Pitch contestants, organizers from the Seoul Business Agency and judges gathered at the Global Innovation Forum Jan. 7, 2026 at CES 2026 for a commemorative photo.
Global Innovation Forum at CES 2026 Extends Korean Influence to Global Startups
January 11, 2026
The Korean influence on global entertainment and technology may be best known to American audiences through Netflix shows like “Squid Game,” the K-pop musical phenomenon and Samsung’s cutting-edge exploits in consumer electronics and AI, but one of CES 2026’s most successful sideshows showcased innovation from seven countries, all under the umbrella of a Korean business advocacy group.
The Global Innovation Forum 2026 (GIF 2026) was held Jan. 7 at Caesars Palace Las Vegas. The event was hosted by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA), a small business support organization dedicated to revitalizing Seoul’s startup ecosystem and discovering promising startups, in collaboration with CES national pavilions representing the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Israel, Japan, Canada, and France.
The event marked the first country-based startup competition and networking program at CES. The initiative was launched in 2025 as the “Seoul Innovation Forum,” and this year expanded from five to seven countries under its rebranded name.
GIF 2026 opened with an IR pitching competition featuring startups selected by each participating country. The 26-member judging panel was made up of both global media and venture capital (VC) professionals.
The Grand Award (first place) was presented to Firsthabit from the Republic of Korea (Seoul Pavilion) for CHALK, the startup’s AI-powered educational platform that allows students to engage with AI tutors through 3D visual chatbots. The Scale-up Award (second place) was awarded to Hua Tec International from Taiwan, represented by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA), for its AI-powered system to capture and analyze cells from blood samples to assist in cancer screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of disease recurrence. The Impact Award (third place) went to CubicSpace from Canada, represented by the Quebec Government Office, whose Adaptive Spatial Media Player hopes to revolutionize the customer experience when viewing 3D content. The winners received trophies along with prize money of $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000, respectively.
A panel discussion that followed featured representatives from participating countries who introduced their respective startup support programs and discussed agendas for the global startup ecosystem.
Hyun Woo Kim, president and CEO of the Seoul Business Agency, said, “We hope the Global Innovation Forum will establish itself as a symbolic program representing cross-country cooperation and global startup exchange within CES. We will continue to develop the forum so that it becomes the most closely watched event by all players in the global startup ecosystem visiting CES, including media, venture capital firms, startups, and national pavilion representatives.”