Pangyo Techno Valley's 'Pan-Pan Day' Paves the Way for Global Startup Expansion

Pangyo Techno Valley is making significant strides in facilitating global market entry for its local startups through its monthly 'Pan-Pan Day' event. Since its inception in 2023, Pan-Pan Day has held 14 sessions, attracting approximately 80 venture capitalists (VCs) and 200 startups. This event has garnered considerable attention within the startup ecosystem.

Pan-Pan Day provides various programs designed to offer practical assistance to startups. Key initiatives include IR pitching, one-on-one consultations, networking, and seminars. Each month features themes that invite experts in relevant fields to conduct meetings, providing startups with the latest information necessary for international expansion.

Notably, last June's Pan-Pan Day was held in conjunction with G-Invest Day, resulting in the venture firm Platinum Technology signing a 200 million won investment contract with NexPot Solution. The August event, themed 'Open Innovation,' facilitated collaboration opportunities between startups, major corporations, and mid-sized enterprises. Prominent companies such as Toss, Yanolja, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Mastercard, Hoban Construction, and KT participated, leading to 18 follow-up meetings with 16 companies.

Looking forward, Pan-Pan Day will continue to be held monthly from September to December with different themes. The scheduled themes include content in September, ICT in October, SaaS in November, and manufacturing in December. Experts from each field will participate in seminars to provide essential information to startups. Specifically, September's Pan-Pan Day will collaborate with the Gyeonggi Startup Summit, offering various programs such as meetings with foreign VCs and seminars aimed at assisting companies in international expansion.

Additionally, a networking session between Estonian startups and Gyeonggi Province startups is planned. This session will provide a unique opportunity for startups aspiring to enter the European market to gather information on entry policies and networking opportunities.

One representative from a participating startup shared their positive experience, stating, "We joined wondering how to establish our service in the market. Conversations with VCs and major corporate representatives at Pan-Pan Day were incredibly helpful. These discussions helped us find solutions to our problems and gain insights into approaching collaborations with major corporations." They added, "Through Pan-Pan Day, we received advice tailored to our startup's perspective, gaining practical solutions for expanding our platform services and strategies for market entry. Even though we didn't match with a VC, it was greatly beneficial in determining the direction for the platform services we are developing. It was a truly valuable experience."

Pan-Pan Day is set to continue supporting the global expansion of Pangyo startups and strengthening the connection between startups and investors. As startup growth is a driver of national development, events like Pan-Pan Day are expected to remain active and significant.

Pangyo Techno Valley, a global integrated R&D hub focused on IT, BT, CT, and NT, integrates Research (R), People (P), Information (I), and Trade (T). It was established to secure new national growth drivers such as technological innovation, human resource development, job creation, and enhancing international business competitiveness. As of 2023, 1,666 companies employing 78,751 people call it home, with sales amounting to 167.7 trillion KRW (125.5 billion USD), positioning it as South Korea's most innovative hub.

The Techno Valley Innovation Division of the Gyeonggi-do Business & Science Accelerator (GBSA) holds monthly events like the Pangyo Evening Meet-Up, Pan-Pan Day, and the Pangyo Startup Investment Exchange "In-Best Pangyo" to maximize the value of Pangyo Techno Valley. They also support the Pangyo Overseas Promotion Program to publicize information about Pangyo's companies, products, and services to domestic and foreign investors and the media, thereby facilitating foreign investment.