{"id":380,"name":"Seoul","countryId":72,"stateId":null,"bounds":"37.4259627,126.7645827,37.7017495,127.18359","latitude":37.5665,"longitude":126.978,"website":"http://epicenter.or.kr/","population":25600000,"clusterParent":380,"tractionRank":51,"slug":"seoul","customDescription":"![aerial photography of lighted city high rise buildings during dawn](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506816561089-5cc37b3aa9b0?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxzZWFyY2h8MTB8fHNlb3VsfGVufDB8fDB8fHww&w=1000&q=80)\n
Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, boasts a rich education landscape, with over 50 universities that are globally recognized for efficiency, particularly in research and development (R&D). In 2021, South Korea exhibited an impressive tertiary qualification rate of 69% among 25-34 year-olds, surpassing the average of OECD countries, which stood at 47%. This highly educated workforce provides a strong talent pool for businesses seeking skilled professionals. South Korea's global talent competitiveness is further demonstrated by its ranking among the top 30 countries in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2022.
\n\n
The country's infrastructure is also a key advantage. South Korea ranked 8th in the Global Quality Infrastructure Index 2021, highlighting its advanced and well-developed infrastructure. Incheon Airport, one of Seoul's major international airports, is consistently recognized as one of the world's best airports in the annual rankings by Skytrax. Moreover, Seoul's subway system is renowned for its convenience, cleanliness, and frequency of service, providing efficient transportation for residents and businesses.
\n\n
The city hosts various events that contribute to its vibrant startup ecosystem. One notable event is [COMEUP](https://comeup.org/), a renowned startup and tech conference organized by the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the government body KISED.
\n\n
South Korea boasts a thriving startup ecosystem, supported by various programs and incentives. One such initiative is the [OASIS](http://www.oasisvisa.com/index.html) program, which offers foreign entrepreneurs startup visas and comprehensive support. Additionally, angel investors and venture capitalists can take advantage of a noteworthy tax deduction of up to 50% for investments that fall below the 50 million Won threshold. In a bid to attract global startups, the K-Startup Grand Challenge not only encourages their presence in South Korea but also assists in securing [visas](https://www.k-startupgc.org/project/faq.do) for participating teams. Moreover, the [Seoul Global Center](https://global.seoul.go.kr/) provides valuable incubation services specifically tailored to nurture promising early-stage foreign startups.
\n\n
To further promote innovation, the Digital New Deal initiative, a part of the Korean New Deal 2.0, aims to augment investment in various sectors, including the digital economy, metaverse, cloud computing, blockchain, and convergence. The startup ecosystem is further strengthened by institutions such as the Korea Venture Investment Corp., a government-backed fund of funds management entity. Additionally, South Korea benefits from the Korea Investment Fund, a sovereign fund dedicated to boosting the startup ecosystem.
\n\n
With its attractive public sector incentives, robust education system, skilled talent pool, advanced infrastructure, high-speed internet, and dynamic startup events, Seoul presents itself as an appealing destination for businesses and entrepreneurs looking to relocate or invest.
","description":"A leading regional startup hub owing its succes to the creative and innovative spirit of its people ","clusterName":null,"dashboardTexts":"\"{\\\"dashboardData\\\":{\\\"city_id\\\":380,\\\"portal\\\":\\\"{\\\\\\\"hostname\\\\\\\":\\\\\\\"seoul.startupblink.com\\\\\\\"}\\\",\\\"city_name\\\":\\\"Seoul\\\",\\\"state_name\\\":null,\\\"city_partner_link\\\":\\\"http://epicenter.or.kr/\\\",\\\"has_complimentary_partner\\\":true,\\\"population\\\":25600000,\\\"region_name\\\":\\\"East Asia\\\",\\\"country_name\\\":\\\"South Korea\\\",\\\"region_position\\\":5,\\\"region_last_position\\\":5,\\\"position\\\":21,\\\"quantity_index\\\":20,\\\"quality_index\\\":21,\\\"business_index\\\":91,\\\"last_position\\\":24,\\\"traction_rank\\\":51,\\\"global_count\\\":1310,\\\"national_position\\\":1,\\\"national_last_position\\\":1,\\\"ranked_cities_in_country\\\":6,\\\"startup_pos\\\":1,\\\"startup_count\\\":1248,\\\"startup_cluster_count\\\":1340,\\\"coworking_pos\\\":1,\\\"coworking_count\\\":124,\\\"accelerator_pos\\\":1,\\\"accelerator_count\\\":87,\\\"organization_pos\\\":1,\\\"organization_count\\\":2,\\\"leader_pos\\\":1,\\\"leader_count\\\":1,\\\"unicorns\\\":15,\\\"exits\\\":8,\\\"pantheons\\\":2,\\\"top3_specials\\\":[{\\\"unicorn\\\":{\\\"type\\\":\\\"unicorns\\\",\\\"name\\\":\\\"Musinsa\\\"},\\\"exit\\\":{\\\"type\\\":\\\"exits\\\",\\\"name\\\":\\\"Coupang\\\"},\\\"pantheon\\\":{\\\"type\\\":\\\"pantheons\\\",\\\"name\\\":\\\"Samsung\\\"}},{\\\"unicorn\\\":{\\\"type\\\":\\\"unicorns\\\",\\\"name\\\":\\\"Wemakeprice\\\"},\\\"exit\\\":{\\\"type\\\":\\\"exits\\\",\\\"name\\\":\\\"Netmarble\\\"},\\\"pantheon\\\":{\\\"type\\\":\\\"pantheons\\\",\\\"name\\\":\\\"LG Electronics\\\"}},{\\\"unicorn\\\":{\\\"type\\\":\\\"unicorns\\\",\\\"name\\\":\\\"Kurly \\\"},\\\"exit\\\":{\\\"type\\\":\\\"exits\\\",\\\"name\\\":\\\"Woowa Brothers\\\"},\\\"pantheon\\\":false}],\\\"top3_coworking_spaces\\\":[{\\\"name\\\":\\\"LocalStitch Yeongdeungpo\\\"},{\\\"name\\\":\\\"Jibmusil\\\"},{\\\"name\\\":\\\"Fastfive Seocho 2\\\"}],\\\"top_industries\\\":[{\\\"industry_id\\\":6,\\\"industry_position\\\":9,\\\"startups_count\\\":93},{\\\"industry_id\\\":9,\\\"industry_position\\\":10,\\\"startups_count\\\":117},{\\\"industry_id\\\":5,\\\"industry_position\\\":15,\\\"startups_count\\\":20}],\\\"industries_with_position\\\":[{\\\"industry_id\\\":6,\\\"industry_position\\\":9,\\\"startups_count\\\":478},{\\\"industry_id\\\":9,\\\"industry_position\\\":10,\\\"startups_count\\\":167},{\\\"industry_id\\\":5,\\\"industry_position\\\":15,\\\"startups_count\\\":121},{\\\"industry_id\\\":10,\\\"industry_position\\\":24,\\\"startups_count\\\":117},{\\\"industry_id\\\":1,\\\"industry_position\\\":25,\\\"startups_count\\\":110},{\\\"industry_id\\\":4,\\\"industry_position\\\":29,\\\"startups_count\\\":93},{\\\"industry_id\\\":7,\\\"industry_position\\\":29,\\\"startups_count\\\":70},{\\\"industry_id\\\":11,\\\"industry_position\\\":31,\\\"startups_count\\\":43},{\\\"industry_id\\\":8,\\\"industry_position\\\":32,\\\"startups_count\\\":30},{\\\"industry_id\\\":2,\\\"industry_position\\\":41,\\\"startups_count\\\":20},{\\\"industry_id\\\":3,\\\"industry_position\\\":66,\\\"startups_count\\\":18}],\\\"notable_startups_logos\\\":[{\\\"notableLogo\\\":null,\\\"title\\\":\\\"OP.GG\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":\\\"op-gg\\\",\\\"slug_number\\\":null,\\\"cb_logo\\\":\\\"/image/upload/ny2h6wsiwvmc8yvjwwpb\\\",\\\"id\\\":330208},{\\\"notableLogo\\\":null,\\\"title\\\":\\\"O-House\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":\\\"o-house\\\",\\\"slug_number\\\":null,\\\"cb_logo\\\":null,\\\"id\\\":295662},{\\\"notableLogo\\\":\\\"https://images.crunchbase.com/image/upload/c_pad,h_64,w_64,f_auto,b_white,q_auto:eco,dpr_1/vbog09ypieegywoc1o5e\\\",\\\"title\\\":\\\"Danggeun Market\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":\\\"danggeun-market\\\",\\\"slug_number\\\":null,\\\"cb_logo\\\":\\\"https://images.crunchbase.com/image/upload/t_cb-default-original/i4mfayuzmjlj74nix5xt\\\",\\\"id\\\":263303}],\\\"notable_startups_highest_industry_logos\\\":[{\\\"notableLogo\\\":\\\"https://images.crunchbase.com/image/upload/c_pad,h_64,w_64,f_auto,b_white,q_auto:eco,dpr_1/nk2wbkrgzhf5dsdw7emi\\\",\\\"title\\\":\\\"Dable\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":\\\"dable\\\",\\\"cb_logo\\\":\\\"https://images.crunchbase.com/image/upload/t_cb-default-original/afxac8texbkkmhu9xjn6\\\",\\\"id\\\":263419},{\\\"notableLogo\\\":\\\"https://images.crunchbase.com/image/upload/c_pad,h_64,w_64,f_auto,b_white,q_auto:eco,dpr_1/a4xctbvjtvcj5rlj3eyf\\\",\\\"title\\\":\\\"Gen.G Esports\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":\\\"gen-g-esports\\\",\\\"cb_logo\\\":\\\"/image/upload/a4xctbvjtvcj5rlj3eyf\\\",\\\"id\\\":276721},{\\\"notableLogo\\\":null,\\\"title\\\":\\\"Supertone\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":\\\"supertone\\\",\\\"cb_logo\\\":null,\\\"id\\\":297787}],\\\"notable_accelerators_logos\\\":[{\\\"notableLogo\\\":null,\\\"cb_logo\\\":null,\\\"title\\\":\\\"MiraKle Lab\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/accelerator/mirakle-lab\\\",\\\"id\\\":7141},{\\\"notableLogo\\\":null,\\\"cb_logo\\\":null,\\\"title\\\":\\\"VentureSquare\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/accelerator/venturesquare\\\",\\\"id\\\":2417},{\\\"notableLogo\\\":null,\\\"cb_logo\\\":null,\\\"title\\\":\\\"DreamPlus\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/accelerator/dreamplus\\\",\\\"id\\\":2281}],\\\"notable_coworkings_logos\\\":[],\\\"notable_organizations_logos\\\":[],\\\"top3_cities\\\":[{\\\"position\\\":21,\\\"city_name\\\":\\\"Seoul\\\",\\\"all_cities_count\\\":6},{\\\"position\\\":366,\\\"city_name\\\":\\\"Busan\\\",\\\"all_cities_count\\\":6},{\\\"position\\\":429,\\\"city_name\\\":\\\"Daejeon\\\",\\\"all_cities_count\\\":6}],\\\"ranked_entities_count\\\":[1219,0,16,0],\\\"city_ids\\\":[380,11859,12267,13617],\\\"description\\\":\\\"A leading regional startup hub owing its succes to the creative and innovative spirit of its people \\\",\\\"cluster_display_name\\\":null,\\\"national_startup_count\\\":1440,\\\"averageFunding\\\":\\\"8675128\\\",\\\"country_short_name\\\":\\\"KR\\\"},\\\"hero\\\":{\\\"leftText\\\":\\\"Seoul has 1,340 startups in our sample database. This represents about 93% of South Korea’s startups. Seoul is the highest-ranked startup ecosystem in South Korea.\\\",\\\"rightText\\\":\\\"In 2024, the startup scene of Seoul developed considerably and\\\\n increased in the Global Ecosystem Index by 3 spots.\\\"},\\\"whyYouShouldJoinEcosystem\\\":{\\\"leftText\\\":\\\"Within Seoul there is an increased attraction for entrepreneurs \\\\n to set up their startups in industries such as Hardware & IoT, Social & Leisure, Foodtech. These three industries represent about 17% of the startups \\\\nrepresented on the Startup Ecosystem Map of Seoul. \\\",\\\"rightText\\\":\\\"Seoul is South Korea's 1st best startup \\\\n ecosystem and is ranked 5th in East Asia. With a population of 10M+ people,\\\\n Seoul is ranked 21st in the world. The city has some notable startup success stories \\\\n including OP.GG and its startup ecosystem infrastructure is strengthened by \\\\n organizations such as Samsung and LocalStitch Yeongdeungpo.\\\"},\\\"startupRankingByIndustry\\\":{\\\"industry_one\\\":\\\"On our map, you can explore a total of 93 startups for Hardware & IoT.\\\",\\\"industry_two\\\":\\\"The Social & Leisure industry in Seoul is ranked 10 globally. There are 117 startups for Social & Leisure on our sample database and map.\\\",\\\"industry_three\\\":\\\"Foodtech is ranked 15th in the world. Our database contains 20 startups for this industry.\\\"},\\\"startupInfrastructure\\\":{\\\"text\\\":\\\"With a large variety of initiatives, Seoul's startup ecosystem stands out from other cities in East Asia. Seoul offers a number of funding opportunities for entrepreneurs and startups.\\\\n Below is a list of Seoul's most prominent support initiatives:\\\"},\\\"startupEcosystemFacts\\\":{\\\"descriptionText\\\":\\\"Our startup ecosystem map for Seoul includes a sample of 1,340 tech companies. We have identified as unicorns 15 startups that have passed the USD 1 billion valuations. Contributing to the vitality of this startup ecosystem are the 2 pantheon member entities. Get the Pro account for unrestricted insights on this ecosystem.\\\",\\\"globalRankInsight\\\":\\\"Seoul is ranked within the top 30 startup ecosystems globally.\\\",\\\"topIndustriesInsight\\\":\\\"Seoul’s startups excel particularly in Hardware & IoT where it ranks 9 and in Social & Leisure, and Foodtech. Find out more\\\",\\\"positionInsight\\\":\\\"Seoul outranks {city 1 ranked below}, {city 2 ranked below} and {city 3 ranked below}\\\\n but is surpassed by [object Object] which has a higher total score.\\\",\\\"totalFundingInsight\\\":\\\"The average amount of funding for startups in Seoul is 8675128.\\\",\\\"averageFundingInsight\\\":\\\"Based on the average startup funding, Seoul can be considered a {seed startup ecosystem}.\\\",\\\"facilitiesInsight\\\":\\\"{city} outranks {city 1 ranked bellow}, {city 2 ranked below} and {city 3 ranked below} but is surpassed by {city 1} which has a higher total score.\\\"},\\\"metaDescription\\\":{\\\"title\\\":\\\"Startup Ecosystem of Seoul | StartupBlink\\\",\\\"description\\\":\\\"Explore Seoul’s startup ecosystem which ranks 1st in South Korea and 21st globally. Discover startups, unicorns, and exits in Seoul. Dive into Hardware & IoT, which is the best startup industry in Seoul.\\\"}}\"","country":{"id":72,"name":"South Korea","parentRegion":26,"region":{"id":26,"name":"East Asia","slug":"east-asia"}},"state":null}

2024 National Rank	City	Global Rank	Total Score
1st⁰	Seoul, South Korea	21st⁺³	36.838
2nd⁺¹	Busan, South Korea	366th⁺⁷⁸	0.973
3rd⁺¹	Daejeon, South Korea	429th⁺⁶⁹	0.689
4th^-2	Incheon, South Korea	458th^-52	0.595
5th^new	Daegu, South Korea	1052nd^new	0.100
6th^new	Gwangju, South Korea	1084th^new	0.091

Top Startup Exits in Seoul for 2025

Top Startup Exits in Seoul for 2025

Best Software & Data Startup Exits in Seoul for 2025

Largest Startup Exits in Seoul by Funding

Top Hiring Startup Exits in Seoul by Employee Size

Explore more top exits

Famous Startup Exits in Seoul by Website Traffic

Explore the Startup Ecosystem of Seoul

Top Cities for Startups in South Korea - Ranked by StartupBlink