Busan City to Share Results of Silicon Valley Training for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Busan Metropolitan City will hold a debriefing session on Sept. 6 to share the results of an on-site training organized in Silicon Valley for 15 aspiring entrepreneurs.

The briefing session is part of the global startup talent development project led by the Busan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation. It will be held at Café With in the Nam-gu District in the form of a meet-up with young entrepreneurs in cooperation with the Busan Creative Economy Forum.

The training was organized for the 15 prospective start-up entrepreneurs selected from five leading universities for entrepreneurship education in Busan, including Donga University, Pukyong National University, Kyungsung University, Dongseo University, and Pusan ​​National University. The training was conducted by Think Tome, a Silicon Valley institute specializing in training startup entrepreneurs.

Participants came with various ideas for startups including “big data-based fashion design service”, “design agency using machine learning technique,” “travel companion finding app,” “one-stop event management system,” and “establishing a social enterprise for socially isolated people.” They changed or redirected their business plans after participating in the training courses, which included business modeling, corporate growth strategy, and pitching

"Korean start-ups are more sensitive to the latest technology and have more creative ideas than other people in Silicon Valley," said Manoj Fernando, CEO of Think Tome. "Busan, in particular, has an export-friendly infrastructure as a port city. It is not only open for startups but also highly creative, so it has great growth potential."

An official from Busan Metropolitan City said, "We plan to expand our startup talent development project to create a local entrepreneurial ecosystem where start-ups from around the world can get together like in Silicon Valley."