 2019 was LiBest, a local, flexible battery manufacturing startup that received $4.1 million investment.

ComeUp 2020 Slogan: ‘Meet the Future’
(Post Crisis – Pandemic)

ComeUp 2020 is being organized with a focus on a world post-Covid 19. The Minister said the event would give opportunities to startups that can showcase contactless services and businesses that have got attention after the virus outbreak.

“As President Moon Jae-in mentioned that the time for innovative startups has come, companies developing contactless services and technologies will become protagonists in the forthcoming years. The ministry’s focus is on how to make these companies grow into large business entities,”

SMEs and Startups Minister Park Young-sun.

ComeUp 2020 has chalked out three key agendas for the event that cover services impacting the social system, work, and life. The event committee is encouraging startups that are involved in various services like digital healthcare, disinfection work, remote work, robot and AI, commerce, retail, entertainment.

Just like 2019, ComeUp 2020 will also have three types of programs – Keynote Speeches, Panel Talks, and Pitching Sessions. However, this year will emphasize much on online participation, including services like ComeUp TV –Live, digital booths, and online investor matches for global investors.

The event will be hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups along with the Korea Institute of Start-up and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), and private startup ecosystem, at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza(DDP) in Seoul. The founder and CEO of the online grocery delivery service Market Kurly, Kim Seul-ah, will co-chair the Organizing Committee. She said ComeUp 2020 would try to focus on potential changes after the pandemic.

“Through the ComeUp event, we will try to look into changes in life and changes in commerce, education, and retail sectors after COVID-19. We think ComeUp 2020 can be a great sample, showing how conferences should be done in the post-pandemic world,”

Kim Seul-ah, CEO & Founder, Market Kurly

Further details about the ComeUp event can be found on the website www.kcomeup.com.

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