73 AI and ICT companies applied nationwide; 20 selected after review, with 14 investors participating. Seven top firms to pitch at IR sessions and one-on-one investment meetups, covering everything from tech demos to funding connections.
Seocho-gu in Seoul is setting up an investment platform to connect promising artificial intelligence and information and communications technology companies from across the country with investors.
The district will host the 2026 Seocho AICT Demo Day on Thursday at the Seocho AICT Excellence Center in Yangjae-dong.
The event is designed to identify high-growth-potential AI and ICT companies, link them with investors, and create opportunities for funding and business collaboration.
The call for participants drew 73 applications from companies across the country, including from Pangyo in Gyeonggi Province, Daejeon and Busan. The district reviewed each applicant's technology and growth potential before selecting a final 20. Those companies will showcase their innovations and products at the event and explore potential partnerships with investors.
The program includes exhibition booths and technology demonstrations from all 20 companies, investor relations pitching sessions for seven top-rated firms, and an awards ceremony for the top three. A talk concert on AI, hosted alongside science content creator Gwedo, is also on the agenda.
A highlight of the day will be one-on-one investment meetups involving 14 investment firms. Five fund managers operating the Seocho AICT Startup Fund No. 1 and No. 2 will also take part, discussing investment prospects directly with the companies. The aim is to move beyond technology introductions and forge concrete links leading to actual investment and follow-on business cooperation.
An AI career-exploration program for young students has also been arranged. First-year students from Yeongdong Middle School in Umyeon-dong — designated an AI-focused school by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education — will attend the event to experience AI products and technologies firsthand, and take part in an AI lecture and career program run in partnership with KAIST's National AI Research Hub.
The demo day also serves as a showcase for Seocho AICT's standing as the district's hub for AI and ICT industry development. Following the designation of the Yangjae AI Future Convergence Innovation Special Zone in November 2024, the district secured designation as the Yangjae ICT Special Development Promotion Zone in February this year, building a growth ecosystem that spans both AI and ICT industry foundations.
The event is open to any interested residents. For more information, contact the Seocho AICT Operations Center at 070-4272-3915.
Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said he hopes the demo day will be "a place where promising AI companies from across the country and investors can meet and discover new possibilities," adding that the district will "actively support AI companies so they can grow bigger using Seocho AICT as a springboard and leap onto the world stage."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
