The Korean startup ecosystem has been exploding over the last couple of years. As more interesting startups begin to emerge, so the support services to power their success also become more diverse and more mature. There are a number of key accelerator programs in Seoul now, that offer a range of services and finance for early stage Korean companies. Interestingly there is also now a distinct push towards helping Korean startups connect…

CHINCHIN is a social dating app that is creating a new type of interaction for the dating scene by connecting you with friends of your friends. This in a bid to remove the dangers of connecting online with complete strangers. Recently at beLAUNCH, the company won the Asan Nanum Foundation Prize, and $18k as a non-equity cash investment. With the increasing levels of spam on Facebook, people are now less willing to talk…

[metaslider id=”17793″] After the successful releases of BeNative apps in Korean, Japanese, and Chinese, SMATOOS is expanding its service with Speak Real English, an “English to English” learning application that helps English language learners practice through video lessons. With this app, SMATOOS hopes to provide an alternative to stuffy textbook learning and offer support to help users cultivate practical and natural-sounding English skills. “Speak Real English” features video content of real native English speakers filmed around…

Coupang, a leader in next generation e-commerce based in Seoul Korea, has raised $100 million in financing led by Sequoia Capital, with participation by existing investors Greenoaks Capital Management, Rose Park’s Disruptive Innovation Fund and LaunchTime. This investment comes at a time when rumours about a possible IPO at some point in 2015 abound in the local Korean startup ecosystem, and follows in the same week that Korea’s other ‘mega-startup,’ Kakao Corp….

500 Startups: Asia is all about the mobile internet. And one particular country, home of amazing food and amazing connectivity has quietly been a technology leader not just regionally but worldwide. That’s right, I’m talking about Korea: home of 2NE1, PSY, Samsung, and a quickly growing tech startup scene. For a country of roughly 50 million people, Korea is disproportionately important in technology. Did you know that it was ranked second in the world…

Korea, once referred to as the ‘Land of the Morning Calm,’ is emerging as one of the key startup hubs in Asia. I have witnessed firsthand the exponential pace of change in this once conservative and shy nation over the last ten years, and I am encouraged by the hunger with which local founders are embracing the challenge and opportunity presented by entrepreneurship. As predictable and arduous corporate careers begin to lose…

As accelerators have fully taken root in Seoul’s burgeoning startup ecosystem, with at least ten being worthy of mention, statistics have just been released to help founders get visibility into the profile of successful applicants to startup Accelerators. More than 250,000 founders and 47,000 startups globally use F6S’ accelerator recruiting tool, and approximately 90% of Accelerators globally use the advanced platform to take applications, manage community and select successful applicants. The results…

This article gives a round-up of recent news from the Korean startup and tech environment. Please feel free to suggest updates and additional news. If you want to check out Korea for yourself, we suggest coming to Seoul, May 14-15, for beLAUNCH, Korea’s top tech and startup event. While the event is based in Korea we welcome startups from across the world and have secured a top line-up of global speakers who…

May 14-15 sees the return of beLAUNCH, Korea’s top tech and startup event for the Global Entrepreneurship Community. This year the event will be held in the brand new and impressive Dongdaemun design Plaza in the heart of traditional Seoul. Now that we are only a few short weeks away from launching the event we are able to officially release the full agenda for the conference that features some of the biggest…

Preparation for beLAUNCH, Korea’s top event for tech entrepreneurs in Asia, is well under way. It’s now time to break under the surface of the event to uncover the content that will cement the third annual beLAUNCH in Seoul as one of the stand-out events in the startup calender in Asia. A good conference relies on top quality content crafted carefully around a superb line-up of world-class speakers. Below is a highlight…

beLAUNCH 2014 is shaping up to be everything we have promised, NE Asia’s foremost tech startup and entrepreneurship event. This post highlights some of the themes you can expect from the event, and don’t forget to book your early bird tickets before the end of March for the best prices Click here. Tech Trends: This year beLAUNCH will be tackling some of the hottest themes in tech. It has been seven years…

Business Network Korea (BNK) is a flourishing business community in Seoul. Both Korean and foreign professionals who join their events operate under the simple philosophy of connecting for mutual business interest, with a particular focus on entrepreneurs and SMEs. Attendees have been finding high value through the events, which help young companies in Korea / Asia build a greater presence through collaboration. About BNK events: BNK events feature a “Speed Networking” session,…

Published on the Wall Street Journal, February 11 2013 First Year Raises Efficacy Concerns; Government Says Project Continues to Improve In the past year, the South Korean government has sponsored a raft of overseas programs to give its young startups exposure to global tech trends. Government officials here hope that a thriving local startup scene could soon put fresh Korean technology names on the global stage—and they are sparing no expense to…

According to a recent article on Forbes, and indeed my own insight from having worked very closely with Korean startups over the years,  “A new start-up powerhouse is on the horizon – South Korea”. While the US, Israel, and Europe have long led global innovation in the tech industry there is excitement in the startup ecosystem in Korea, with a number of highly notable stories emerging. What is also encouraging is that where…

The Korean government has just announced the long-awaited news that the first “Start-up Visa” in Korea has been issued to a Korean-American entrepreneur, Jason Lee CEO of J.J. Lee Company.  It is unknown why he was not able to apply for an F-4 visa, which is available for non-Koreans with Korean heritage, but it marks another stride forward in Korea’s massive push towards establishing its position as one of the world’s most vibrant…

  창업가는 눈에 보이는 마냥 머릿속으로 생각한다, 이에 따라 실행 한다.” -Robert L. Schwartz   비교적 기반이 탄탄히 다져진 대기업에 간혹 혁신적인 생각과 창업가의 면모를 지닌 몇명을 볼 수 있다. 회사의 ‘부트스트랩’ 역할을 능히 감당할 줄 아는 소수에 불과하고, 몇 안되는 그들을 사내 기업가(intrapreneurs)라고 일컫는다. 사내 기업가는 큰 기업내에서 기업가정신을 활용해 신제품이나 개발 담당을 주로 맡는다. 사내 기업가로서 기업에 도움이 될 만한 일을 하려면  스타트업을 운영하는 창업가와는 다른 노력이 필요하다. 독립적인 아이디어를 활용하자. 큰…

창업자 선발은 지나가는 사람을 고용하듯 아무나 선발하면 안 되고, 기업가 정신을 산업심리학적으로 측정하여 실제로 기업가 정신을 가지고 있는 사람에게 지원을 해주어야 합니다. 사업계획서를 통해 국가가 100명을 뽑으면 1명만 성공하는 비극을 막고, 100명 중 50명이 성공하기 위해서는 산업심리학적 접근법인 직무분석과 역량모델링을 통해 새로운 창업자 선발 도구를 개발할 필요성이 있습니다.