Tech Seoul, a new online English news platform, announced on May 1st that they have signed a partnership agreement with Starta Ventures, a mid-sized venture capital firm based in New York, to support the global expansion of Korean startups.

The signing ceremony was held on April 27th at the Starta VC office in Manhattan, attended by Tech Seoul CEO Thomas Park and Starta Ventures CEO & Partner Alexey Girin.

Through the business agreement, the two companies agreed to jointly operate the One Week NYC Immersion Program, a one-week program that invites angel investors, VCs, and potential customers in New York to participate in 2-3 pitch contests and Demo Day events, and the 2 days NYC Immersion Program, a two-day visit to New York for workshops and pitch contests, to help Korean startups enter New York.

Under the agreement, the two companies will develop additional programs to help Korean startups enter New York, and in the future it plans to establish and jointly operate a VC and accelerator in Seoul that professionally supports Korean startups entering New York.

"Our collaboration with Start Ventures, a leading New York-based VC in the tech sector and a specialist in supporting international startups, is a great opportunity for Korean startups to enter New York," said Thomas Park, CEO of Tech Seoul. "The pitch contest and demo day event, which allows startups to visit New York for as little as two days or a week to meet with investors, VCs and potential clients in New York, is an easy soft landing for Korean startups, and Tech Seoul aims to bring around 100 Korean startups to New York by the end of 2024 to help them get a fresh start in the New York."

"We're thrilled to have signed the MOU between Starta and Tech Seoul(East Orion)! Korean startups are known for their creativity, ingenuity, and innovative spirit, and we're excited to collaborate with them to bring new ideas to life. We also welcome the news of more and more Korean startups scaling their businesses to the United States. With their entrepreneurial mindset and groundbreaking ideas, Korean founders have a lot to offer the American market. This partnership is a testament to our shared commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and we're confident that by working together, we can achieve great things and create a brighter future for all" said Alexey Girin, CEO and General Partner of Starta Ventures.

Starta VC, a New York-based VC and accelerator with a portfolio of more than 174 investments since its founding in 2011 and the launch of a new $50M fund and residency program, identifies, incubates, and funds early-stage startups in the technology sector. It also operates a soft landing program in New York designed to help international startups expand their US market presence and raise capital.

Tech Seoul, meanwhile, is an in-house venture of global marketing company East Orion, and is a new online English-language news platform where startups write and publish their own articles. On Tech Seoul, startups can publish text news using AI technology, and also publish English-language video news broadcast by AI anchors right on the spot.

In early May, TechSeoul will establish a separate entity in New York, separated from East Orion, to provide programs such as networking, workshops, pitch contests, demo days, and space for Korean startups to go global.