Aju Business Daily

SEOUL -- About 120 South Korean startups will participate in this year's Consumer Electronics Show that will be held as a virtual event from January 11 to 14. The ventures and startups specialize in healthcare, 5G communication, internet of things, robotics, and artificial intelligence.

Consumer Electronics Show (CES), an annual electronics exhibition that was prominently held in Las Vegas, will attract online visitors through virtual showrooms operated by some 1,000 companies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of participating companies in 2020 was about 4,500. The number of South Korean startups participating in the event also decreased from last year's 200. 

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will operate "K-Startup Promotion Center," a virtual promotion center for 97 startups. Through the online showroom, the startup ministry will provide support for startups and ventures. Seoul City will also operate an online promotion center at CES to introduce 15 startups that specialize in smart mobility, environment, safety, welfare, and economy.

CES is an ideal venue for startups to introduce their development skills and products to investors. Seoul has supported 20 startups at CES last year and the venture companies succeeded in securing deals worth $16.2 million.

Samsung Electronics also supports 21 startups that participate in CES. The startups were selected through venture nurturing projects. Six startups invested by Naver, South Korea's top web portal, are also participating in the virtual electronics show.

[The original article was written in Korean by Aju Business Daily reporter Jeong Myeong-seop]