April 20, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] The Investor’s Choice 2018 award ceremony will be held on Nov. 28 in Seoul to celebrate startups that have demonstrated the highest level of innovation this year. 

Hosted by The Investor, a leading investment news platform launched by Herald Corp., the inaugural event brings some of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs, business leaders, accredited investors and startups to Yeong Bin Gwan at The Shilla Seoul. 

After a competitive round of evaluation, a panel of judges selected Toss (Viva Republica), Yanolja, Blocko, Memebox and Fastfive as recipients of the Next Award, one of the main prizes. The founders and CEOs of these startups will share their stories of success and failure with the audience. The highest honor, the Quantum Award, will be announced on the day of the ceremony. 

The one-day festival will kick off with an opening address by Herald Corp. Chairman Jungwook Hong. Fleur Pellerin, co-founder and managing partner of Paris-based VC firm Korelya Capital, will take the center stage for a keynote address. During her tenure as the minister of SMEs, innovation and digital economy as well as minister of culture and communications, Pellerin spearheaded the push to make France a “startup nation.”

Lee Chang-wook, Korea country director of Money20/20, the world’s largest fintech conference and the main partner of the ceremony, will also deliver a keynote speech. 

The agenda includes a high-profile panel discussion titled “Future of Korean startups: Achievements, Challenges and Global Reach.” Moderated by The Investor Editor-in-Chief Kim Ji-hyun, the panel invites Pellerin, founder and CEO of Viva Republica Lee Seung-gun, co-founder of SparkLabs Jimmy Kim and WeWork Korea General Manager Matthew Shampine. 

Meanwhile, the judges for the event include London-based Founders Factory executive Peony Li, SparkLabs co-founder Bernard Moon and Lotte Accelerator CIO Lee Jong-hoon. 

For more information about the event and to participate, please visit www.theinvestor.co.kr/choice2018.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)