The Seoul Business Agency (SBA) has successfully established a groundbreaking international startup platform at CES 2025, bringing together technology innovators from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The inaugural Seoul Innovation Forum featured a competitive pitching event and cross-border collaboration discussions that highlighted emerging global entrepreneurial talent.
During the event, participating startups competed in an inter-country IR pitching competition judged by a global media panel. E-Magy B.V. from the Netherlands claimed the Grand Winner title, with Japan's BionicM securing first runner-up and South Korea's Apollon taking second runner-up position.
SBA CEO Hyun Woo Kim emphasized the forum's significance, noting this was the first CES platform facilitating competitive yet collaborative showcase among national startup organizations. The event represented a critical step in creating international technology innovation networks, providing startups with unprecedented exposure and potential collaboration opportunities.
The forum went beyond competition, hosting a cross-border collaboration session where participating countries shared startup support programs and innovation ecosystem strategies. Institutions including JETRO, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, SwissTech, and Taiwan Tech Arena contributed to this unprecedented international startup exchange.
Kim stressed the forum's continued relevance, positioning it as a permanent CES-affiliated initiative for global startup networking. By creating this platform, SBA aims to support continued international technological innovation and provide sustained support for emerging entrepreneurial ventures across participating nations.
