The Busan Metropolitan Government (Mayor Jeon Jae-soo) and the Busan Center for Creative Economy & Innovation announced that the 10th Busan representative startup festival, "BOUNCE 2026," will take place for a two-day run from October 7 to 8 at BEXCO Exhibition Center 1.

Marking its 10th anniversary this year, "BOUNCE 2026" is organized under the theme "GLOWING DECADE, BRIGHT FUTURE," serving as a networking hub to reflect on the past decade of Busan’s startup ecosystem and prepare for the next ten years. Following last year, the event will be co-hosted with the Asian Startup Expo "FLY ASIA 2026," further expanding participation from domestic and international startups, investors, large corporations, and mid-sized enterprises.

In particular, "BOUNCE 2026" will be aligned with key startup support programs such as the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ "Everyone’s Startup, TIPS" to curate programs tailored to the growth stages and needs of startups. By offering global expansion, investment attraction, and business cooperation opportunities all in one place, the event supports practical business connections that go beyond simple information exchange.

Conferences and IR (Investor Relations) pitch sessions will be operated under the theme of "Global" on Day 1 and "Investment" on Day 2.

On October 7 (Day 1), focusing on "Global," events such as the Global Founder Pitch and Global Partner Showcase will be held to foster exchange and cooperation between domestic/international startups and overseas startup ecosystems.
On October 8 (Day 2), focusing on "Investment," programs such as the Welcome to TIPS IR & Reverse Pitch, TIPS Next Demo Day, and BCCEI Startup BuS Picks IR Showcase will expand investment attraction opportunities for promising startups.
One-on-one consultation (meetup) sessions between domestic and international corporations, investors, and startups will also run across both days to support meaningful encounters that can lead to actual collaboration and investment. A total of 25 large and mid-sized corporations—including Kakao Mobility, NAVER Cloud, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Lotte Department Store, and Hanwha Ocean—along with 30 specialized investment firms like Series Ventures, LX Ventures, and Hana Capital, will participate. In addition, global office hours involving 9 global partner agencies across 7 countries, such as Garuda Spark Innovation Hub and Lotte Ventures Vietnam, will support overseas expansion consulting and networking for startups.

During last year’s "BOUNCE 2025," a total of 382 one-on-one business consultations were conducted, including 189 open innovation sessions with large/mid-sized corporations and public institutions, and 85 investment consultations. Building upon last year's performance, this year’s event plans to further upgrade matching programs so that promising startups can achieve tangible business results, such as securing actual investment and pioneering overseas distribution channels.

Furthermore, special booths for "Everyone’s Startup" and the Startup One-Stop Support Center, exhibition booths for startups in specialized fields such as smart marine and fintech, and a networking event for startup ecosystem stakeholders named "BOUNCE NIGHT" will be operated.

Pre-registration for the event is available through the official website (www.bswbounce.com) until October 2. Startups, investors, corporate representatives, as well as the general public, can attend for free.

Lee Dong-yeop, Director-General of Financial and Startup Policy for the City of Busan, stated, "We hope that BOUNCE, celebrating its 10th anniversary, will be a meaningful occasion to look back on the past decade of Busan's startup ecosystem and prepare for a new decade. This year, by linking with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' key support initiatives, we have strengthened programs in the global and investment sectors, and we will actively support startups so they can connect with actual investments and business collaborations."

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