Global Startup Festival 'COMEUP 2026' Opens Pre

The Korea Startup Forum (KSF), chaired by Jae-won Kim, announced today that pre-registration and business matching applications are now open for COMEUP 2026, the global startup festival taking place from December 9 to 11 at COEX Hall C in Seoul. Applications will be accepted through December 4.

A key feature of this year’s business matching program is the introduction of an AI-powered personalized partner recommendation system. While last year’s system recommended potential partners based primarily on participants’ selected keywords of interest, this year’s AI analyzes participants’ profiles to recommend partners with a high degree of business relevance and compatibility.

Participants can review recommended partners and directly request meetings with those they are interested in. Once the request is accepted, the participants can proceed with the meeting. The system is designed to reduce the time and effort required to identify potential business partners among a large pool of participants and help participants more efficiently find partners aligned with their business needs and objectives.

The business matching program will operate through two formats: Open and Curated Matching.

Open Matching allows participants to select preferred partners from the AI-generated recommendations and request meetings directly.

Curated Matching, meanwhile, connects participants with suitable partners through a more targeted matching process. Specialized organizations review participants’ applications and business needs before identifying and connecting them with appropriate counterparts.

Curated Matching consists of two programs: Venture Investment Meetups and Open Innovation (OI) Meetups.

The Korea Venture Capital Association (KVCA) will connect startups seeking investment with investors looking for new investment opportunities. The Korea Venture Business Association (KOVA) will support startups in identifying new collaboration opportunities with large and mid-sized companies as well as global companies.

Business matching will be available both online and offline.

‘Meeting @Anywhere’ will be available on an ongoing basis, online or at a mutually agreed-upon location. Once a request is accepted, contact details will be shared so participants can arrange the schedule and meeting details directly.

‘Meeting @COMEUP’ will be held at the Business Matching Lounge during the event. Applications for on-site meetings will open on October 6, and meetings will be confirmed following the counterpart’s approval or schedule coordination. On-site meeting rooms will be allocated in 30-minute slots on a first-come, first-served basis, and Curated Matching will also be held on site.

Applications for Curated Matching will remain open through October 23. Pre-registration and business matching for COMEUP 2026 are available on the official COMEUP website, and anyone interested in COMEUP can participate.

KSF Chairman Jae-won Kim said, "COMEUP 2026 is strengthening its role as a platform that goes beyond bringing startups, investors and global companies together to create meaningful business connections. Through AI-powered personalized recommendations and targeted matchmaking by specialized organizations, we will help participants connect with the right partners and discover new business opportunities."

Meanwhile, COMEUP, hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) and organized by the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), is a global startup festival jointly organized by KSF, KVCA and KOVA.