Seoul’s Startups Shine at CES 2025: 21 Innovation Awards and Global Collaboration “`

Seoul, South Korea, January 19, 2025 – The Seoul Business Agency (SBA), led by CEO Hyun Woo Kim, achieved significant success at CES 2025, with 21 of its participating companies receiving Innovation Awards.

CES 2025, held in Las Vegas from January 7-10, hosted over 4,300 companies from 150 countries. The SBA’s Seoul Pavilion, situated in Eureka Park, was the largest to date, covering 1,040 square meters and showcasing a record 104 Korean startups—the highest number since SBA’s CES participation began.

Among the 1,031 Korean companies present, the SBA’s Seoul Pavilion stood out, securing 21 Innovation Awards—surpassing other Korean groups, including the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (12 awards), Busan (6 awards), and Gyeonggi Province (2 awards). This achievement underscores the SBA’s effective support and strategic planning.

The SBA provided comprehensive support to exhibitors, including its third-year “CES Innovation Award Consulting” program. This program connected companies with expert consultants who offered in-depth guidance and strategic counsel, exceeding simple document review. This proactive strategy significantly contributed to the record number of awards.

Inaugural Seoul Innovation Forum

For the first time at CES, five national pavilions collaborated on the Seoul Innovation Forum. This event united startups and institutions from South Korea (SBA), Japan (JETRO), the Netherlands (Netherlands Enterprise Agency), Switzerland (SwissTech), and Taiwan (Taiwan Tech Arena). Around 200 attendees participated, fostering global networking and business development.

The forum included startup investor relations (IR) pitching sessions, open discussions on entrepreneurship programs, and networking opportunities with international media. Ten exceptional startups competed in the IR pitching competition, with E-Magy B.V. from the Netherlands emerging as the Grand Winner, followed by Bionic from Japan and Apollon from Korea as First and Second Runner-Up, respectively.

During the four-day event, the Seoul Pavilion conducted 1,779 business consultations, an 18% increase year-over-year. This included 107 technical exchange meetings and eight signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for technological collaboration, establishing CES as a key sales platform and a hub for global technological partnerships.

Eight collaborating universities contributed a team of 103 student supporters through the LINC (Leaders in INdustry-university Cooperation) program. These students assisted participating startups with translation and marketing, gaining valuable global business experience.

SBA’s Future Outlook

SBA CEO Hyun Woo Kim stated, “CES is a platform to showcase not only products and technologies but also the vision of innovative enterprises. SBA will continue to enhance the global presence of Seoul startups through new programs, including global IR and media networking opportunities, ensuring their innovations remain prominent.”

The SBA’s exceptional organization and strategic initiatives at CES 2025 firmly positioned Seoul startups as key players within the global tech landscape, setting the stage for future successes.

Media Contact

Seoul Business Agency

Source :Seoul Business Agency