Daedeok Deep Tech Startups Pitch to 20 TIPS Firms in Seoul

Twelve deep tech startups from Korea's Daedeok Innopolis traveled to Seoul on 29 October to meet investors face to face. The Korea Angel Investment Association hosted the "2026 TIPS Networking Day" at TIPS Town S6 in Gangnam, with 20 TIPS operators and investment institutions attending.

The event was organized under the "Tech Startup Studio" program run by the Innopolis Foundation. Its aim is to give Daedeok startups direct access to TIPS operators in the Seoul metropolitan area and the regions, widening their chances of raising capital and joining the TIPS program.

How TIPS works

TIPS pairs government R&D funding with money from private investors. A startup becomes eligible only after an approved TIPS operator has invested in it first, which makes early contact with those operators a practical necessity for young technology companies.

What happened on the day

The program opened with a review of the Tech Startup Studio's results and an introduction to TIPS. Two companies that have already been through the program, Neuracle-related peer NeuraGene (Korean: 뉴라진) and PXPreMed, described their experience from raising early funding to being selected for TIPS and running the project.

Nine startups then took the IR stage, presenting their technology, business model and growth strategy. They work in secondary batteries, advanced robotics, bio and medical, AI, and aerospace. All 12 participating startups also joined one-on-one meetups with operators, discussing commercialization plans and the likelihood of investment individually.

For regional deep tech companies, which often sit far from the Seoul investor community, a single-day format that combines pitches, peer advice and private meetings lowers the cost of finding a TIPS-eligible backer. Whether any of the meetings turn into investments was not disclosed.