Fintech, custom electric vehicles, car sharing, etc.

Six companies stood before keen angel investors, accelerators, and individual investors.

These are companies that had previously beaten out over 40 other strong companies to secure funding. Their fields are diverse. They showcased their appeal in diverse fields, from fintech to custom-made cars and wave power generation. And then came the "hundreds." "We need two billion." "Apple and Google started this way. Why wouldn't an Apple emerge in Korea?" While they were confident in their success, they were also desperate for investment. We met with promising companies facing the "death valley" of investment, which they must navigate to grow.

Remote payments made easy with The Pay


When you order delivery food late at night when you are home alone, when you are delayed in the restaurant turnover due to splitting the lunch break, when you are anxious about sending your child to an academy with a credit card, when you feel uneasy about giving your card information to a travel agency for payment, if you say “Please send me a payment text message,” a link will be sent by text message. Payment is completed by entering a 6-digit PIN on your existing registered card, without authentication or installation. This is The Pay's "text notification payment."

Launched in the fourth quarter of last year, The Pay officially launched in January of this year after undergoing a security review process. Since then, it has established partnerships with all major credit card companies and signed contracts with ten academies, Travel Doctor, and Yellow Balloon. Contracts with the academy association and OK Force, which operates restaurants, are also in the process of being finalized.

The credit card payment market is said to be worth around 500 trillion won. We believe our market share is 20%, or 100 trillion won. For now, the academy association aims to reach its target of 15,000 to 25,000 academies.


We build handmade electric cars, Mohenic Garages




People are lining up to buy the 80 million won car, which requires a year and a half to purchase. So far, the company has sold about 50 units, with another 30 waiting for delivery. Last year, the company signed an MOU with POSCO to support R&D efforts to reduce the weight of four-wheel drive electric vehicles. This year, the company plans to secure 1 billion won in investment to build a dream factory for electric vehicles in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province. This factory will have the capacity to produce 3,000 electric vehicles annually.

Founded in September 2014, Mohenic Garages has over 500 minority shareholders participating in its management through three rounds of crowdfunding. A production presentation will be held on May 31st, and a prototype presentation will be held in December.

"If you ask, 'Who will do what the big companies can't?' we will."


MKLAUD AP: A New Paradigm for Advertising Platforms




I read the news and shop on my mobile phone. When I watch the news, I often see familiar ads. This is because machine learning-based ad recommendations suggest products similar to those I've viewed and viewed in my history.

MKLAUD is a fintech app. Once installed, it learns customers' interests and provides them with coupons and relevant information without having to revisit the store. Instead of paying for advertising, it rewards customers with coupons. The machine learning-based app also offers a 3% discount coupon to customers likely to make a purchase, and a 10% discount coupon to those hesitant.

MKLOUD is preparing to enter the Southeast Asian market. "We have a joint venture with ELVINA, one of the top three online marketplaces in Indonesia, and we already have approximately 100 billion won in vouchers. We plan to offer the same model in Thailand through TRUE Telecom, a leading telecommunications company like SK. We've also built a readership of 30 million people per month." "To be competitive in overseas markets, we need to be fast. We already have infrastructure worth 100 billion won.”

Energy production even in shallow waters: Injin wave power generation


This isn't tidal or wave power generation using existing water differences. Buoys are floated in shallow water, and motors are installed near the shore, which are then powered by the force exerted on the rope. Energy is generated by simply touching the rope—up, down, sideways, or diagonally. Currently, three container-sized buoys are being demonstrated near Hamdeok Beach in Jeju. They can produce energy consistently day and night, generating 20% more energy than solar energy. According to CEO Injin, this synergy can be achieved by harvesting solar energy on clear days and wave energy on cloudy days.

Injin is about to sign its fourth MOU with Sri Lankan government agencies, local partners, and KEPCO. "We anticipate harvesting approximately 2,000 terawatts of electricity annually from waves. Partnerships with major corporations are also expected to be finalized by the end of the year. Now is the perfect time to invest. This is the path to becoming a first mover."


People Car Sharing, connecting local small and medium-sized rental car companies


The car sharing industry already has a nationwide network. Here, a company has thrown down the gauntlet, emphasizing its regional understanding, starting with the Daejeon area. People Car Sharing connects vehicles from local small and medium-sized rental car companies.

Leveraging the local nature of its business, People Car Sharing is delivering cars right to your doorstep, and is even in the process of introducing one-way routes. Users who start with car sharing and then move on to buying a used car will be connected to local used car dealers. An integrated platform connecting buses, taxis, and subways is also under development. This local platform will continue to connect, and continue to connect. People Car Sharing plans to build infrastructure, including parking and bicycles.

"Sharing is the only way to return to profitability within three years on the vehicle side. It requires a total of 2 billion won in terminal production, system advancement, operating funds, and marketing costs."



After the concert, one accelerator said, "The most important thing for startups is growth potential, so even if they suffer losses right now, they can invest in the future." He also emphasized the need for a realistic alternative, saying, "If you're not a first mover, you have to survive the price war, and that's not easy."

Around 10,000 people participate in crowdfunding every year. Kim Jae-woong, team leader at the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC), which hosted the IR Concert, stated that the criteria for selecting companies are "business viability and growth potential." He explained that without follow-up investment and management, crowdfunding is virtually impossible to sustain. He added, "Starting with this first IR Concert, we will continue to strive to provide practical assistance through educational programs and matching programs between companies and investors."