Gyeongsan, the Innovative Startup City, Becomes a Global Launchpad for Startups

Gyeongsan City Hosts “Startup World Cup Korea-Gyeongsan”Pitch Competition Featuring 20 Innovative Startups from Across the NationOne Finalist to Advance to Global Finals in the U.S. This November

Gyeongsan City (Mayor Cho Hyunil) has solidified its status as a global startup hub by successfully hosting the preliminary round of the world's largest startup competition.

On July 6, Gyeongsan City announced that it had hosted the “Startup World Cup Korea-Gyeongsan” competition at the Cheonma Art Center of Yeungnam University, with 20 of the nation’s most promising startups participating.

Gyeongsan City Hall Exterior View

This competition serves to select the Korean representative team that will participate in the Startup World Cup finals, scheduled to be held in San Francisco, USA, in November.

To prepare for this event, Gyeongsan City signed a business agreement in March with Pegasus Tech Ventures, a global venture capital firm, and the Gyeongsan Innovation Academy Foundation, and has since been organizing the competition.

At the event, 20 innovative startups from across the country—having passed a highly competitive document screening process—took the stage to showcase their original technologies and business models in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, education, new materials, and manufacturing.

The judging panel, consisting of domestic and international venture investment experts, ensured fairness and professionalism. The final company selected in this competition will earn the privilege of competing at the U.S. finals against startups from over 70 countries worldwide for a total investment prize of 1 million dollars (approximately KRW 1.3 billion).

Through this competition, Gyeongsan City has captured the attention of promising businesses and investors nationwide, clearly demonstrating its competitiveness as an innovative startup city.

In particular, the “Imdang Unicorn Park,” slated for completion in the second half of 2027, is drawing attention as a “Gyeongsan-style startup innovation platform” that will encompass the entire cycle from discovering and nurturing startups to technology development, commercialization, and investment linkage. It is expected to become a core infrastructure driving the leap forward of the local startup ecosystem.

Lee Dohyung, Vice Mayor of Gyeongsan City, stated, “This competition will become a meaningful milestone that directly connects Gyeongsan’s startup ecosystem to the global stage,” adding, “We will focus our administrative efforts on expanding startup infrastructure and providing tailored support to companies, so that Gyeongsan can firmly establish itself as a global startup city where young people and innovative companies can freely take on challenges and grow.”

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