NextRise 2025 Held in Seoul, Asia's Leading Innovation Expo Co-hosted by KITA and KDB
– Germany, this year's featured country, dispatched official delegation; Mercedes-Benz, BMW and other key German corporates participated –
– VivaTech, IFA, and MWC executives gathered in Seoul, linking global innovation ecosystems –
– 30 global startups selected for the NextRise Awards; Mediwhale and UEL won Top Innovator prizes –
SEOUL, South Korea, July 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On June 26, 2025, the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and Korea Development Bank (KDB) co-hosted NextRise 2025, Asia's premier innovation expo, at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul.
Marking its 7th edition, NextRise 2025 was held across the full COEX venue over two days (June 26–27), bringing together global investors and tech scouts in AI, mobility, sustainability, and healthcare. The event featured booth exhibitions, conferences, partner events, and one-on-one meetups, drawing over 20,000 entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world. The meetup program reached a record-breaking scale, with over 3,600 business consultations held between 250 large corporations and investors and 1,100 startups from 28 countries.
Germany, the featured country for this year, dispatched a 47-member official delegation led by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWK), including representatives from Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), German Accelerator, and 21 German startups. Germany operated a national pavilion and hosted forums and demo days throughout the event. Major German companies including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Beiersdorf, Deutsche Bahn, and Lufthansa also participated in seminars and meetups, seeking collaboration with Korean counterparts.
KITA used this opportunity to strengthen its global networks with major innovation expos and promote startup collaboration and innovation growth. For the first time in Korea, executives from the world's top innovation events—including François Bitouzet of Viva Technology (France), Leif Lindner of IFA (Germany), and Richard Ferraro of MWC (Spain)—gathered to meet with over 100 startups, corporates, and venture capitalists, discussing strategies for enhanced global cooperation across innovation ecosystems.
The highlight of the event, the 3rd NextRise Awards, received 702 applications, with 30 companies selected after a competitive 23:1 selection ratio. Mediwhale, a deep-tech startup developing AI-based retinal diagnostic devices (CEO Taegeun Choi), and UEL, Korea's only lunar exploration robotics company (CEO Namsuk Cho), won the Top Innovator Awards. Entrepreneurs from Germany, Japan, Indonesia, Brazil, and other countries also received awards, reflecting the global diversity of innovation.
Namsuk Cho, CEO of UEL (Unmanned Exploration Laboratory), stated, 'With this award, we plan to secure follow-up investment and swiftly prove our lunar exploration technology to rise as a global company with proprietary capabilities.'
Award-winning companies received support for international expansion and cloud credits through programs operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and NAVER Cloud, the official sponsors, in collaboration with KITA.
In his welcome remarks, KITA Chairman Yoon Jin-sik stated, 'We were honored to welcome innovators and industrial leaders from around the world to NextRise, Asia's largest open innovation platform.' He added, 'KITA, together with KDB, served as a bridge transforming ideas into technologies and technologies into industries, helping to design the industries of tomorrow amid the challenges and opportunities of AI, deep-tech, and the green transition.'
List of Award Winners – 3rd NextRise 2025 Awards
Top 2 Honorees(MUI Robotics Co., Ltd. MediWhale Co., Ltd.)
No.
Company
Industry
Founded
Funding Stage
Company & Business
Country
1
Telos Co., Ltd.
Robotics
2020
Series A
Utilizes proprietary 3D metaverse conversion solution for digital twin, BIM, and robot control software.
Korea
2
VISIONSPACE Co., Ltd.
Robotics
2023
Series A
Provides AI + digital twin-based automated factory and warehouse monitoring simulation in real time.
Korea
3
WorkersHigh
Retail Tech
2021
Series A
Offers ultra-compact offline retail format powered by big data and AI technology.
Korea
4
BANF Intelligent Tire System
Mobility
2020
Series A
Develops intelligent tire system-based solutions to enhance safety and fuel efficiency.
Korea
5
Vueron Technology
Mobility
2019
Series B
Provides LiDAR perception solutions for autonomous driving and smart infrastructure.
Korea
6
MedySapiens, Inc.
Bio
2017
Series A
AI-driven genomic analysis for rapid diagnosis of rare newborn diseases
Korea
7
AULBIO Co., Ltd.
Bio
2018
Series B
Develops long-acting treatments for diabetes, obesity, and dementia with monthly dosing.
Korea
8
CIT Co., Ltd
Materials &Components
2023
Series A
IT materials company enabling ultra-fast, high-volume data processing.
Korea
9
Solum Advanced Materials
Materials &Components
2016
Series B
First in the world to commercialize asymmetric rolling process.
Korea
10
CarbonValue
Sustainability
2021
Series B
Develops next-generation CO₂ capture system based on rotating packed bed technology.
Korea
11
Aetech Co., Ltd.
Sustainability
2020
Series A
Builds AI-powered robots for automated waste sorting.
Korea
12
Neosapience
Content Tech
2017
Series B
Provides a platform where anyone can create content using AI voice and avatars.
Korea
13
adoba Corporation
Content Tech
2015
Series A
Offers 'adobaro,' a SaaS solution for global platform entry of creators worldwide.
Korea
14
UEL (Unmanned Exploration Laboratory)
Aerospace / Mobility
2023
pre-A
Korea's only startup developing lunar exploration rovers.
Korea
15
Leesol Co., Ltd.
Healthcare
2017
Series B
Development and commercialization of specialized medical devices and wellness solutions for mental health
Korea
16
Mediwhale
Healthcare
2016
Series B
AI-powered health diagnostics company that uses non-invasive retina scans to help prevent cardiometbolic diseases
Korea
17
Mathpresso
AI
2015
Series D
Hyper-personalized GenAI tutor covering the full learning journey.
Korea
18
NarniaLabs. Co., Ltd.
AI
2022
Series A
Provides generative AI-based product design and engineering solutions for manufacturing industries.
Korea
19
CODIT Corp.
ICT Service
2020
Seed
AI platform for analyzing legislation, regulation, and policy changes.
Korea
20
ENERZAi Inc.
ICT Service
2019
Series A
Develops high-performance AI solutions including Optimium, an AI inference optimization engine.
Korea
21
ARISE
Lifestyle
2024
Seed
Webtoon studio producing smart NFC-enabled interactive figures.
France
22
Mobile Vision Technology GmbH
Robotics
2024
Series A
Develops advanced vision technologies for robotics and automation systems.
Germany
23
Aviloo GmbH
Mobility
2018
—
Provides diagnostic technology for electric vehicle batteries.
Austria
24
SolCold Ltd.
Sustainability
2016
Series B
Cleantech company offering solar-powered passive cooling coating.
Israel
25
PT Jejak Enviro Teknologi
Sustainability
2020
Seed
Climate tech startup focused on carbon management and eco-friendly solution projects.
Indonesia
26
The Keeper Limited
Healthcare
2022
—
AI platform for disease classification and precision diagnostics using lab data.
Thailand
27
Orbitau
Healthcare
2022
Pre–Seed
Provides healthcare patient management and efficiency enhancement solutions.
Brazil
28
Workist GmbH
ICT Service
2019
Series A
Automates order entry and post-sales processes for manufacturers and wholesalers using AI.
Germany
29
Findy
ICT Service
2016
Series D
Offers SaaS tools to improve engineering productivity.
Japan
30
Klepsydra Technologies
ICT Service
2018
Series A
Develops high-performance data processing and edge AI software.
Switzerland
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