XTC 2021 Successfully Completes Regional Competition in Korea
Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC), the world’s largest start-up competition for entrepreneurs addressing global challenges, launched the first Regional Competition of the 2021 cycle on September 16th at the Try Everything Conference in Seoul, Korea.
Hosted by Mae Kyung Media’s World Knowledge Forum and the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Tech-Rise, this year’s Try Everything Conference attracted scores of regional entrepreneurs, thought leaders and global investors, all of whom convened to envision the future and usher in a new wave of innovation in these challenging times.
Try Everything was the perfect venue to kick off the XTC competition as Seoul is now a hotbed of entrepreneurship, ranking 20th out of 1,000 global cities in startup activity, according to the latest Global Startup Ecosystem Report.
Our appreciation to the Mae Kyung Media Group, Korea Development Bank and Nextunicorn—as well as event co-host ASEAN—for making the first stage of the competition a resounding success.
The Opening of the XTC ASEAN-Korea Regional was presided over by BAN KI-MOON, the former United Nations Secretary General responsible for passing and promoting the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, which form the foundation of the XTC competition. These goals include Good Health and Well-Being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action, and more.
XTC is the world’s largest social innovation startup competition, and it is an incredibly fitting forum for the leaders of tomorrow to unleash their full potential.
All told, over 50 companies from the ASEAN region—including startups from Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar and Korea—applied for a final spot in the XTC Regional competition, with the top 10 selected to pitch live to our elite judging panel that included superstar investors such as:
“The caliber of companies and overall competition at this regional event was truly amazing,” said Tony Kim, Vice President and Head of Samsung Strategy & Innovation Center Korea, who introduced the XTC competition at Try Everything. “These inspiring startups promise to have a profound impact on the planet for generations to come.”
The three outstanding finalists that are advancing in this year’s XTC ASEAN-Korea Regional are:
AWEXOME RAY, KOREA
CLEANTECH
aweXome Ray addresses the challenge of indoor air quality, which is more critical than ever in a time of COVID. The company uses a nanotech X-ray generator to replace unsustainable filters in ventilation systems, reducing fine dust, bacteria and viruses by 70% to 90%.DOT (Enabling Technologies): DOT has created the first affordable full-page ‘display’ for Braille text, as well as an AI-based rapid translator. The company was selected as the official e-textbook provider for Braille education in the United States.
DOT, KOREA
ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES
DOT has created the first affordable full-page ‘display’ for Braille text, as well as an AI-based rapid translator. The company was selected as the official e-textbook provider for Braille education in the United States.
3BILLION, KOREA
HEALTHCARE
3billion provides clinical genetic testing on all 20,000+ genes encompassing 7,000+ rare genetic diseases at an affordable price for patients in need.
Dot (Left) & aweXome Ray (Right)
3billion
XTC PARTNERS PRESENT ON MAIN STAGE AT WORLD KNOWLEDGE FORUM
The excitement continued on September 18th at the World Knowledge Forum in Korea, where XTC partners participated in a highly informative and inspirational session entitled, “TECHNOLOGIES, INNOVATION, AND BUSINESS TO EMPOWER TOMORROW”. The session explored the most promising tech trends of today, and how they can empower innovators and industry together to address the globe’s greatest challenges.
We were thrilled to have XTC partners MAURICE LÉVY, Chairman of the Supervisory Board for Publicis Groupe; WENDY MARS, President EMEAR for Cisco; LARS REGER, Executive Vice President and CTO at NXP; LIP-BU TAN, CEO of Cadence Systems; and YOUNG SOHN, Chairman of the Board, HARMAN International, Founding Managing Partner, Walden Catalyst, Co-Founder, Extreme Tech Challenge represent this important discussion as they explored the critical tech trends shaping our future and offered advice to innovative startups on how to build and scale their world-changing ideas.
