SPC/IPC Application

 Call for Participation: Startup Pitch Competition and Idea Pitch Competition at IES 2024

 The Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA) is proud to announce the 6th Startup Pitch Competition (SPC) and Idea Pitch Competition (IPC), taking place on August 22 and 23 during the UKC 2024 at the Hyatt Regency SF Airport in San Francisco, CA. These competitions are dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among promising early-stage companies from the US and Korea, providing a dynamic platform for participants to present their groundbreaking solutions, ideas, and technologies to an audience of esteemed industry professionals and distinguished investors. This year, we are excited to feature two distinct categories: the SPC for burgeoning startups and the IPC for visionary future entrepreneurs. From a competitive pool of applicants, approximately 20-30 will be selected to partake in the IES DEMO session, where they will deliver concise pitches on August 22. Subsequently, 10 finalists, chosen by our esteemed SPC judges, will advance to the SPC on August 23, contending for a variety of prestigious rewards, including cash prizes. We eagerly anticipate the innovative contributions that will emerge from this event and the enhanced synergy between US and Korean startups that it will promote. We extend our warmest invitation to all industry professionals and investors to join us in celebrating and supporting the entrepreneurial spirit at this year’s competitions.

Selected Benefits to Invited Companies

• 1:1 meeting with a matched IES mentors including venture capitalists

• $300 discount on UKC 2024 registration

• Booth presentation during the entire IES and UKC 2024 periods to those who are invited - investors, technologists, industry veterans, UKC 2024 participants

• Networking events with investors and potential partners

• Scale-up opportunities through partnership with KSEA and its affiliated professional societies

How To Apply

Interested? We’d love to see you pitch! We request all applicants to submit a short video (video link) that gives us a sense of who you are and how your solution would be propelling the future of the world. Video submissions should cover the following points in less than 5 minutes:

• Your startup’s value proposition

• Problem(s) your product and/or service is solving

• Why your startup is a good fit for the KSEA StartUp Pitch Competition

Eligibility

Eligible startups must meet the following criteria as of June 28, 2024:

• Have not received more than US$7.0 million in diluted funding

• (Category 1 - Idea: US $200K, Category 2 – Startup & W-Startup: US $7.0M)

• Are less than 7 years old

Timeline (11:59 PM in US Pacific Daylight Time)

• Application due                    July 5th, 2024

• Invitee notification            July 7th, 2024

• Idea Pitch competition          August 22nd, 2024

• Startup Demo                       August 22nd, 2024

• Startup Pitch Competition August 23rd, 2024

• Winners announcement       August 24th, 2024

How to Win

• Competition Finalists are expected to prepare a presentation showcasing the company’s innovative solution, idea, and/or technology. Finalists will pitch in English or Korean.

• Each pitch will be timed to 5 minutes. At the end of the pitch, the panel of judges will be given additional 3 minutes for Q&A (up to three questions).

• Finalists will be assessed by a dedicated panel of judges consisting of acclaimed investors and industry professionals, and the results will be announced at the Award Ceremony & Closing Session on the same day.