![]() Entrepreneurs make a pitch at the office of Seoul Space. |
By Agnes Yu
In conjunction with Seoul Space, three promising local Web startup companies will have the opportunity to pitch their company live in English on This Week in Startups (TWiST), a premier Web series mainly featuring live interviews with startup founders from around the world.
The international episode of TWiST will be hosted in Asia for the first time, and selected Korean startups will have the chance to give a 1-2 minute pitch about their startup business live this Saturday.
Hosted by entrepreneur and angel investor Jason Calacanis, TWiST boasts some hundred thousand viewers worldwide per episode and startups will gain exposure to the U.S. and global markets, as well as influential people in the tech industry.
“The TWiST show and competition is about showcasing startups for an international audience. Seoul Space is excited to bring TWiST to Korea because it gives local Korean startups an incredible opportunity to kick-start their business with expert and audience feedback. The winning company will win a free trip to San Francisco to showcase their startup and meet industry leaders directly at the prestigious LAUNCH Technology Conference in March,” said Richard Min, a co-founder of Seoul Space.
Over 30 companies submitted applications for the event. During the pre-pitch event today, 14 will pitch in front of a panel of special guest industry VIP judges including: Dan Shin the CEO of Ticket Monster; Richard Min, Co-Founder of Seoul Space; Troy Malone, the General Manager of Asia for Evernote; Hur Jin Ho, CEO of Raker Online and former Chairman of Korean Internet Corp Association; Chris Koh, Co-Founder and Vice President at Coupang; Jason Demant, TWiST Seoul organizer and Co-Founder of Unanchor.com; Max Chafkin, Senior Writer for INC Magazine; Hwang Hee-Seung, CEO of GroupOn Korea; David Lee, formerly the first international Director for Google and LP for Y-Combinator.
The panel will ultimately choose six companies to advance to Saturday’s final round starting at 9:30 a.m. at the offices of Seoul Space. Audience and the judges will vote to determine the lucky final three to pitch via Skype between noon and 1 p.m. During the live taping, Jason will provide feedback to the companies and ultimately choose a winner.
Snacks and beverages will be provided throughout. There will be a networking session with beer and lots of tech-talk afterwards.
Produced in a studio in Santa Monica, Calif., ThisWeekIn is a network on the internet that covers a range of topics from technology to entertainment. It is a biweekly web show featuring guest experts, entertainers, technologists and business people. The show started two years ago and is a popular way to stay informed in a “fast and funny style” according to the website.
``Even more so, TWiST Seoul ultimately serves to inspire future innovation and entrepreneurship overall in Korea ― a goal that Seoul Space wholeheartedly shares with the show,” said Min.
A place where great ideas are the seeds of startups that are sown and nurtured, Seoul Space offers a range of services related to the IT industry.
It is ‘Korea’s premier startup incubator, co-working space, and IT related blog (in English), ideally located in the heart of Seoul’s fast-paced Kangnam district.’
Previous episodes of TWiST can be viewed on Youtube and iTunes. For more information visit www.twistseoul.com or www.seoulspace.co.kr
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