* COMEUP 2025 presents exhibitions, IR pitching, open innovation programs, and conferences under the theme “Recode the Future.”
SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS, Minister Sungsook Han) and the Korea Startup Forum (KSF, Chairman Sangwoo Han) announced that COMEUP 2025, Korea’s largest global startup festival, officially opened on Wednesday, December 10 at COEX Seoul. Launched in 2019, COMEUP has grown into a premier platform where innovative startups, global and domestic investors, and major corporations gather to exchange insights and explore opportunities for collaboration.
This year’s event is centered around the slogan “Recode the Future,” reflecting a collective ambition to rethink existing boundaries and accelerate transformation across industries. The festival opened with an AI-powered performance by Jinwoo Kim, CEO of LINER, a newly selected 2025 Pre-Unicorn startup. His presentation highlighted the growing dialogue between artificial intelligence and human creativity, emphasizing how startups drive the re-invention of the future.
The festival features 275 startups from 46 countries, with seven nations hosting pavilions to present their ecosystems and promising companies. Global thought leaders are delivering keynotes and joining thematic sessions, including HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin and Rebellions CEO Sunghyun Park, who will discuss how emerging technologies and entrepreneurial insight can reshape the future. Conference tracks cover themes such as climate tech innovation, AI-driven shifts in the mobile app landscape, the rise of Gen-Z founders, and stories from entrepreneurial families.
Investment and partnership development remain central to this year’s event. COMEUP 2025 is hosting global VCs, CVCs, accelerators, and major corporations to foster new connections and strengthen cross-border collaboration. Thirty-five corporations have joined the festival to engage with startups and explore opportunities in co-innovation, while more than 2,000 scheduled matchmaking meetings are helping participating teams connect directly with investors and potential partners.
Several additional events are enriching the festival program. The OpenData X AI Challenge provides AI startups with opportunities to validate and refine their technologies. The Challenge! K-Startup 2025 Grand Finale brings together finalists from Korea’s largest government-led startup competition, and the K-Startup Grand Challenge Demo Day presents standout international startups. The Venture & Startup Awards Ceremony is also being held to honor significant contributions to Korea’s entrepreneurial landscape.
All major sessions from COMEUP 2025 will be available for replay on the official COMEUP YouTube channel.
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