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Busan’s Flagship Startup Festival Marks Its 10th Anniversary: BOUNCE 2026 to Take Place in October

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, and the Busan Center for Creative Economy & Innovation will host BOUNCE 2026, Busan’s flagship startup festival, for two days from October 7 to 8 at BEXCO Exhibition Center 1.

Marking its 10th anniversary this year, BOUNCE 2026 will be held under the theme “GLOWING DECADE, BRIGHT FUTURE,” providing a platform for startup networking that reflects on the past decade of Busan’s startup ecosystem and prepares for the next 10 years.

As in the previous year, the event will be held jointly with FLY ASIA 2026, Asia’s startup expo, expanding participation by a wide range of startup ecosystem stakeholders, including domestic and international startups, investors, and large and mid-sized companies.

In particular, this year’s BOUNCE 2026 will feature programs tailored to startups’ stages of growth and needs in conjunction with major startup support initiatives of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, including Startup for All and TIPS.

By providing opportunities for global expansion, investment attraction, and business collaboration in one place, the event will go beyond the exchange of information to facilitate tangible business connections.

The conference and investment relations and corporate presentation sessions will focus on “Global” on Day 1 and “Investment” on Day 2.

On October 7, Day 1, programs centered on the theme of “Global,” including the Global Founder Pitch and Global Partner Showcase, will create opportunities for exchange and cooperation between domestic and international startups and overseas startup ecosystems.

On October 8, Day 2, programs centered on the theme of “Investment,” including Welcome to TIPS IR & Reverse Pitching, TIPS Next Demo Day, and the BCCEI Startup BuS Picks IR Showcase, will expand investment opportunities for promising startups.

One-on-one meetings between domestic and international companies and investors and startups will also be held on both days to facilitate connections that can lead to actual collaboration and investment.

Twenty-five large and mid-sized companies, including Kakao Mobility, NAVER Cloud, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Lotte Department Store, and Hanwha Ocean, will participate, along with 30 professional investment firms, including Series Ventures, LX Ventures, and Hana Capital.

In addition, Global Office Hours featuring nine global partners from seven countries, including Garuda Spark Innovation Hub and Lotte Ventures Vietnam, will provide startups with consultations and networking opportunities to support their overseas expansion.

At BOUNCE 2025 last year, a total of 382 one-on-one business consultations were held, including 189 open innovation consultations with large and mid-sized companies and public institutions and 85 investment consultations.

Building on last year’s achievements, the matching programs will be further enhanced this year to help promising startups achieve tangible business results, including securing investment and developing overseas sales channels.

Other programs will include special booths for Startup for All and the Startup One-Stop Support Center, exhibition booths for startups in specialized fields such as smart maritime technology and fintech, and BOUNCE NIGHT, a networking event for startup ecosystem stakeholders.

Advance registration is available through October 2 on the official website, https://www.bswbounce.com. Participation is free of charge for startup founders, investors, corporate representatives, and members of the general public.

Lee Dong-yeop, Director General for Financial and Startup Policy of Busan Metropolitan City, said, “We hope the 10th-anniversary BOUNCE will serve as a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the past decade of Busan’s startup ecosystem and prepare for the next 10 years. This year, we will strengthen programs in the areas of global expansion and investment by linking them with major startup support initiatives of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and we will actively support startups so that they can turn these opportunities into actual investment and business collaboration.”