Bilans d’évènement
Tech4Good Tour 2022: FKCCI and La French Tech Seoul invite 22 innovative companies to an intense discovery of Korea’s economic landscape
Fall 2022 started off strong at FKCCI!
From September 19th to 23rd, the Chamber and its partner French Tech Community Seoul welcomed a delegation of 22 innovative startups and SMEs from France and Korea, for a week of discovery of the Korean economic landscape and startup ecosystem. 40 participants, from Akila, Anima Ventures, Ansara Pharmacare, Aptero, Caarea, Flying Whales, Foxar, Indienov, Jungle VR, KetoM+, Metron, Onecub, Pi-xcels, PISF, Polymeris, Upskills, Vestiaire Collective, Yneuro, EFESO Consulting, Langcode, Meclouds, Wayne Hills, Dongnam Realize, and Inner Bottle, were thus given the opportunity to take part in various exclusive programs to better understand the country and introduce themselves to the Korean public during the highly-sought-after exhibition ‘Try Everything 2022’.
France and Korea are indeed two of the world’s most dynamic markets in terms of startups and innovation. Korea’s ecosystem gained major momentum in the recent years, reaching the impressive number of 30 000 startups (among which 22 unicorns) and 130 VC funds. High-tech fields, such as AI, biotech, and fintech, are particularly vibrant in the Peninsula.
Already a major stakeholder in the world’s startup ecosystem, France also reaffirmed its desire to be at the forefront of innovation by launching the French Tech initiative in 2013 and creating French startup communities all over the planet. These efforts have borne fruit, as France now has 20 000 startups (among which 27 unicorns) and 423 VC investors.
Tech4Good Tour 2022’s goal was to make these two innovative ecosystems interact, to facilitate exchanges and reinforce the economic bond between France and Korea, and to support solutions with a positive environmental and social impact. And this objective was successfully achieved, as the delegation’s response following the week was overwhelmingly positive! Sybille Bellamy, CEO of Ketom+, declared:
“It was probably the best business event I ever attended. It was a good mix of science, tech, economy, and business, and FKCCI teams were amazing”.
The feeling was shared by Louis Jeannet, co-founder of Foxar:
“The entire week was great. We met many people and might even have one possible partnership [in Korea] in the future. And most importantly, we now really want to come back!”
FKCCI thanks its sponsors, Invest Seoul, SBA, Dassault Systemes, JCDecaux, Asiance, Invest in Grenoble Alpes, L’Oréal, Mazars, and Sanofi, as well as its partners, the French Embassy to South Korea, Try Everything 2022, Y-Valley, and Pickool, for their support in making the Tech4Good Tour 2022 possible!
Visits of Korean innovation centers
What better way to understand a country’s economy than exploring its backstage? During Tech4Good Tour 2022, several Korean innovation centers opened their doors to participants, thus helping them broaden their knowledge of the Peninsula’s exceptional growth and vitality.
At Y-Valley, a startup education and incubation center in the heart of Seoul, delegation members could tour state-of-the-art facilities designed to nurture burgeoning companies: 3D printers, carpentry workshops, drone racetracks, etc.
At Samsung Innovation Museum in the periphery of Seoul, participants discovered the conglomerate’s extensive collection of tech-related items, from the world’s very first light bulbs to modern-day – as well as still-under-development – technologies.
Finally, at Seoul Startup Hub, the delegation partook in enriching conferences about startup expansion support programs in Seoul and business establishment in Korea. They were also guided through the incubator’s cutting-edge facilities.
Meeting with the French-Korean business community
To introduce participants to the diversity and close-knit spirit of the French Korean business community, and allow them to network with its members, FKCCI organized two exclusive events over the course of the week.
On Monday, the Chamber welcomed Mr. François Hollande for an exceptional dinner, during which the former President of the French Republic discussed France and Korea’s friendship and growing economic exchanges, as well as current world challenges.
On Thursday, a festive and unique After Summer Networking Evening took place on Novotel Dongdaemun’s incredible rooftop – a one-of-a-kind opportunity for the delegation to mingle with and learn more from professionals established in Korea!
Participation in a major local exhibition
Discovering the Korean market is good; getting an opportunity to introduce your products and services to its stakeholders is even better! During Tech4Good Tour 2022, FKCCI’s delegation had the chance to do so through their participation to Seoul’s most renowned tech exhibition, “Try Everything 2022”.
As each of the startups was provided with a personal booth, they could reach out to the Korean public and potential partners and investors. They also had the chance to listen to conferences given by prestigious guests, and to shine during Tech4Good’s traditional Pitch Contest.
Tech4Good Summit & Conferences
As it is the case every year, Tech4Good hosted its famous Summit featuring guests well-versed in tech’s current challenges. The delegation and the rest of the audience could listen to:
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A VIP panel, featuring Ms. Fleur Pellerin, former Minister Delegate for SME, Innovation and the Digital Economy, and Founder and Managing Partner of Korelya Capital; Mr. Grégory Boutté, Digital Officer of Kering Group; Mr. Kevin Choi, CTO of KT Sat; and Mr. Yann Vincent, CEO of ACC. Guests discussed the ways policies, actions, and collaborations can foster a fruitful Tech4Good startups’ ecosystem in the context of the social, economic et environmental crisis. Similarities and possible collaborations between the French and Korean startup ecosystems were also addressed.
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A panel on GreenTech, featuring Mr. Hochang Song, Managing Director at FiscalNote and former member of the Korean National Assembly; Ms. Jihane Karim, CFO of Flying Whales; Ms. Hyerin Park, CEO of Enomad and member of the Carbon Neutral Committee; and Mr. Vincent Boulanger, CEO of EDF Renewables Korea. As France and Korea both committed to attain carbon neutrality by 2050, speakers tackled the role that green technologies and ESG practices can play in finding solutions to counter climate change in the future.
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A panel on HealthTech, featuring Mr. Pascal Robin, General Manager of Sanofi Vaccins Korea; Mr. Daewhan Kim, General Manager of Biomérieux Korea; Ms. Victoria Lamour-Chambon, Director Development & Strategy at Indienov; and Ms. Yoo-Ri Chung, ophthalmologist at Ajou University Hospital. The pandemic was followed by a renewed interest in the solutions HealthTech brings in times of crisis. Guests discussed the latest trends of the field of digital healthcare, as well as their impact on medical institutions, the relations between patients and doctors, and policymaking.
All through the week, the delegation could also interact with numerous speakers during enlightening conferences on the country’s market and startup ecosystem.
Pitch Contest
Last but not least, FKCCI’s delegation of French startup had the opportunity to make their voices heard during Tech4Good’s well-known Pitch Contest! Along with Korean startups wishing to grow internationally, participants could take the stage to introduce their companies.
Though all excelled and succeeded in awakening the jury’s interest, two startups shone particularly bright: Akila and Inner Bottle, that respectively won the French and Korean Startup Prizes.
“The past week was an amazing experience. We are very grateful for all the support and the organization from FKCCI and La French Tech, it's amazing to see how much we learnt. Thank you for everything” (Sujin Cho, Head of Korea Business Development at Akila).
"I'm delighted to win this award among these amazing startups. I hope this could be another chance for Korean startups, including us, to be known to France and furthermore, to collaborate with French companies" (Steve Oh, Founder and CEO of Inner Bottle).
Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all the participants!
