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Connecting the World through Maritime Innovation and AI: FLY ASIA 2026, Asia Startup Expo, to Be Held

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, will host FLY ASIA 2026, the Asia Startup Expo, for two days from October 7 to 8 at BEXCO Exhibition Center 1.

Now in its fifth year, the event has been comprehensively revamped in line with a pledge of the ninth popularly elected municipal administration, placing Busan's strategic industries of maritime innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) at the center while expanding opportunities for interaction between startups and investors from Korea and abroad.

The event venue will also be 1.5 times larger than last year, with 49 organizations from 18 countries participating in the Global Pavilion and Maritime Special Pavilion, making this the largest edition to date.

Beginning with the opening ceremony, the event will feature a wide range of programs, including the Maritime Special Pavilion, conferences, a limited partner (LP) forum, the Global Pavilion, and one-on-one meetups.

The opening ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. on October 7 on the main stage. With leading figures from Korea and abroad and members of the startup ecosystem in attendance, the program will include a thematic video, a performance, congratulatory remarks, and a keynote address.

Maritime investment specialist Mark Huang will deliver the keynote address, while Saeed Almadani, Commercial Attaché at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia, will give a presentation. Together, they will share trends and outlooks in the maritime industry and global startup investment.

In the maritime sector, a new Maritime Special Pavilion will be jointly operated with Korea Maritime & Ocean University. Maritime-related organizations, major companies, startups, and global institutions will gather in one place to showcase technologies and products, while experiential programs and open innovation (OI) consultations will provide opportunities to explore technological and business collaboration.

The event will also feature Maritime OI Reverse Pitching, in which major and mid-sized maritime companies first present the technologies and business solutions they need before being matched with relevant startups. A nationwide Maritime Startup Contest will also be held to identify and support maritime startups.

In addition, various specialized maritime-themed programs are planned, including a marine environment debate and startup competition for middle school students.

The investment consultation and meetup program will be enhanced to facilitate substantive interaction and matching between startups and investors from Korea and abroad.

One-on-one meetups will be expanded beyond investment to three areas - investment, open innovation, and buyers - broadening opportunities for domestic and international startups to attract investment and pursue business collaboration.

In particular, a dedicated consultation and meetup matching app will be introduced for the first time in Korea. Based on criteria such as sector, type, and investment stage, the app will support everything from customized partner searches between investors and startups to advance matching and on-site meetups.

An LP-VC Forum bringing together limited partners (LPs) and venture capital firms (VCs) will also be held to share the latest investment trends and provide networking opportunities among investors.

An LED Digital Exhibition, enabling companies to promote themselves and their products without physical booths, will also be introduced for the first time. Information on companies recruited in advance will be displayed on four LED screens at the venue, with QR codes providing direct access to company websites and contacts. This will reduce the burden of operating booths while supporting open networking with investors and buyers.

In addition to the LED Digital Exhibition, dedicated exhibition spaces will be organized by category, including strategic industries, investment firms, and the Global Pavilion, with participation from startups and related organizations from Korea and abroad.

Meanwhile, FLY ASIA 2025, held last year, brought together members of startup ecosystems from more than 40 countries. More than 52 programs and 1,271 one-on-one meetups were held, and a total of 19,235 visitors attended the event.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, "This year's FLY ASIA has been newly structured around maritime innovation and artificial intelligence, and expanded to provide more opportunities for startups and investors from Korea and abroad to connect. Building on Busan's maritime industry and startup ecosystem, we will further strengthen our support so that domestic and international companies and investors can create new business and investment opportunities and grow in Busan."