The Seoul Business Agency (SBA) has transformed the traditional CES experience by introducing the Seoul Innovation Forum, a groundbreaking international platform for startup collaboration and competition. The forum, held during CES 2025 in Las Vegas, united promising technology startups from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, and the Netherlands in an unprecedented cross-border networking and pitching event.
The centerpiece of the forum was an international investor relations (IR) pitching competition where each participating nation presented its most innovative startups. A global panel of media judges evaluated the pitches, ultimately crowning E-Magy B.V. from the Netherlands as the Grand Winner, with Japan's BionicM and South Korea's Apollon taking first and second runner-up positions, respectively.
Beyond the competition, the forum facilitated a critical cross-border collaboration session where participating countries shared insights into their startup support programs and innovation ecosystems. SBA CEO Hyun Woo Kim emphasized the event's significance, noting this was the first time national organizations and startups collaborated in such a competitive yet collaborative environment at CES.
The initiative represents a significant step in global technology innovation, providing startups with unprecedented opportunities for international exposure, networking, and potential partnerships. By creating this platform, SBA has established a new model for international startup engagement that could reshape how emerging technologies are discovered and developed.
