Regional startups eyeing Vietnam make a triumphant return with 66 MOUs

[Financial News] The 'Sseuseuro Project,' which each year focuses on helping Korean early-stage companies pursue investment activities in Vietnam, has reached its third year. This time, the participating startups returned home with 66 business agreements signed with local investors.
The Busan Regional Office of SMEs and Startups, Korea Southern Power, and the Busan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation (BCCEI) announced on the 31st the results of the recently concluded third Sseuseuro Project.

The third Sseuseuro Project ran from the 17th to the 21st in Ho Chi Minh City, with 20 promising startups from outside the capital area taking part. As a result, they held 266 investment meetings with local buyers and investors, leading to 66 business agreements worth a combined $15.69 million, or about 21.6 billion won.
The program began in 2024 to support regional startups seeking to expand overseas. This year, the Busan Regional Office of SMEs and Startups and Korea Southern Power jointly oversaw the project, while BCCEI handled execution. DRB and Busan University of Foreign Studies (BUFS) joined as partner organizations.
On site, the companies targeted local buyers and investors through a range of programs, including B2B buyer meetups, a joint pavilion at InnoEx 2026, open innovation sessions, and visiting buyer meetups. These efforts led to active investment discussions, with an average of 13.3 meetings per participating company.
By agreement type, purchase and distribution deals accounted for about $4.93 million, local proof-of-concept projects for about $4.21 million, business and technology cooperation for about $1.45 million, and investment review agreements for about $5.1 million. In particular, 25 proof-of-concept agreements were signed, giving the companies a broad foundation for moving beyond simple MOUs toward follow-up commercialization.
In addition, five Sseuseuro Project companies advanced to the TOP 30 finals of 'Startup Wheel 2026,' a global startup competition held alongside InnoEx 2026. Among them, Crosshub made it to the TOP 5 final round, demonstrating strong performance.
One startup participant said, "By joining this Sseuseuro Project, we had many great opportunities to meet a wide range of local buyers." The company added, "We will continue building strong relationships with investors even after our business trip, so that these meetups can turn into real results."
[email protected] Byeon Ok-hwan Reporter