Factory's Post 🇪🇺 #17

Factory's Post is back to deliver the insights you need for your business growth.💡 We've gathered the latest business trends, useful information for market entry, and hot news from the Korea-Europe ecosystem!

Hello from 123 Factory! 😊

With warmer days finally arriving, it feels like Europe’s major global tech event season is officially here. At 123 Factory, we are getting ready for a busy and exciting June — from bio and our GITEX AI Europe side event in Berlin to VivaTech in Paris — and we cannot wait to meet many of you in person again. 🏃‍♂️💨

As the event season gets into full swing, we hope this newsletter gives you a useful dose of global startup insight and a few reasons to connect with us offline. 🚀

🧬 bio 2026 Review: Berlin’s New Life Sciences Platform Connects Bio, Capital, and Global Collaboration 

123 Factory has joined bio:cap as a community partner! Taken place from June 9 to 11, bio:cap also welcomed five Korean startups participating together with Sungkyunkwan University.

Bio:cap is a global platform bringing together innovative companies, investors, industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers across life sciences and AI. The event will cover scientific innovation, investment, industrial collaboration, and policy discussions across biotech, techbio, diagnostics, and AI. 

For Korean biotech and healthcare startups, bio:cap also served as a useful testbed for understanding how European stakeholders evaluate innovation. Five Korean startups — MEDIAIPLUS, MEDIHUB, Ainex Corporation, NineBioWare, and Microt — were exploring ways to connect Korean medical and healthcare technologies with Europe’s clinical, investment, pharmaceutical, and medical device ecosystems. 

The event also highlighted Berlin’s growing strength as a healthcare innovation hub, supported by institutions such as Charité, the Berlin Institute of Health, the Hasso Plattner Institute, the Max Delbrück Center, and the broader HealthCapital Berlin-Brandenburg network; while Berlin may not yet be Germany’s largest traditional biotech manufacturing cluster, bio:cap showed its strong potential as a gateway where digital health, AI, clinical research, policy, industry, and international capital can meet.

🇫🇷 Korean Founders Forum at VivaTech 2026

From June 17 to 20, 123 Factory will be in Paris during VivaTech 2026, one of Europe’s largest technology events. During the week, we will meet Korean founders based in Europe, Korean startups preparing to enter the European market, investors, accelerators, and ecosystem partners.

Our program in Paris includes meetings with Choose Paris Region, the French accelerator Impulse Partners, and Station F, France’s largest startup campus. Through these meetings, we aim to connect innovators who are building bridges between the Korean and European startup ecosystems.

Kwangwoon University’s Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation will also participate in VivaTech 2026 together with 123 Factory, operating a startup exhibition booth within the K-Startup pavilion. Participating startups including OpticMix and Nanogenesis will present their technologies and products, join business meetings, take part in IR pitching sessions, and explore VC, buyer, and global partnership opportunities in Europe.

🌍 Launchpad Korea x Berlin: Asian Innovation Meets Europe (GITEX Side Event)

In line with GITEX AI Europe, 123 Factory is partnering with AsiaBerlin to connect the Korean and European innovation ecosystems.

Launchpad Korea x Berlin is designed to create practical collaboration opportunities between Korean startups, European ecosystem builders. 

📍 Event Details

• Date: Monday, June 29, 2026

• Time: 17:30–21:30

• Venue: WISTA-CHIC (Bismarckstraße 10-12, 10625 Berlin)

🚀 Program Highlights

• The event will feature insights into Korea’s latest tech startup scene, opportunities for European market entry and cross-border collaboration, and a combination of pitching, insight sessions, and global networking.

🎟️ Register here!

🚀 Discover 123 Factory’s Portfolio Startups 

We are also excited to introduce our new portfolio startup page, designed to make it easier for European companies, investors, and ecosystem partners to discover innovative Korean startups.

The page is still in its early stage, and more than 100 additional startups will be added over time. We invite you to check back regularly and explore new opportunities for collaboration with Korea’s most promising founders.

Explore our portfolio here: portfolio.123factory.de/

Market

🥟 From “What Should We Eat?” to European Expansion: Momogo’s K-Consumer Goods Strategy

Berlin-based startup Momogo began as a Korean meal-kit service and has since expanded into K-food distribution and K-beauty go-to-market services in Europe. The company is growing rapidly by combining online-first distribution, TikTok Shop-driven viral marketing, and deep knowledge of local consumer behavior.

Today, Momogo handles around 500 online deliveries per day, with online sales accounting for approximately 90% of total revenue. The company has recorded an average annual growth rate of around 150%, driven largely by Germany’s Gen Z and millennial consumers.

What makes Momogo especially interesting is the rise of low-calorie K-food products such as konjac jelly, seaweed snacks, pouch drinks, and lunchbox-style seaweed. These products are increasingly becoming lifestyle items among young female consumers in Germany, showing that K-food is no longer limited to restaurants or niche Asian grocery stores.

According to Momogo and reprocessed KOTRA data, the European K-food and K-beauty market is expected to reach approximately EUR 10 billion in 2026. Against this backdrop, Momogo is now preparing for its next stage of growth by expanding its K-beauty business.

The company is currently raising investment to scale its K-beauty expansion in Europe. If you would like to learn more about Momogo or explore investment opportunities, please contact us directly at👉 [email protected]

Policy

🇪🇺 EU–Korea Digital Trade Agreement: A New Gateway for Digital Business 🇰🇷

On June 10, 2026, the EU and the Republic of Korea signed a landmark Digital Trade Agreement, creating a more predictable framework for digital business between the two markets. For European SaaS, AI, platform, e-commerce, and data-driven companies, this agreement may help reduce friction around electronic contracts, e-signatures, online consumer protection, and cross-border digital transactions.

The agreement is especially relevant for companies considering Korea not only as an export market, but also as a strategic base for digital partnerships in Asia. It signals that Korea and the EU are moving toward deeper alignment in trusted digital trade, which could benefit startups and SMEs that need legal clarity before entering a new market.

For European companies, the key takeaway is clear: Korea is becoming a more accessible and structured digital market, particularly for businesses that rely on data, software, and online services. Original article: here

Investment

💸 Korea’s June Startup Funding Signals a Shift Toward Deep Tech Infrastructure

In early June 2026, Korean startup funding showed a clear concentration around AI infrastructure, AI security, space technology, advanced materials, healthcare, and climate-related deep tech. Rather than consumer apps or light software, investors appeared to favor companies solving structural bottlenecks in computing, industrial data, cybersecurity, recycling, medical devices, and aerospace.

Notable examples include A2Sys, which raised KRW 16 billion just one month after incorporation to develop AI computing solutions, and Aim Intelligence, an AI security startup attracting strategic investment from major Korean corporates. Space launch startup Unastella also closed a KRW 33.5 billion Series B round, while medical device company Enventric raised KRW 34.5 billion in a pre-IPO round, showing that capital is flowing into both early-stage technical teams and later-stage companies preparing for global expansion.

For European investors, corporates, and innovation teams, the signal is important: Korea’s startup ecosystem is increasingly producing B2B deep tech companies that could become relevant partners in AI, robotics, energy, healthcare, space, and industrial transformation.

Meet New Startups!

We'd like to take a moment to introduce you to some of the startups that will be joining us in the coming days. Today, we introduce you to DAY1LAB, a sspecialised alternative plastic materials company dedicated to people and nature.

🌿 Sustainable Polymer Innovation

DAY1LAB is revolutionising the plastic industry with RETARCH, a natural polymer plastic alternative. Engineered from 100% biobased starch-cellulose composites, RETARCH dramatically reduces carbon emissions and offers a complete solution to the microplastic crisis. Unlike traditional plastics, it degrades fully without generating microplastics or heavy metals, making it safe for both humans and the environment. This material boasts a multi-environment degradation capability, decomposing safely in diverse conditions, including industrial and home composting.

Beyond safety, DAY1LAB’s technology offers exceptional efficiency in waste management. RETARCH demonstrates a maximum anaerobic digestion rate of 95%—more than double that of other biodegradable materials—and decomposes ten times faster. The company has secured global credibility with certifications such as USDA Biobased and BPI, ensuring its products meet international standards for sustainability. From resin grades to finished products like films and bags, DAY1LAB provides a complete value chain for a zero-waste future.

Open Call

⚖️ 🌐 Global Open Innovation Opportunities by 123 Factory

123 Factory has launched a new platform curating global open innovation opportunities for startups, SMEs, researchers, and technology providers looking for collaboration with corporations, governments, and research organizations. The platform highlights programs seeking external technologies, products, patents, research capabilities, pilot proposals, and PoC partners, with each card structured to help users quickly review application routes and collaboration fit. Please note that the platform is intended as a curated overview, and the most accurate and up-to-date information should always be checked on each program’s official website: openinnovation.123factory.de/ 

🚀 K-Startup Grand Challenge 2026: Korea’s Flagship Landing Program for Global Startups

The K-Startup Grand Challenge 2026 opened applications from May 6 to June 17, 2026, offering international startups a structured opportunity to enter the Korean market. As one of Korea’s most visible startup landing programs, it supports selected teams with acceleration, workspace, market access, investor connections, and local partnership opportunities. For European startups and SMEs, KSGC can be a practical first step to test Korea as a market, explore PoC opportunities, connect with corporates and public-sector partners, and build a broader Asia expansion strategy starting from Korea. Check the website:  https://ksgc.global/

⚛️ Quantum Startup Pitch Competition at Q2B Copenhagen 2026 

The BioInnovation Institute is hosting a Quantum Startup Pitch Competition at. The competition offers early-stage quantum technology startups the opportunity to pitch on a global stage, connect with one of Europe’s leading quantum ecosystems, and engage with investors, industry leaders, researchers, and innovation partners. For startups working on quantum hardware, software, sensing, computing, or enabling technologies, this can be a valuable entry point into the European quantum innovation network. For more information, visit BioInnovation Institute’s website. 

Upcoming Events

• METAVERSE EXPO 2026
  17-19 Jun | Seoul, Korea | Metaverse, XR, Digital Twin, AI
  A business-focused expo for metaverse, XR, AI, spatial computing, Web3, and digital twin technologies across manufacturing, healthcare, education, entertainment, and public sectors

• EPEK 2026
  24-26 Jun | Daegu, Korea | Electric Power & Energy
  Electric power and energy industry expo, showcasing technologies across power generation, transmission and distribution, nuclear and renewable energy, hydrogen, smart grids, EV charging, ESS, and digital energy infrastructure 

• ACE 2026
  8-10 Jul | Ilsan, Korea | Advanced Ceramics & Manufacturing
  Specialized exhibition for advanced ceramics, presenting ceramic materials, components, substrates, capacitors, equipment, and applications for electronics, electrical engineering, mobility, industrial manufacturing, and high-performance materials

• K-Display 2026
  22-24 Jul | Seoul, Korea | Display
  Display industry exhibition, bringing together panel makers, materials, parts, and equipment companies across OLED, Micro-LED, next-generation displays, display manufacturing technologies, and related supply-chain solutions 
  

Thank you for reading Factory’s Post!
We’re always open to exciting news, promotions, and proposals to share with the 123 community. Feel free to contact [email protected], we’d love to hear from you! 😀