A select group of promising Korean startups took center stage at the 2025 Korea Conference, held on September 19 aboard the FantaSea Yacht in Marina del Rey, drawing attention from U.S. investors and global business leaders.
โThanks to the Korea Conference, our company escaped crisis and grew our revenue 24-fold last year,โ said one startup CEO, echoing the eventโs reputation as a launchpad for Korean entrepreneurs in the U.S. market.
The event, now in its fourth year and led by Jenny Chu, brought together nearly 100 attendees, including Yoonho Nam, CEO of the Korea Daily USA, and Youngwan Kim, Consul General of Korea in LA. High-profile guests included Sanford Panitch, Chairman of Sony Pictures Group; Jeffrey Godsick, EVP at Sony Entertainment; and Jason Sugarman, co-owner of LAFC.
Four Korean Startups Pitch U.S. Market Visions
This yearโs featured startups included:
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Allganize AI, a custom enterprise AI automation platform
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Korean F&B Partners, a global traditional liquor platform
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Letitu, an AI-based college and career planning platform
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Guardian AI, an AI-driven safety and automation firm
Each company presented a clear vision for global expansion. Allganize AI highlighted its all-in-one solution that connects internal enterprise data with AI, doubling its revenue in one year through major corporate clients. Korean F&B Partners showcased its โPujimโ e-commerce platform and traditional liquor brand NERD, which aims to introduce Korean alcoholic beverages to the global market.
Guardian AI demonstrated its predictive safety system using autonomous robots and AI vision technology for construction and manufacturing sites. Letitu pitched โThe Pond,โ a software solution that provides personalized academic and career roadmaps for students, with plans to expand into Southeast Asia and the U.S.
Following a panel and audience vote, Allganize AI was awarded first place. CEO Changsoo Lee said, โI didnโt expect this at all, so Iโm deeply thankful. Hearing firsthand from last yearโs presenters about their growth was particularly memorable. I hope to become that kind of mentor for the next generation.โ
Mid-event, Sony EVP Jeffrey Godsick took the microphone to praise NERD, the traditional liquor brand from Korean F&B Partners. โSony Pictures had great success with K-Pop: Demon Hunters and we plan to expand our Korean content portfolio. Iโd love to explore collaboration with NERD,โ he said.
Sungho Lee, CEO of Korean F&B Partners, added, โI was surprised that Sony initiated the conversation. Thanks to the Korea Conference, we now have a path to deeper talks with them.โ
One defining feature of the Korea Conference is the โMDR Group,โ a network named after Marina del Rey. Past participants meet monthly to share information and foster collaboration.
Mincheol Seok, CEO of 2023 participant Monoplex, noted, โThe MDR Group maintains strong ties. Our collaborative cultureโpushing and pulling each other forwardโwill become a major asset for Koreaโs startup scene.โ
The groupโs collective impact is becoming tangible. Dongheon Lee, CEO of A-Sleep, said, โAfter the conference, we pivoted to customer-first thinking and saw a 24-fold increase in revenue. We secured investment from Ceragem and built a partnership with L’Orรฉal.โ Other alumni like Content Technologies ($60 million raised) and Ourbox (new logistics centers in Incheon and Busan) also reported major milestones.
Conference chair Jenny Chu, a former executive at UBS, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan, now leads the global family office Boars Club and has used her international network to support Korean startups.
โThis is the fourth year, and now weโre seeing a virtuous cycle where alumni mentor new participants,โ she said. โGoing forward, the MDR Group will take the lead. Just like the Israel Conference built a startup ecosystem for Jewish founders, we believe an โMDR Mafiaโ could rise here.โ
Joo added, โApplications are already coming in from promising startups in Korea. Iโll continue to leverage global connections to create win-win opportunities between founders and investors.โ
