The group of founders this year represented a cross-section of industries and achievements. NomadHer empowers female travellers worldwide and is recognized by the UNWTO, while McKinley Rice offers a solution for verifying job applicants’ backgrounds, reducing the verification time for companies. LabSD, Inc. is a social enterprise providing global health solutions through its EYELIKE Platform, enabling health workers to conduct proper retinal exams using AI and recycled smartphones.
The cohort also included LeeBridge, offering engineering solutions for piping and support modelling programs; Diveroid (Artisan&Ocean), providing smart scuba gear that turns a smartphone into all-in-one diving equipment; DBridge, building a global Med-Tech platform with features of community building, e-commerce, and education; Seoul Station, a newly launched café in New Delhi serving authentic Korean street food and beverages; AirLab, specialising in nasal research and offering the Nose Mask Nose Air Clean; Simple Lyfe, producing sustainable packaging materials which lower environmental impact; and DenQ, which manufactures cross-functional and affordable dental implants.
During the 4-month program, the startups signed 18 MoUs, went through 500+ hours of mentoring, more than 200+ one-on-one meetings, registered 7 companies, set up local offices, and participated in 10+ top-tier events.
“The KSC India 2023 Demo Day was not just a showcase of innovation; but a celebration of the enduring collaboration between South Korea and India. These startups exemplified the spirit of entrepreneurship that knows no borders, and today, we witness the convergence of vision and opportunity on this stage,” said Rajiv Bathla, CEO of The Circle, in a statement.
“As India is poised to become the 3rd largest economy by 2030, the coming years are going to bring the golden era of cross-border collaboration and partnership for innovation and sustainable growth. At The Circle FC, we’re not just fostering businesses; we’re building an ecosystem that strengthens ties, fosters cross-cultural understanding and propels the shared vision of global entrepreneurship,” said Nemesisa Ujjain, VP – Innovation, The Circle FC.
