SEOUL — A matchmaking event opened to help deep-tech companies in South Korea's research and development special zones enter the North American market and attract strategic investment.
The Innopolis Foundation said it held the Deep Tech Global Venture Bridge on the 13th at the SKY31 Convention in Lotte World Tower in Seoul.
The foundation selected investment firms and deep-tech companies from the zones separately, then arranged one-on-one meetings based on what each side was looking for.
Nine investment firms took part, including Mangusta Capital and Plug and Play, chosen for their global investment networks and their ability to support pilot projects and commercialization in North America. On the company side, the foundation picked 10 deep-tech firms in artificial intelligence, semiconductors and robotics, weighing their funding needs and how ready they were to enter the North American market.
The foundation reviewed each company's business model and growth stage along with the investors' areas of interest before making the matches. Participants then discussed investment and local commercialization partnerships.
The companies explored not only funding but also tie-ups needed to expand abroad, including pilot projects in North America and the search for business partners.
The foundation plans to arrange follow-up meetings based on feedback from the investors and the companies' individual needs, and to continue talks on local pilot projects and partner searches in North America.
"We will support our zone companies so that they can keep expanding their cooperative networks with large investment firms on the global stage, and so that this leads to funding and entry into overseas markets," said Jung Hee-kwon, chairman of the Innopolis Foundation.