Busan Becomes the Epicenter for Startups as Major Firms and Investors Converge for 'BOUNCE 2023'

Busan, South Korea – Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, is poised to be the focal point for major domestic and international corporations and investors on the hunt for promising startups this September.

The Busan Metropolitan City announced the two-day event 'BOUNCE 2023', scheduled for September 7-8 at the Busan Eurasia Platform and Busan Workation Hub Center. Online pre-registration for this event is open until September 1.

Event Highlights: BOUNCE 2023

• Dates: September 7-8, 2023
• Venues: Busan Eurasia Platform, Asti Hotel Busan, Busan Workation Hub Center
• Theme: Local Startup Ecosystem and Connectivity
• Keywords: 'Local Entrepreneurial Ecosystem', 'Connection'
• Organizers: Busan Metropolitan City, Ministry of SMEs and Startups / Busan Center for Creative Economy & Innovation
• Key Programs: Opening ceremony, conferences, IR pitches, one-on-one meetups, networking, and more
• Target Audience: Prospective entrepreneurs, startups, investors, major and medium-sized enterprises, startup officials, and others

Marking its seventh year, BOUNCE 2023 stands out as one of Busan's premier startup events. Structured under the slogan "Bind Local Connection", the event covers areas such as keynote speeches on community capital, technology-investment-industry linkage, solutions for the local startup ecosystem (focusing on climate tech and remote work), and insights into the sustainability of work and rest. Panel discussions are set to provide deep insights into these areas.

The 'Meetup' segment will morph into a massive business platform where investors and major enterprises will participate in divisions like investment, open innovation, and entering large distribution networks. Presently, over 30 investment firms and 26 major and medium-sized companies, including Lotte Ventures, Samsung Venture Investment, SparkLabs, and Naver Cloud, have confirmed their participation.

The 'Investment & Pitching' session will showcase competitive pitches from startups preparing to break into the Japanese market, alongside reverse pitches from investors. Additionally, forums and consultation booths will be available in collaboration with stakeholders from Spain, Dubai, Azerbaijan, and Japan.

A special highlight will be the collaboration with Busan's newly established Workation Hub Center, aiming to share the current status, opportunities, and examples of the public and private workation ecosystem. Furthermore, a 'Free Work Lounge' will be set up for startups to freely promote themselves and manage their operations.

Online pre-registrations for BOUNCE 2023 are open until September 1 on their official website [http://www.bswbounce.com/]. Interested participants from the startup ecosystem can register for free, with a range of events on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Lee Seong-kweun, Busan's Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs, expressed optimism about the event, "With BOUNCE 2023 taking place at Busan Eurasia Platform and Busan Workation Hub Center, we hope this event will spur a startup culture where work and relaxation coexist." He added, "We invite everyone interested in entrepreneurship to join and make the most of this valuable opportunity."