City-backed startup summit bolsters Seoul's drive to be global innovation hub
Participants explore startup exhibition booths during Try Everything 2026 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Seoul’s annual startup summit, Try Everything 2026, generated more than 2,000 investment reviews and doubled face-to-face investor meetings, bolstering the city’s ambitions to rank among the world's top startup hubs.
The two-day global startup festival, held Sept. 9-10 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), attracted 8,025 participants, including 1,457 visitors from 67 countries, and featured 912 startups, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday.
The number of participants increased 3.8 percent from 7,729 last year, while startup participation rose 4.2 percent from 875 companies.
The event recorded 1,141 one-on-one meetings between startups, investors and major corporations, more than twice the 541 meetings held last year.
The amount of potential investment under review reached 202.4 billion won ($140 million), up approximately 12 percent from 2025.
Organizers expanded dedicated meeting booths from 15 to 40 and strengthened advance matchmaking to encourage substantive discussions and business partnerships.
Held under the theme "AI Changes Everything. Now Try Everything," this year's festival focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and its growing influence across industries.
A keynote address by Erik Brynjolfsson, a professor and global authority on AI, examined how AI is reshaping industries and creating new opportunities for startups.
More than 120 exhibition booths showcased emerging technologies and services, including AI applications, beauty, entertainment and tourism.
The festival also brought international investors and Korean startups together through unconventional networking programs featuring jjimjilbangs, Gwangjang Market and Seoul's Hangang Bus service.
Programs included Seoul Sweat Equity and Seoul Business Crawl, offering overseas investors and entrepreneurs opportunities to experience local culture while exploring potential partnerships.
"Try Everything is growing every year and establishing itself as a global startup event where startups and investors create new business opportunities through Korea's unique characteristics," said Kim Hyun-woo, head of Seoul's Economic Affairs Office.
He added that the city would continue supporting follow-up efforts to turn meetings initiated at the festival into actual investments and business partnerships.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.