Podium Star: SaaS Edition
If you’ve been following Podium Star for the past year, you know that it’s been one of the most popular startup events in Korea. In 2019, we hosted 11 events and attracted large crowds to venues in Gangnam, Yeouido, Mapo, and COEX.
But with this year’s COVID-19 pandemic, Podium Star was delayed, and then moved online. So on October 29, we used a hybrid format for our first Podium Star of 2020. Our startups gathered offline to pitch at our studio, while our judges and audience joined online. By hosting online, we’re not only helping to provide a safe environment for the startups, but we’re also able to bring new eyes from around the world to some of Korea’s hottest startups.
The global SaaS (software as a service) market, originally estimated at $68 billion, is projected to reach a revised size of $219.5 billion in just a few years. But Korea’s SaaS scene is well, underwhelming. So if more future entrepreneurs knew and invested more into SaaS solutions, it could be another boom to Korea’s startup ecosystem. So, we scouted some of the top up-and-coming startups who are creating amazing SaaS solutions for both consumers and businesses. Then we invited VCs and accelerators to take a look, including current and former executives from the World Innovations Forum in Switzerland and Walmart VC/ACs to act as judges. And we hosted it on a new and engaging platform called Airmeet. See more about the Podium Star: SaaS event here.
Here are the SaaS teams that pitched
Mobidoo: Live commerce platform that connects brands with customers
Roborus: Identification platform that helps brands improve customer experience
ImagoWorks: 3D dental modeling software for faster and easier visits to the dentist
PayWork: Task and payment management for digital contracts
Business Canvas: All-in-one tool for business documentation creation
I-ON Communications: Document management for digitizing and signing contracts
In the end, our 1st place winner was Mobidoo, a live commerce platform that connects brands with customers. By winning, Mobidoo receives membership into the World Innovations Forum. This includes mentoring from the chairman as well as access to their 1,000 investors. This works out great, as CEO David Lee said they are currently raising their Series B round.
Next Podium Star
Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn to learn about our events, including 2020’s final Podium Star on December 10, where we’ll hear from six innovative startups in the mobility space.
