<div id="dashboard-description"><img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506816561089-5cc37b3aa9b0?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxzZWFyY2h8MTB8fHNlb3VsfGVufDB8fDB8fHww&amp;w=1000&amp;q=80" alt="aerial photography of lighted city high rise buildings during dawn">
 Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, boasts a rich education landscape, with over 50 universities that are globally recognized for efficiency, particularly in research and development (R&amp;D). In 2021, South Korea exhibited an impressive tertiary qualification rate of 69% among 25-34 year-olds, surpassing the average of OECD countries, which stood at 47%. This highly educated workforce provides a strong talent pool for businesses seeking skilled professionals. South Korea’s global talent competitiveness is further demonstrated by its ranking among the top 30 countries in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2022. 
 The country’s infrastructure is also a key advantage. South Korea ranked 8th in the Global Quality Infrastructure Index 2021, highlighting its advanced and well-developed infrastructure. Incheon Airport, one of Seoul’s major international airports, is consistently recognized as one of the world’s best airports in the annual rankings by Skytrax. Moreover, Seoul’s subway system is renowned for its convenience, cleanliness, and frequency of service, providing efficient transportation for residents and businesses. 
 The city hosts various events that contribute to its vibrant startup ecosystem. One notable event is <a href="https://comeup.org/">COMEUP</a>, a renowned startup and tech conference organized by the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the government body KISED. 
 South Korea boasts a thriving startup ecosystem, supported by various programs and incentives. One such initiative is the <a href="http://www.oasisvisa.com/index.html">OASIS</a> program, which offers foreign entrepreneurs startup visas and comprehensive support. Additionally, angel investors and venture capitalists can take advantage of a noteworthy tax deduction of up to 50% for investments that fall below the 50 million Won threshold. In a bid to attract global startups, the K-Startup Grand Challenge not only encourages their presence in South Korea but also assists in securing <a href="https://www.k-startupgc.org/project/faq.do">visas</a> for participating teams. Moreover, the <a href="https://global.seoul.go.kr/">Seoul Global Center</a> provides valuable incubation services specifically tailored to nurture promising early-stage foreign startups. 
 To further promote innovation, the Digital New Deal initiative, a part of the Korean New Deal 2.0, aims to augment investment in various sectors, including the digital economy, metaverse, cloud computing, blockchain, and convergence. The startup ecosystem is further strengthened by institutions such as the Korea Venture Investment Corp., a government-backed fund of funds management entity. Additionally, South Korea benefits from the Korea Investment Fund, a sovereign fund dedicated to boosting the startup ecosystem. 
 With its attractive public sector incentives, robust education system, skilled talent pool, advanced infrastructure, high-speed internet, and dynamic startup events, Seoul presents itself as an appealing destination for businesses and entrepreneurs looking to relocate or invest. 
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![aerial photography of lighted city high rise buildings during dawn](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506816561089-5cc37b3aa9b0?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxzZWFyY2h8MTB8fHNlb3VsfGVufDB8fDB8fHww&w=1000&q=80)
 Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, boasts a rich education landscape, with over 50 universities that are globally recognized for efficiency, particularly in research and development (R&D). In 2021, South Korea exhibited an impressive tertiary qualification rate of 69% among 25-34 year-olds, surpassing the average of OECD countries, which stood at 47%. This highly educated workforce provides a strong talent pool for businesses seeking skilled professionals. South Korea's global talent competitiveness is further demonstrated by its ranking among the top 30 countries in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2022. 

 The country's infrastructure is also a key advantage. South Korea ranked 8th in the Global Quality Infrastructure Index 2021, highlighting its advanced and well-developed infrastructure. Incheon Airport, one of Seoul's major international airports, is consistently recognized as one of the world's best airports in the annual rankings by Skytrax. Moreover, Seoul's subway system is renowned for its convenience, cleanliness, and frequency of service, providing efficient transportation for residents and businesses. 

 The city hosts various events that contribute to its vibrant startup ecosystem. One notable event is [COMEUP](https://comeup.org/), a renowned startup and tech conference organized by the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the government body KISED. 

 South Korea boasts a thriving startup ecosystem, supported by various programs and incentives. One such initiative is the [OASIS](http://www.oasisvisa.com/index.html) program, which offers foreign entrepreneurs startup visas and comprehensive support. Additionally, angel investors and venture capitalists can take advantage of a noteworthy tax deduction of up to 50% for investments that fall below the 50 million Won threshold. In a bid to attract global startups, the K-Startup Grand Challenge not only encourages their presence in South Korea but also assists in securing [visas](https://www.k-startupgc.org/project/faq.do) for participating teams. Moreover, the [Seoul Global Center](https://global.seoul.go.kr/) provides valuable incubation services specifically tailored to nurture promising early-stage foreign startups. 

 To further promote innovation, the Digital New Deal initiative, a part of the Korean New Deal 2.0, aims to augment investment in various sectors, including the digital economy, metaverse, cloud computing, blockchain, and convergence. The startup ecosystem is further strengthened by institutions such as the Korea Venture Investment Corp., a government-backed fund of funds management entity. Additionally, South Korea benefits from the Korea Investment Fund, a sovereign fund dedicated to boosting the startup ecosystem. 

 With its attractive public sector incentives, robust education system, skilled talent pool, advanced infrastructure, high-speed internet, and dynamic startup events, Seoul presents itself as an appealing destination for businesses and entrepreneurs looking to relocate or invest.

A leading regional startup hub owing its succes to the creative and innovative spirit of its people 

MiraKle Lab

VentureSquare

TIPS

Staion Neo

Sinsa

Gangnam Station

Seoul Business Agency

SK Hynix

Toss Lab

AIV 

OP.GG

Bithumb

Fastfive Seocho 2

LocalStitch Yeongdeungpo

Seoul has 1,750 startups in our sample database. This represents about 88% of South Korea’s startups. Seoul is the highest-ranked startup ecosystem in South Korea.

In 2024, the startup scene of Seoul developed considerably and
       increased in the Global Ecosystem Index by 3 spots.

Explore Seoul’s startup ecosystem which ranks 1st in South Korea and 21st globally. Discover startups, unicorns, and exits in Seoul. Dive into Hardware & IoT, which is the best startup industry in Seoul.

Startup Ecosystem of Seoul | StartupBlink

Our startup ecosystem map for Seoul includes a sample of 1,750 tech companies. We have identified as unicorns 13 startups that have passed the USD 1 billion valuations. Contributing to the vitality of this startup ecosystem are the 2 pantheon member entities. Get the <a class="underline" href="https://lp.startupblink.com/pro-map/">Pro account</a> for unrestricted insights on this ecosystem.

With a large variety of initiatives, Seoul's startup ecosystem stands out from other cities in East Asia. Seoul offers a number of funding opportunities for entrepreneurs and startups.
  Below is a list of Seoul's most prominent support initiatives:

Within Seoul there is an increased attraction for entrepreneurs
  to set up their startups in industries such as Hardware & IoT, Social & Leisure, Foodtech. These three industries represent about 17% of the startups
represented on the Startup Ecosystem Map of Seoul. 

Seoul is South Korea's 1st best startup
  ecosystem and is ranked 5th in East Asia. With a population of 10M+ people,
   Seoul is ranked 21st in the world. The city has some notable startup success stories
   including OP.GG and its startup ecosystem infrastructure is strengthened by
       organizations such as LG Electronics and Staion Neo.

An inspiring ecosystem that is steadily due to its growing use of digital technologies, rapid urbanization and planned investments

WADAAG TECHNOLOGIES

Sostec

FGS Bill Tracker

Zaad

Wadaag Investment

A growing regional and global startup leader 

bitget.com

AscendEX

DeBank

Trip.com

Viki

A vibrant and strong startup hub attracting international recognition and investment