KOTRA to hold 2024 Astra Korea with Applied Ventures, a semiconductor CVC, on Nov. 18
Held for the second time this year, following last year's event ... Support to strengthening investment cooperation between global companies and Korean startups


Korean startups with innovative technology will be able to get opportunities for investment cooperation with global semiconductor equipment companies. KOTRA (President Kang Kyung-sung) will hold "2024 Astra Korea (Applied Start-up Technology and Research Accelerator)" to discover and invest in promising semiconductor startups in Korea at Novotel Ambassador Gangnam Hotel in Seoul on November 18.

The event, which is to be held for the second time this year following last year, will be held with Applied Ventures, an enterprise-type venture capital (CVC) of Applied Materials, a US-based global semiconductor equipment company. Korean start-ups finally selected through the event will receive support of research infrastructure such as process facilities of Applied Materials, and various opportunities for cooperation in such forms as business consulting, joint development, and investment cooperation. In doing so, it is expected to lay the foundation for cooperation between Applied Materials and Korea's innovative start-ups, allowing the verification and commercialization of startup's technologies.

For this event, Applied Ventures publicly recruited Korean startups with innovative technologies in high-tech fields such as semiconductor, optical, artificial intelligence (AI), sensor, and process automation. Among the 40 companies that applied in Korea that want to attract investment, Applied Materials selected eight companies with the highest uation in terms of technological competitiveness and growth potential as the final pitching companies. The selected startups, after going through a one-on-one coaching process from November 13 to 17, and will have a time for pitching to introduce the company's capabilities to officials from Applied Ventures, Applied Materials and Korean investment companies on the event day.

"The role of startups with new ideas and technologies is important in high-tech future industries such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence," said Kim Tae-hyung, Commissioner of KOTRA Invest KOREA. "We will continue to discover global companies that want to collaborate with Korean startups in various fields and expand investment cooperation opportunities."



Source: Invest KOREA (2024.11.18.)