The Indian delegation engaged in various B2B meetings with leading venture capitalists (VCs), corporations, accelerators, and govt organisations
New Delhi – The Circle: Founders Club (The Circle FC), a leading cross-border business accelerator for growth-stage startups, has successfully concluded the Korea Market Immersion Program (KMIP) at COMEUP 2024, South Korea’s largest global startup event. The week-long high-impact delegation, scheduled from December 9th to December 14th, 2024, provided Indian entrepreneurs unparalleled exposure to one of Asia’s most dynamic startup ecosystems and technological innovation hub.
The Circle FC’s delegation included companies from diverse sector, like BVersity (Virtual University for Biotech), Aspire India (Employee growth through habit formation), Adgcraft (Comprehensive PR services), Hana Advisors (Business strategy services), Klug Klug (Influencer Marketing Analytics), Dubverse.ai (AI based Video Dubbing Platform) and Nimble Vision (IoT based smart water and sewage management). They showcased their innovations during the Global Community Pitching competition, where startups from 15 countries participated.
At COMEUP 2024, hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Government of South Korea, Indian startups participated at the India Pavilion, supported by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Startup India, drawing global attention and networking opportunities. The event organised by Korea Startup Forum, was held under the theme “Innovation Beyond Borders,” and attracted over 20,000 attendees, 260+ startups, and 300+ investors from across the world.
The delegation also engaged in targeted B2B meetings with leading venture capitalists (VCs), corporate venture capitalists (CVCs), top corporations, accelerators, and leading universities unlocking opportunities for strategic partnerships, investments, and market expansion. Startups further explored South Korea’s innovation-driven economy through curated ecosystem tours and direct exposure to government initiatives through visits to Global Startup Centre, K-Startup Grand Challenge, Korea Social Innovation Fund, Indo-Korea Chamber of Commerce amongst others. These sessions highlighted policies, grants, and programs designed to support international businesses entering the market.
Speaking about the success of the Korea Market Immersion Program, Nemesisa Ujjain, VP & Head of The Circle FC, said: “With South Korea emerging as a natural entry point for Indian startups into the broader Asia-Pacific region, KMIP provided them an opportunity to expand horizons, access global investors, and establish strong connections with the Korean ecosystem.”
With the resounding success of this program, the Circle FC is already planning its next cohort, aiming to bring more Indian startups to international markets like Taiwan, Japan, and beyond in 2025.