SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), led by Minister Oh Young-ju, announced the opening of the K-Startup Integrated Pavilion at CES 2025, the world's largest IT and electronics exhibition, on January 7 (local time) in Las Vegas.

The pavilion within the Eureka Park Hall at the Venetian Expo will showcase innovative Korean startups and facilitate global business matchmaking.

This year, the pavilion is operated through collaboration among 30 Korean startup support organizations, including public institutions, local governments, universities, and large corporations. A record 127 companies participated, an increase from last year's 91 companies and 26 institutions.

Key figures attended the opening ceremony on the morning of January 7 (local time). They included Kim Sung-sup, Vice Minister of MSS; Stavros S. Anthony, Lieutenant Governor of Nevada; Yeol-Soo Choi, Acting President of KISED; Yang Geum-hee, Deputy Governor for economic affairs of Gyeongsangbuk-do; and Lee Seung-won, economic deputy mayor of Sejong City.

During his remarks, Kim Sung-sup said, "This CES has demonstrated the global competitiveness of Korean innovation, with Korean ventures and startups winning 125 Innovation Awards. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will actively support K-Startups as they leverage CES to expand globally."

In recognition of its efforts to enhance collaboration between K-Startups and the U.S., KISED received a commendation from Stavros S. Anthony, Lieutenant Governor of Nevada.

KISED also plans to support participating companies with various programs during the event, including K-Startup IR pitching sessions, local VC seminars, and the Global Startup Summit.

As of January 7 (Korean time), the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has announced 461 CES Innovation Awards across 34 categories, with 210 awards going to Korean companies. Among these, SMEs received 130 awards, accounting for 61.9%, while venture and startup companies secured 125 awards.

Notably, three startups—Sierra BASE (Smart Cities category), Ghost Pass (FinTech category), and Suprema AI (Embedded Technologies category)—won the prestigious Best of Innovation Award, which is presented to one company in each category for the most innovative technology and products.

Among the K-Startup Integrated Pavilion participants, 12 companies won 13 Innovation Awards.

Kim Song-hyun, CEO of Sierra BASE, which won the Best of Innovation Award in the Smart Cities category, commented, "Winning the CES 2025 Best of Innovation Award is a recognition of our technological capabilities and potential for global market expansion. To realize sustainable infrastructure safety, we plan to expand our technology to North America, Europe, and beyond."