1. Korea comes in 2nd place for the fastest internet speeds, 1st in other metrics According to a recent report by Akamai Technologies, South Korea’ average peak connection speed was 72.1 Mbps, lagging behind Hong Kong with 73.9 Mbps. Despite this result Korea remains top in the world for a number of other internet speed metrics including, highest average connection speed (24.6 Mbps). Hong Kong is the runner-up in this metric, at 8.9…

It’s one thing for local entrepreneurs to scale across Southeast Asia. It’s quite another for foreign entrepreneurs to do the same. The economic and logistical constraints unique to the region are already difficult to tackle: lack of a universal payment method, like credit cards or PayPal; relatively poor infrastructure and logistics; and hard-to-reach consumers who are more inclined to purchase offline than on. But foreign entrepreneurs have the added disadvantage of being…

One does not normally associate tech M&As with political strife. But the left leaning Daum and right leaning Kakao are facing exactly these issues on the day they announce their successful merger. Daum is Korea’s second largest internet portal that was acquired earlier this summer by Korea’s largest social messeging applilcation, Kakao. Daum is generally acknowledged to be skewed to the left on the political spectrum, whereas Kakao was previously caught up in controversy…

As reported in Business Korea, Chinese handset maker Huawei is launching a mobile handset offensive against domestic powerhouses Samsung and LG, in the Korean market. The company will begin their invasion with a new flagship smartphone, set to compete with the more economical domestic options. Samsung Electronics will also make a stronger effort in the Chinese market to increase its market share, particularly in premium level handsets. Huawei is planning to target…

For as much as the last fifteen years Korea has been emerging as one of the front-runners in global tech innovation, but has failed time and time again to capitalize fully on the opportunities. Smartphones, 4G mobile internet, MP3 players, social networks, and mobile payments are just a few examples. Nowadays, the U.S. and China, not Korea, are spearheading the growth of these markets and Korea is at a dangerous position, likely…

3-month contract, with possibility of extension to a full time position Team: English Editorial Team Level: Junior team member How to apply: Please email your resume and cover letter to nathan@besuccess.com What is beSUCCCESS? beSUCCESS is Korea’s leading media and events platform that helps Korean technology startups find success beyond their domestic borders. We achieve this through media and events, as well as a wide range of other local and global initiatives….

Hello Nature (Byung Yul Park, CEO), an online grocery retail startup, has announced a US$1.4 million investment from Softbank Ventures and Mirae Asset Venture Investment. Organic foods are popular among Koreans, and according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the organic food market is expected to reach near four billion dollars by 2014. Unlike other online grocery retailers in Korea, Hello Nature offers compact package delivery services called “nature-friendly…

Last December, Aileen Lee from Cowboy Ventures, identified 39 software startups that have reached valuations of over $1 Billion, and grouped them under the moniker of The Unicorn Club, in her landmark TechCrunch post. Since then, software startups with valuations of over $1 Billion are being commonly called “Unicorns” in Silicon Valley and worldwide. On the conclusion of a second very successful beGLOBAL 2014, where ten Korean startups featured in Silicon Valley, we…

The second beGLBOAL in Silicon Valley, September 12th, clearly demonstrated that Korean entrepreneurship has come a long way in the last 12 months. Here we take a look at two of the companies that showcased at the event which again gathered some of Silicon Valley’s top investors and entreperneurs to discuss global entrepreneurship and investing. Ten carefully selected Korean startups also showcased, hopeing to attract the attention of US investors, partners and…

We have covered the blossoming food delivery market in Korea quite extensively on beTECH and while the market is firmly dominated by leaders Yogiyo and Baedal-Minjeok, there’s a new kid on the block, serving the growing apetite in Korea for foreign cuisine. YNot-Takeout has been around for a few months and I caught up with CEO Phil Neiland for an update. Get involved in YNot-Takeout by supporting their indiegogo campaign here. Ynot-Takeout.com…

와이콤비네이터(Y combinator)를 창업한 폴 그레이엄(Paul Graham)은 드롭박스, 레딧, 에어비앤비 등의 스타트업을 키워낸 대가로, 투자자이면서도 뛰어난 프로그래머이며 더불어 수필가로도 명성을 떨치고 있다. 그의 수 많은 강연 중에서 스타트업에게 도움될 몇 가지 조언을 골라봤다. 1. 강한 의지를 갖는 것만으로는 충분하지 않다. 자기 자신에게 철저해야 한다. 강한 의지를 가지고 있으나 자기 자신에게 너그러운 사람을 단호한 사람이라 부르지 않는다. 단호함은 규칙에 기반한/균형이 맞는 의지를 의미하는 것이다. (“Being strong-willed is not enough, however. You also have to…

SparkLabs, one of Seoul’s leading accelerators, has recently started its fourth session and over the next three months will be assisting in the growth of another ten startup companies.  The ten companies range from healthcare to Internet of Things to social enterprise. “Our fourth class ranges from bootstrapped companies with products at their alpha stage to those that raised a couple million and are shipping their product, but every team we selected is…

David Lee and Ryan Kwon, founders of a new startup Mobidoo, had hit the career jackpot by securing lucrative roles in Samsung. But chasing a bigger dream, but have now left to start their own company. While stories like this are still rare, they demonstrate a growing number of Koreans who are embracing the ‘Silicon Valley mindset.’  These brave young people are embracing the risk and opportunity presented by entrepreneurship instead of…

▲알리바바 마윈 회장의 15년 전 첫 세일즈 피칭 모습 알리바바의 창업자인 마윈 회장의 15년전의 모습을 보며, 그가 걸어온 시간들을 반추해 보는 일은 한국의 스타트업에게도 의미있는 일이다. 마윈 회장은 포레스트 검프라는 영화의 주인공이 자신의 영웅이라며, 힘들때마다 영화를 보며 “모든 게 바뀌어도 내 자신은 그대로다”라는 교훈을 얻곤 했다고 한다. 본인 스스로 15년 전 매달 20달러씩 벌던 모습과 지금과 변함이 없다고 밝히며, 1999년 50만위안(6500만원)으로 알리바바닷컴을 창업했던 시절을 회상했다 그렇게 15년이 지나고, 알리바바는 역대 최대의 기업공개(IPO)를…

‘테크크런치 디스럽트 SF 2014’가 가 어제 11일(현지시각) 성황리에 막을 내렸다. 총 70명이 넘는 유명 창업가와 벤처캐피털리스트가 장식했던 컨퍼런스였던만큼 현재 실리콘밸리에서 화제가 되고 있는 다양한 이슈에 대한 인사이트를 들어볼 수 있는 시간이었다. 몇 가지 중요하게 다루어졌던 키워드를 모아봤다. 우버(Uber) : 우버 세션은 첫 날 끝났는데 우버 이야기는 3일 내내 이어졌다.  현재 실리콘밸리에서 가장 뜨거운 스타트업을 고르자면, 체감 상 우버다. 우버의 트레비스 캘러닉 대표는 테크크런치 SF 2014 세션의 첫 날, 첫 세션을 장식했다. 그는…

Kakao, the provider of KakaoTalk, a mobile messaging application and global mobile social platform, in partnership with global IT service provider LG CNS, has announced the launch of KakaoPay, a new mobile payment option for KakaoTalk users in South Korea. With over 93 percent of smartphone users in Korea currently using KakaoTalk, the new service is expected to provide a significant boost to Korea’s growing e-commerce industry. Kakao’s latest venture into the e-commerce/mobile payment space underscores…

발리에는 후붓(지난 기사)과 더불어 반드시 손에 꼽히는 협업 공간이 하나 더 있다. 바로 스타트업 인큐베이터 리빗(Livit)에서 운영하는 협업 및 주거 공간, 스타트업 겟어웨이(Startup Getaway)다. 스타트업 겟어웨이, 당신의 업무에 몰두할 수 있는 최상의 공간 스타트업 겟어웨이를 찾아가는 길은 쉽지 않았다. 바투불란(Batubulan)과 사누르(Sanur)사이의 이 작은 동네에선 길을 물어 보려 해도 영어가 전혀 통하질 않아 꽤 난감했다. 여섯 개의 빌라, 그것도 스타트업 사람들이 한 군데에 모여 산다면 분명히 어떤 식으로든 눈에 띌텐데 여기선 아무리 둘러봐도…

작년 하반기, 국내에서 비트코인 관련 기사가 본격적으로 쏟아져 나왔던 시기다. 당시를 기점으로 국내 분위기는 강력한 추종자들과 크게 관심을 두지 않는 사람들로 양분된 듯하다. 특히 주요 언론에서 다룬 내용이 디지털 화폐(Cryptocurrency)의 의미와 목적보다는 비트코인 자체와 이를 투기성 자산으로 보는 경향이 강했기에 아예 관련 사안에 회의적인 시선들도 상당수다.  필자 역시 분류를 따지자면 후자에 속해 있었는데, 지금 생각하면 디지털 화폐에 대해 제대로 알지 못하고 있었기 때문이 아닌가 한다. 지금도 세계 각지에서는 디지털 화폐가 현 금융…

Google, on an international mission to rapidly connect with the global startup community, has recently announced that it will open a startup campus in Seoul, Korea next year. This comes at a time when Korean entrepreneurs are beginning to prove that they have what it takes to make an impact, as exemplified by a statement from Google’s Bridgette Beam: “Korean innovators and entrepreneurs are some of the best in Asia, and Korean startups are making headlines around…

Healthcare wearables startup Ybrain announced today it closed on $3.5 million in Series A funding in a round led by Stonebridge Capital bringing company’s total raise to $4.2 million. The Korea-based startup, founded in Feb 2013 by a Caltech neuroscientist and Samsung engineers, offers healthcare wearables for Alzheimer’s disease patients. Ybrain is a brain signal based wearable device start up building mobile health and wellness solution platform for the healthy and impaired….