The Korea Angel Investment Association (Chairman Lee Jong-hoon) announced that it held the “Scale-Up Summit 2026” on the 15th at COEX Hall C in Seoul to expand opportunities for outstanding regional startups to secure follow-on investment. Co-hosted with the Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion Agency in conjunction with the “4th Agri-Food Tech Startup Expo (AFPRO 2026),” the event focused on providing opportunities for follow-on investment discussions between promising regional companies—which have demonstrated commercialization achievements such as revenue generation and technology validation following seed investment—and investment firms in the Seoul metropolitan area.

At this summit, 14 startups in the technology and agribusiness sectors presented their investor relations (IR) pitches. Participants in the technology track (Tech Track) included UMED Co., Ltd., AwesomeNix Co., Ltd., and Salty Lab Korea Co., Ltd., while companies in the agribusiness track (Agri Track)—such as SignalCare Co., Ltd., Uni-I Co., Ltd., and Insight FI Co., Ltd.—introduced their business models. Based on the evaluation results by track, UMED Co., Ltd., an AI urology platform company, received the Korea Angel Investment Association Chairman’s Award in the Tech Track, while Signal Care Co., Ltd., a company specializing in alternative feed ingredients, received the Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion Agency Director’s Award in the Agri Track.

Following the conclusion of the IR session, there were one-on-one personalized investment consultations and networking opportunities based on the preliminary demand. The association plans to form a “Regional Hub Follow-up Management Pool” focused on companies with high potential for future investment to support their growth.

Kim Bong-deok, Director General for Venture Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, “We hope this summit will serve as a bridge connecting the investment infrastructure in the Seoul metropolitan area with regional startups, and the government will spare no effort in providing policy support.” Lee Jong-hoon, Chairman of the Korea Angel Investment Association, stated, “We will continue to provide coordinated support so that regional startups that have entered the growth stage can secure opportunities for follow-on investment.”