“The reason China did not succumb to President Trump’s tariff pressures during the U.S.-China hegemonic war is that it has technology. In order for Korea or individuals to live in the future of the artificial intelligence (AI) era, we must focus on the essence. We need to understand the fundamental technologies of AI and utilize them well. Startups can play this role.” (Lee Kwang-hyung, president of KAIST)
“We have entered a period of investment recovery, but we are still evaluating startups based on the criteria of the harsh winter. We are being conservative in our assessments, not only looking at growth potential but also whether they have actual revenue and profitability.” (Jeon Hwa-sung, CEO of CNT Tech and president of the Korea Startup Accelerators and Early Stage Investors Association (K-AIA))
The ’2025 C Forum' hosted by the leading domestic accelerator CNT Tech and the economic media ChosunBiz concluded successfully on the 3rd at the Construction Hall in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
The C Forum is an event that helps startups and various ecosystem stakeholders connect (Connect), collaborate (Collaborate), and create new values (Create). This year marked the 3rd iteration of ‘C Forum 2025,’ in which KAIST participated under the theme ‘The market moves again; how will we validate and grow?’ More than 700 investors and startup stakeholders filled the venue.
In the opening session, Lee Kwang-hyung, the ‘father of venture startups’ who has produced a large number of first-generation venture entrepreneurs, took the stage. He conducted a keynote panel discussion with Jeon Hwa-sung, CEO of CNT Tech and president of the Korea Startup Accelerators and Early Stage Investors Association (K-AIA), on the topic ‘where is the responsibility of AC at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurial spirit?’
President Lee emphasized the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) in entrepreneurial spirit. He said, “The first thing about entrepreneurship is to realize the ideas and technologies I possess for the benefit of the nation and its people.” He added, “While one might think about making money, such thinking reduces the number of people who help around you; having a great cause attracts many helpers.” He continued, “Good companies usually start with a concept of ESG or social service and grow into excellent companies.”
President Lee also shared insights on AI entrepreneurship. He said, “AI is divided into core technologies that develop models or algorithms and application fields. Nationally, there should be groups that create AI models, and individual entrepreneurs need to challenge themselves in applications of AI to secure funding and create added value.”
He emphasized, “While we need to address basic internet theories and networks, added value comes from internet services. Given our strength in manufacturing, we can specialize in AI for manufacturing systems or healthcare AI—fields even the U.S. and China struggle with.”
Jeon Hwa-sung, CEO of CNT Tech, explained the investment evaluation criteria during the recovery phase. He stated, “The recovery phase does not mean the evaluation criteria will be relaxed,” adding, “The conservative standards from the harsh winter will continue.” He noted that metrics such as customer conversion rate, repeat purchase rate, and return on investment are critical evaluation points for startups' actual performance.
Former CEO Jeon also highlighted the market fit (PMF) of startup services and products and their risk management capabilities. He said, “Rather than assessing potential before market entry, we are evaluating performance after market entry and verifying technology (POC). Simultaneously, we are tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) from the beginning and providing consulting to resolve issues when risks arise.”
Hong Jong-cheol, CEO of InfoBank, also noted, “Although we have entered a phase of investment recovery, we continue to evaluate startups based on the harsh winter criteria,” and added, “We are being conservative in our evaluations regarding growth potential as well as actual revenue and profitability.”
Jung Jin-ho, chairman of The Wells Investment, emphasized the essence of entrepreneurial spirit. He stated, “The nature of venture is high risk, high return,” and noted, “Recent investment trends aim for stable protection of principal and attainable returns,” hinting at a loss of venture virtues.
Chairman Jung also remarked, “Financial capital and ‘relationship capital’ are both important,” indicating that while receiving investment and growing can end in an instant, respecting failed assets and being able to receive funding again relies on relationship capital.
Forum participants also engaged in in-depth discussions on ‘impact investing.’ This term refers to not only pursuing profit through investment activities but also investing in businesses or enterprises that have a positive impact on society or the environment.
Kim Moon-kyu, an impact MBA professor at KAIST, stated, “To drive impact changes through startups, it is important to have a sustainable structure,” emphasizing that entrepreneurship should not just be viewed as a tool to burst a jackpot after investing time or resources, but rather as a journey through life that requires constant growth.
Kim also noted, “Entrepreneurs need to understand what the problems are, what pains customers are facing, what solutions they should provide, and how the customers react, covering the overall process,” stressing that they should develop these abilities through ‘continuous learning.’
Han Myung-su, Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of Woowa Brothers, emphasized that a ‘joyful organizational culture’ is important for corporate sustainability. The CCO stated, “When a company grows, it can overcome various problems and moments of despair solely through growth, but when a company stagnates or struggles, it faces a variety of organizational problems.” He added, “As the leader fluctuates between highs and lows, the entire company mirrors that, which makes the crisis-responsive leadership of entrepreneurs crucial.”