The Seoul Metropolitan Government hosted the global startup festival, “Try Everything 2024,” at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) from September 11th to 12th.

“Try Everything” is a global festival that brings together promising startups, large and mid-sized companies, investors, and accelerators from around the world. Since 2020, Seoul has held this event annually to boost the startup ecosystem.

This year’s theme, “New Waves, New Ways,” focused on navigating challenges like the AI revolution and geopolitical tensions, while emphasizing practical solutions such as attracting investment and expanding open innovation partnerships locally and globally.

The keynote address was delivered by Lila Ibrahim, COO of Google DeepMind, on “Our Future Shaped by Generative AI.” She shared insights on how AI can drive positive changes across industries, the environment, education, and society as a whole.

Seoul was ranked 9th globally as a startup-friendly city this year, its highest ranking ever, and achieved 1st place in Asia for procurement. Building on this momentum, Seoul has enhanced its support programs to help top startups attract investment.

Investment programs included the “Japan X Invest Seoul Demo Day” and the “KDB NextRound: Try Everything Special Round,” hosted by the Korea Development Bank, which focuses on discovering and investing in leading fabless semiconductor startups.

Amid rapid technological changes, the event featured diverse programs to accelerate open innovation between domestic and international companies and startups, aiming to secure future growth engines.

Highlights included “Open Innovation with Naver and Startups,” “European Expansion and Open Innovation for Korean Startups” featuring former Dutch Prime Minister Jan Pieter Balkenende, and “Meet Seoul: Quebec’s Innovation and Collaboration Success Stories,” hosted by the Quebec Government Office in Korea.

This year’s event also saw a significant increase in participation from key international startup hubs, strengthening essential global collaboration networks for nurturing leading global deep-tech companies.

The world’s top mobility accelerator, “The Drivery,” hosted a German Pavilion with Korean and German startups. Other international pavilions included a Canada-Quebec joint pavilion featuring Mila, a leading AI research institute, a French pavilion by the Grenoble Investment Agency, and an Australian pavilion by New South Wales, providing direct connections to diverse startup ecosystems.

Global sessions hosted by various countries, including India, Indonesia, and the Netherlands, provided valuable insights into market conditions and entry strategies for different regions.

Key competitions included the “Seoul Unicorn Challenge” and the “National Startup Audition.”

For the first time, the “Seoul Unicorn Challenge” welcomed international startups. Five finalists, selected from a fierce 42-to-1 competition, vied for a total prize of 220 million won. The “National Startup Audition” featured seven aspiring entrepreneurs pitching their innovative ideas and passion for a total prize of 30 million won.

Lee Hae-woo, Director of Seoul’s Economic Policy Division, said, “This year’s ‘Try Everything’ event focused on strengthening investment and open innovation programs that offer real benefits to our startup ecosystem, despite the challenges of rapid technological change, a shrinking global investment market, and unstable international conditions. With increased global participation, the event has further cemented its position as a leading global startup festival. We hope entrepreneurs, investors, and experts from around the world will seize this opportunity to exchange innovative ideas and find growth opportunities amid these waves of change.”