BUSAN — The Busan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation led a group of promising Korean deep tech startups to Fukuoka, Japan, to help them attract investment and expand into global markets.
The center said it ran the "Plug in: Fukuoka #13" program alongside the global startup event RAMEN TECH 2026 and supported five Korean deep tech startups in entering the Japanese market.
The event was part of a Korea-Japan startup ecosystem exchange program the Busan center has run jointly with Fukuoka Jisho, a major real estate developer in the city, for a second consecutive year. It took place over three days in Fukuoka from the 7th to the 9th of this month. After opening exchanges between Busan and Fukuoka last year, the center upgraded its local network this year by linking the program to RAMEN TECH 2026, one of Fukuoka's flagship innovation events.
The main event, "Plug in: Fukuoka #13 | Japan × Korea Deep Tech Pitch Arena," held on the 8th, drew 10 deep tech startups from Korea and Japan along with about 50 officials from venture capital and corporate venture capital firms, companies and startup support agencies in both countries. Participating companies explored proof-of-concept opportunities, business partnerships and potential investment through demo day pitches, one-on-one investor feedback and open networking.
Five Korean companies with advanced technologies took part and drew favorable reviews: XL8AI, which provides real-time multilingual interpretation and translation using artificial intelligence; Connected Solution, a maker of robots for bridge inspection and maintenance; NeuroFusion, which offers AI-based financial research and investment analysis; Flowork Research Institute, which analyzes water resources and leakage using AI; and Loen Korea, which develops industrial edge AI control based on physical AI.
The support produced tangible results. Connected Solution was invited to a cross-border exchange presentation hosted by Fukuoka Growth Next, the city's startup hub, while Flowork Research Institute advanced to the semifinals of a startup pitching competition held during RAMEN TECH, catching the attention of local investors.
"By linking up with RAMEN TECH, one of Fukuoka's flagship events, we were able to build a broad foundation for cooperation with key partners such as local VCs, CVCs and startup support agencies in a short period," an official at the Busan center said. "We will continue to strengthen our role as a hub connecting Korean startups to the global stage, including Japan."