AKC's exhibition booth at the NextRise 2026 event. (Source: AKC)

The ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) recently introduced 30 promising startups from ASEAN member countries at the NextRise 2026 event, one of the RoK's largest startup and innovation fairs, held at the COEX Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul on June 18-19.

At the event, co-organized by the Korea Development Bank (KDB) and the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), companies participated in exhibitions, project presentations to investors, and direct business networking.

The participating companies were selected from the ASEAN-Korea Startup Week 2025, an annual event organized by AKC since 2018 to promote the ASEAN startup ecosystem and enhance cooperation with the Republic of Korea.

Among the companies present at NextRise 2026 were three Vietnamese representatives: Medcat, a developer of digital platforms for data structuring and AI products; Safegate, a provider of cybersecurity solutions and services; and Demeter, an agritech company applying modern solutions in production.

In addition to Vietnamese companies, the event also gathered numerous startups operating in advanced technology sectors such as AI, robotics, digital healthcare, marine biotechnology, environmental monitoring, e-commerce, and digital platforms.

A startup representative presenting a project at the fair. (Source: AKC)

As part of the event, AKC also organized a project presentation session for ASEAN startups. Three companies recognized as outstanding at the ASEAN-Korea Startup Week 2025 showcased their business models and technologies to investors and businesses in the RoK.

These companies include QuikBot Technologies (Singapore), a developer of AI-integrated autonomous robot platforms connecting delivery robots with smart building infrastructure; RIFFAI (Thailand), a company using satellite and AI technology to monitor environmental changes; and Umami Bioworks (Singapore), a marine biotechnology firm developing sustainable solutions for the cosmetics, healthcare, and nutrition sectors through AI-driven cell culture platforms.

According to AKC, during NextRise 2026, ASEAN startups engaged in business networking activities, meeting with investors, venture capital funds, and RoK startup accelerators to seek collaboration opportunities and attract investment capital.

Representatives of participating companies stated that the event provided an opportunity to directly connect with Republic of Korea investors and partners, expand their networks, and explore the potential for entering the RoK market in the future.

AKC announced that the ASEAN-Korea Startup Week 2026 is scheduled for October. The program will bring 30 early-stage startups from 10 ASEAN member countries to the RoK for capacity-building courses, investment networking activities, and project presentations to the country's startup support organizations.

AKC Secretary-General taking a commemorative photo with startup representatives at the fair. (Source: AKC)

Since 2018, the ASEAN-Korea Startup Week has become a flagship cooperation program between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea in the field of innovation, supporting regional startups in accessing international markets, technology, and capital.