Startup

Korean Startup Accelerator COMEUP Stars 2024 Selects 140 Global Startups

by Philip Lee

Updated August 05, 2024

Seoul, South Korea—Korea Startup Forum announced Monday that it had selected 140 startups for its COMEUP Stars 2024 acceleration program.

The program, linked to the global startup festival COMEUP, aims to support early-stage companies with international growth potential.

Korea Startup Forum received 1,208 applications for the program's Runners, Rookie, and Rocket leagues.

The selection process, which ran from June 3 to July 5, involved 117 judges from various sectors of the startup ecosystem.

The chosen startups represent a diverse range of industries, with 30.8% coming from software, deep tech, and high-tech sectors such as XR, SaaS, AI, space, and aviation.

Other industries include energy, fintech, healthcare, and mobility.

The program features three tiers:

Rookie League: 100 early-stage startups with less than 1 billion won in investment
Runners League: 20 pre-incorporated startups
Rocket League: 20 Series A or B startups selected through recommendations

Selected companies hail from various countries, including South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and several European and Asian nations.

The program will commence with an orientation on August 9, followed by mentoring sessions. October qualifiers will determine the finalists for the December event.

COMEUP 2024, the associated startup festival, is scheduled for December 11-12 at COEX in Seoul.

The event will feature startup showcases, job-matching sessions, and networking opportunities with major tech companies.