KOTRA-Korea Credit Guarantee Fund, operated Korean Pavilion in Europe's largest tech fair Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, from Nov. 1 to 4.
Consultations with 500 investors and buyers...... and great results from pitching contest

KOTRA (President Yu Jeong-yeol) launched a Korean Pavilion consisting of 12 Korean startups within the "Web Summit" held in Lisbon, Portugal, from Nov. 1 to 4, with the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (Chairman Choi Won-Mok) and presented innovative technologies to investors and buyers, receiving great acclaim. The Web Summit, which marks its 13th anniversary this year, is not only the largest tech fair in Europe but one of the major startup exhibitions. The event hosted around 70,000 participants from 160 countries and 2,000 startups.

Meanwhile, the Korean Pavilion involved 12 enterprises of innovative technologies such as online platform service, AI-based solutions, autonomous driving, and drone solution, and ran product showcases and consultation sessions with participating investors and buyers visiting throughout the event.

In order for participating companies to have more networking opportunities, KOTRA invited roughly 500 investors and buyers from Spain and other European countries in advance. The leading energy firm in Portugal, EDP, the largest financial institution in Spain, Caixa Bank, and other significant Europe-based companies paid a visit to the Pavilion to discuss diverse cooperation opportunities with the participants.

On the last day of the exhibition, Nov. 4, KOTRA, in partnership with the most prominent Spanish startup accelerator ISDI, hosted the IR pitching event, thereby calling in 50 venture capitals representing Europe together with angel investors. One official from a participating firm said, "As KOTRA helped with pre-training such as a monthlong group workshop with professional mentors and individual consulting, we could win PITCH and reap achievements such as networking after the pitching event at the Korean Pavilion."

Ahn Young-Joo, head of KOTRA Madrid, expressed, "despite difficult management conditions for startups due to weak investor sentiment worldwide, Korean startups' innovative technologies showcased at the Web Summit received great a response from European investors." adding, "we will spare no effort to assist domestic companies in realizing substantial results, even after the end of the event."


Source : Invest KOREA (Nov. 7, 2022)