NextRise (넥스트라이즈)
NextRise is an annual global startup fair and conference held in Seoul, South Korea, co-hosted by KDB, KITA, KOVA, and KVCA. It serves startups, corporations, and venture capital investors from 28 countries, with the 2025 edition attracting 25,000+ attendees and 540+ exhibitors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NextRise (넥스트라이즈) does
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) is an annual global startup fair and conference event company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 2022 and operated by a lean team of approximately 5 employees, the company runs no proprietary technology platform; it is structured as an event management organization. The flagship event is co-hosted by four major Korean institutional stakeholders — KDB (Korea Development Bank / 한국산업은행), KITA (Korea International Trade Association / 한국무역협회), KOVA (Korea Venture Business Association / 벤처기업협회), and KVCA (Korea Venture Capital Association / 한국벤처캐피탈협회) — providing institutional backing and access to the broader Korean venture ecosystem. The company is privately held, with no disclosed funding, M&A activity, or external shareholders.
The product surface is centered on a two-day annual exhibition and conference held at COEX Convention Center in Seoul. The core offering consists of the NextRise Exhibition (featuring 540+ exhibitors in 2025), the NextRise Conference (with 60+ speakers), a 1:1 Meetup business matchmaking service, the NextRise Awards recognition program, and a portfolio of side events including pitching competitions, partner-hosted events, and startup/job fairs. The 2025 edition attracted over 25,000 attendees from across the global venture ecosystem and facilitated more than 3,700 business meetings. The 2026 edition is scheduled for June 18–19, 2026 with France as the guest country and targeted representation from 28 countries spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
The business model generates revenue across three streams: exhibition booth fees from the 540+ exhibitor companies, sponsorship contributions from institutional partners (anchored by the four co-hosts), and freemium attendee registration. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, acquiring attendees through website pre-registration, partner events, and social channels, and acquiring exhibitors through direct enterprise sales. Customer segments are horizontal across global startups, large and mid-size Korean corporations (대·중견기업), and venture capital, private equity, and alternative capital investors.
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NextRise (넥스트라이즈)
- Legal name
- NextRise
- Website
- https://nextrise.co.kr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- NextRise is an annual global startup fair and conference held in Seoul, South Korea, co-hosted by KDB, KITA, KOVA, and KVCA. It serves startups, corporations, and venture capital investors from 28 countries, with the 2025 edition attracting 25,000+ attendees and 540+ exhibitors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Conference and Exhibition Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB)
Keywords
Where NextRise (넥스트라이즈) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Exhibition Booth Fees: Revenue generated from exhibitor participation fees. Over 540 exhibitors participated in 2025.
- Sponsorship: Key partners and sponsors contribute to event organization. The event is co-hosted by major financial and trade institutions including KDB, KITA, KOVA, and KVCA.
- Participant Registration: Pre-registration for attendees (startups, corporations, investors) to participate in business meetings, conferences, and networking events.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NextRise operates an annual two-day global startup fair at COEX Convention Center in Seoul, South Korea, bringing together global startups, large and mid-size corporations, and venture capital firms. The event features an exhibition floor with 540+ exhibitors, a conference program with 60+ speakers, a 1:1 business matchmaking service that facilitates over 3,700 business meetings, an awards program, and partner side events including pitching competitions and job fairs. The 2026 edition is scheduled for June 18-19 with France as the guest country and participation from 28 countries.
Product overview
NextRise is an annual global startup exhibition and conference event held in Seoul, South Korea. The core offering is the NextRise Exhibition, a two-day event at COEX that showcases startups, facilitates business meetings, and features conference sessions with industry speakers. The event serves as a platform connecting global startups with large enterprises, venture capital firms, and investors across multiple countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NextRise Awards: Startup awards program recognizing outstanding companies in the ecosystem.
- 1:1 Meetup
Products and services
- NextRise Exhibition Two-day annual startup exhibition at COEX Convention Center in Seoul featuring 540+ exhibitor booths where global startups showcase their technologies and services to large corporations, mid-size companies, and venture capital firms. Facilitates over 3,700 business meetings per edition.
- NextRise Conference Conference program with 60+ speakers covering global startup trends, innovation insights, and ecosystem development for startups, corporate executives, and investors attending the NextRise event.
- 1:1 Meetup Pre-scheduled business matchmaking service connecting startups with potential enterprise partners and investors during the NextRise event through one-on-one meetings.
- NextRise Awards Award program recognizing outstanding startups at the NextRise event with judging conducted by industry experts.
- NextRise Partner Events Side events held alongside the main NextRise exhibition and conference, including partner-hosted talk concerts, networking sessions, pitching competitions, and startup/job fairs.
Companies that use NextRise (넥스트라이즈)
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- KDB (Korea Development Bank / 한국산업은행)corePrimary co-host of NextRise event. KDB is a major Korean development bank that provides financial support and institutional backing to the startup ecosystem and the event organization.
- KITA (Korea International Trade Association / 한국무역협회)coreCo-host of NextRise event. KITA is Korea's leading trade association that connects the startup ecosystem with international trade opportunities.
- KOVA (Korea Venture Business Association / 벤처기업협회)coreCo-host of NextRise event. KOVA represents venture companies in Korea and supports the startup ecosystem through events like NextRise.
- KVCA (Korea Venture Capital Association / 한국벤처캐피탈협회)coreCo-host of NextRise event. KVCA represents venture capital firms in Korea and connects VCs with the broader ecosystem through the event.
- KDB NextRoundminorListed as a family site link on the NextRise website. KDB NextRound is a startup support program under KDB bank.
- KDB NextONEminorListed as a family site link on the NextRise website. KDB NextONE is another KDB startup support initiative.
- InnobranchminorListed as a family site link on the NextRise website. Innobranch appears to be a related innovation/startup event or platform.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Web Summit: One of the world's largest annual technology conferences (Lisbon and other venues). Highly comparable as a multi-thousand-attendee startup/tech event connecting startups, corporates, and VCs globally.
- TechCrunch Disrupt: Flagship startup conference featuring exhibitors, pitch competitions, and high-profile speakers. Directly comparable on format, attendee mix (startups + investors + corporates), and startup-fair positioning.
- ComeUp: Korean government-backed startup exhibition and conference. Direct domestic peer in Korea, competing for the same Korean startup-corporate-investor audience with similar B2B matchmaking format.
- Slush: Major annual startup event held in Helsinki with a strong founder/investor focus. Comparable as a globally-attended startup fair with matchmaking and pitch programming similar to NextRise's 1:1 Meetup and Awards.
- RISE Conference: Large Asia-based tech conference (Hong Kong). Direct competitor in the Asia tech/startup event category with comparable startup-corporate-investor audience.
- BEYOND Expo: Asia-focused tech and innovation expo with strong startup-investor programming. Comparable as an Asia-scale innovation exhibition targeting startups, corporates, and capital.
- Tech in Asia Conference: Long-running Asia-wide startup conference organized by Tech in Asia media. Direct competitor for Asia-region startup founders, investors, and enterprise attendees.
Broad incumbents
- CES (Consumer Technology Association): The world's largest consumer electronics and technology trade show. Comparable in scale and exhibitor-driven B2B format, though broader in scope than NextRise's startup ecosystem focus.
- GITEX Global: Massive Middle East/Asia tech and startup exhibition (Dubai). Comparable scale and exhibitor-driven format, though broader in scope than NextRise's startup-focused positioning.
Regional players
- Korea ICT Week / Smart World Expo: Korean government-organized ICT industry exhibition. Comparable as a Korea-based B2B technology exhibition with institutional backing, though broader ICT rather than startup-specific.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) social profiles
Digital presenceNextRise (넥스트라이즈) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NextRise (넥스트라이즈)
What does NextRise (넥스트라이즈) do?
NextRise operates an annual two-day global startup fair at COEX Convention Center in Seoul, South Korea, bringing together global startups, large and mid-size corporations, and venture capital firms. The event features an exhibition floor with 540+ exhibitors, a conference program with 60+ speakers, a 1:1 business matchmaking service that facilitates over 3,700 business meetings, an awards program, and partner side events including pitching competitions and job fairs. The 2026 edition is scheduled for June 18-19 with France as the guest country and participation from 28 countries.
Is NextRise (넥스트라이즈) a public or private company?
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was NextRise (넥스트라이즈) founded?
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NextRise (넥스트라이즈) based?
NextRise (넥스트라이즈) is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does NextRise (넥스트라이즈) make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Exhibition Booth Fees are the primary driver. The others are sponsorship and participant Registration.
Who are NextRise (넥스트라이즈)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Web Summit, TechCrunch Disrupt, ComeUp, Slush, RISE Conference, BEYOND Expo and Tech in Asia Conference. Broad incumbents are CES (Consumer Technology Association) and GITEX Global. Korea ICT Week / Smart World Expo is listed as a regional player.
Does NextRise (넥스트라이즈) have an API?
No public API is recorded for NextRise (넥스트라이즈).
What industry is NextRise (넥스트라이즈) in?
NextRise (넥스트라이즈)'s product category is Startup Conference and Exhibition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHABAE, Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers, with a secondary code of THAHABAB, Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers. Its NAICS code is 56192.