Beyond VivaTech: South Korea’s Strategy to Anchor Its Startups in the European Ecosystem
With KISED
In the global competition to attract talent, capital, and technology, major innovation events now play a role that extends far beyond simple business networking. They have become spaces where strategic alliances take shape, international ambitions are tested, and national ecosystems seek to increase their visibility among investors, industrial leaders, and decision-makers.
In this context, South Korea’s presence at VivaTech is no longer merely a matter of representation. It forms part of a broader strategy: supporting the international expansion of the country’s startups and creating the conditions for long-term collaboration with the world’s leading innovation hubs.
Over the past several years, South Korea has established itself as one of Asia’s most dynamic technology ecosystems. Supported by world-class digital infrastructure, a strong industrial culture, and well-structured public support for entrepreneurship, the country has fostered a new generation of startups capable of addressing global challenges in fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, energy transition, robotics, and smart industry.
For these companies, the challenge is no longer simply to succeed in their domestic market. The priority now is to transform technological leadership into an international presence.
This is precisely the mission pursued by the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), South Korea’s leading public organization dedicated to startup development, which once again oversees the K-Startup Pavilion at VivaTech this year.
A New Phase in Franco-Korean Relations.
The 2026 edition of VivaTech carries particular significance. It coincides not only with the tenth anniversary of the Paris-based event, but also with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and South Korea.
Beyond its symbolic value, this convergence reflects a deeper reality: both countries now share a growing number of common interests in their innovation strategies.
France has gradually established itself as one of Europe’s leading hubs for artificial intelligence, climate technologies, deeptech, and industrial innovation. South Korea, meanwhile, benefits from strong industrialization capabilities, an advanced technological culture, and a market particularly conducive to the rapid testing and adoption of new solutions.
For KISED, Europe now represents a strategic growth market. The objective is not simply to provide Korean startups with a platform to showcase their technologies at an international event. It is also to create tangible opportunities for investment, proof-of-concept projects, industrial partnerships, distribution agreements, and open innovation initiatives.
This approach reflects a broader evolution taking place across global technology ecosystems: value is no longer measured solely by the quality of a technology, but increasingly by the ability to integrate that technology into international networks of partners, customers, and investors.
Choi Yeolsoo, Architect of KISED’s Global Partnerships
At the heart of this strategy is Choi Yeolsoo, Director General of Global Affairs at KISED.
His role extends far beyond organizing delegations or coordinating participation in international trade shows. It involves building bridges between innovation ecosystems, identifying institutional, industrial, and financial partners, and supporting Korean startups as they expand into new markets.
This mission reflects a strong conviction: in a technology landscape that has become truly global, the most promising innovations can no longer develop in isolation.
According to Choi Yeolsoo, one of the greatest challenges facing startups is the ability to transform technological excellence into tangible business opportunities. This vision now guides KISED’s international efforts and its approach to fostering global growth for Korean startups.
Interview with Choi Yeolsoo
FW.MEDIA: What are the key challenges and opportunities you would like to highlight regarding the global startup ecosystem?
Choi Yeolsoo: One of the major challenges facing the global startup ecosystem is connecting innovative technologies with real market opportunities. The European market places significant importance on technological reliability, sustainability, regulatory compliance, and long-term partnerships. This environment represents a valuable opportunity for Korean startups with strong technological foundations, allowing them to validate their international competitiveness and expand their business activities.
FW.MEDIA: What role should international innovation play in the development of startups?
Choi Yeolsoo: Global innovation cannot be driven by companies alone. It requires international cooperation among a wide range of stakeholders, including public institutions, investors, large corporations, accelerators, universities, and research centers.
FW.MEDIA: What role does VivaTech play in this dynamic?
Choi Yeolsoo: VivaTech is a platform capable of fostering this type of collaboration in a very concrete way. It serves as a key connection point for strengthening innovation cooperation between South Korea and France.
AI, Climate Technologies, and Digital Trust as Areas of Convergence
Among the themes highlighted within the K-Startup Pavilion, several are particularly aligned with the current priorities of European businesses. The first is artificial intelligence.
As the adoption of generative AI accelerates across organizations, the focus is no longer solely on model performance. Companies are now seeking to ensure system reliability, manage risks, and comply with emerging regulatory requirements.
As a result, AI governance, the security of autonomous agents, and the management of risks associated with hallucinations are becoming strategic priorities.
The second area of convergence concerns the energy transition and climate technologies.
Faced with decarbonization targets and growing environmental constraints, European companies are looking for solutions that can improve energy efficiency while reducing their carbon footprint.
Finally, cybersecurity and digital identity have emerged as critical issues in an environment shaped by increasing cyber threats and the widespread adoption of digital services.
These are all areas in which Korean startups are actively seeking to establish partnerships and collaborations with European stakeholders.
Three Startups Illustrating the Evolution of the Korean Ecosystem
To illustrate this momentum, KISED is showcasing three companies that exemplify the new priorities shaping South Korea’s startup ecosystem.
YATAV, addresses one of the most critical challenges facing the AI industry today: building trust in artificial intelligence.
The company develops technologies designed to assess the reliability of generative AI systems, manage access rights for intelligent agents, and support organizations in implementing appropriate AI governance frameworks.
At a time when the European AI Act is redefining the requirements applicable to artificial intelligence systems, this approach addresses a growing concern among businesses: how to secure the adoption of AI without hindering innovation.
Ninewatt focuses on building energy optimization.
Through the use of artificial intelligence, the company aims to improve energy management and reduce the carbon emissions associated with urban infrastructure. Its positioning aligns closely with Europe’s objectives for the energy transition and the development of more sustainable cities.
Fornatures develops biological infrastructure solutions dedicated to carbon capture and the improvement of urban air quality.
Through this approach, the company is part of a broader movement aimed at integrating environmental technologies into urban planning and climate resilience strategies.
Beyond their respective sectors, these three companies share a common characteristic: they address global challenges and are now seeking partners capable of accelerating their international expansion.
A Logic of Cooperation Rather Than Export.
What emerges from KISED’s strategy is not simply a desire to export Korean technologies. The ambition is broader: to foster collaborations that enable each party to benefit from the strengths of the other.
South Korea brings strong execution capabilities, technological excellence, and a remarkable ability to industrialize innovations rapidly. France and Europe, meanwhile, offer an ecosystem rich in talent, investors, industrial partners, and innovation infrastructure.
In an environment where innovation now operates on a global scale, the ability to build bridges between ecosystems has become almost as strategic as the technology itself. The challenges associated with artificial intelligence, the energy transition, digital sovereignty, and industrial transformation transcend national borders and call for new forms of collaboration.
For startups and large corporations alike, the challenge is no longer simply to identify where the most promising innovations are emerging. It is to identify the environments capable of helping those innovations scale, exposing them to new markets, and connecting them with the partners who can accelerate their growth.
It is through this lens that KISED approaches its presence at VivaTech. More than an exhibition space, the K-Startup Pavilion is designed as a point of convergence for public institutions, investors, industrial leaders, and entrepreneurs. It serves as a platform for dialogue and collaboration, created to transform meetings into projects and opportunities into long-term partnerships between the Korean and European innovation ecosystems.
