PRogram Korea 2025

PROGRAM

October 1st


11:10 Welcome to the South Summit Stage

Liz Fleming (Chief Ecosystem Officer at South Summit)

11:10 South Summit Startup Competition (10 startups)

Reinaldo Normand (Co-founder and GP at Niu Ventures)
Javier Villamizar (Operating Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers)
Kei Shimada (CEO at Sirius Technologies, Inc.)
Daniel Chapellin (Chief Operating Officer at Wealthing VC Club)
Alexandre Lazarow (Managing Partner at Fluent Ventures)
Ravi Jain (Investment Director at TDK Ventures)
Michael Blakey (Managing Partner at Cocoon Capital)
Maria Noel de la Paz (Acceleration Director at Magical )
Sandeep Casi (Partner at Antler, Head of Ibex Japan at Antler)


12:05 When AI Meets Ambition: How Founders and Investors Build Global Startups


What happens when visionary founders and forward-looking investors join forces in the AI era? This panel dives into the collaboration between Jeff Kim of Yanolja — Korea’s travel-tech unicorn — and Javier Villamizar of SoftBank. Together, they’ll highlight how AI is fueling growth, reshaping industries, and creating new opportunities for startups to expand from Asia to the world.


Juan José Güemes (Senior Vice President Strategy & Corporate Growth Chairman,
Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at IE University)
Javier Villamizar (Operating Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers)
Jeff Kim (CEO at Yanolja Cloud)


12:30 LUNCH BREAK


13:30 Beyond Unicorns: How Investors Scale Startups Globally


Scaling a startup beyond early traction takes more than funding—it requires late-stage vision, capital, and global networks. This panel brings together leading investors to discuss the evolving role of late-stage capital and how they partner with founders to fuel growth. The conversation will highlight how global ecosystems can support startups on the path from growth to scale, and what it really takes to build the next generation of global leaders.

Ravi Jain (Investment Director at TDK Ventures)
Sandeep Casi (Partner at Antler, Head of Ibex Japan at Antler)
Alexandre Lazarow (Managing Partner at Fluent Ventures)


14:00 Born in Spain, Built for the World: Scaling Deeptech Globally


From AI breakthroughs to hyperautomation, Spanish founders are driving a new wave of deeptech innovation. This panel brings together two trailblazers who will share their journeys of building cutting-edge startups in Spain and scaling them to global markets. Discover how deeptech born locally is reshaping industries worldwide.


Renata Sánchez de Lollano Caballero (Economic and Trade Counsellor at Spanish Embassy)
Miguel Ángel Fito Jordán (CEO at DOÑA PAQUITA)
Alejandro Máñez (CEO & Founder at Digital Robots)


14:30 Making Space Universal


Envision a future where space is accessible to everyone — individuals, businesses, and brands alike — also serving as a vibrant platform for innovation, creation, and unique experiences.
Space will no longer be the exclusive domain of governments and the affluent. Instead, it will be an open opportunity for those bold enough to challenge its limits and pioneer exciting new possibilities.
Let’s take the next bold steps together, Making Space Universal.

Kei Shimada (CEO at Sirius Technologies, Inc.)


15:00 Fostering Entrepreneurship: From Labs and Classrooms to Global Markets


In this fireside chat, Álvaro Cabrera, DeepTech ecosystem builder and serial founder, joins Juan José Güemes, Chairman of IE University’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, to explore how knowledge can be transformed into impactful startups. Together, they will discuss the journey from research labs and classrooms to investor-ready ventures, the role of ecosystems in supporting scaleups, and why entrepreneurship must be seen as a viable career path for the next generation of global founders.

Juan José Güemes (Senior Vice President Strategy & Corporate Growth Chairman, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at IE University)
Alvaro Cabrera (CEO at DTB)»


15:30 From Zero to One: Building Startup Ecosystems from the Ground Up


Behind every successful founder stands an ecosystem that provides more than capital. This panel brings together an innovation leader, a community builder, and an investor who all share a passion for early-stage startups. Together, they’ll explore how to shape strong teams, streamline operations, and unlock the first big steps that turn ideas into scalable ventures.

Liz Fleming (Chief Ecosystem Officer at South Summit)
Maria Noel de la Paz (Acceleration Director at Magical )
Daniel Chapellin (Chief Operating Officer at Wealthing VC Club)


16:00 Resilient Value Chains: Triple EU Helix meets Korea’s High-Tech Edge


Europe’s startup strategy for 2025 emphasizes competitiveness, innovation, and resilience in the face of global shocks. This panel brings together Packative’s Dominik Danninger and Picky’s Jihong Lee to explore how EU policy and Korea’s high-tech agility—from K-Beauty to semiconductors—can strengthen supply chains. Together with moderator Sanyu Karani, they will highlight how cross-border collaboration and Horizon Europe can turn vision into resilient, innovation-driven value networks.


Sanyu Karani (Co-CEO at FundingBox)
Dominik Danninger (Founder & CEO at Packative)
Jihong Lee (Founder/CEO at Picky)


16:30 From Barriers to Bridges: Women, Tech, and the Future of the Founding Community


Communities shape ecosystems as much as capital does. Community is the foundation of a resilient ecosystem. In this fireside conversation with Valerie Won Lee—serial entrepreneur, global negotiator, and WomenTech Network leader in Korea—we explore how inclusive networks empower women in tech and strengthen the entire startup landscape. From mentorship and leadership to diversity and collaboration, discover how community turns obstacles into bridges for a more resilient, innovative future.

Andrea Beleván (International Program Manager at South Summit)
Valerie Won Lee (Former Head of Communications (UN Big Data) | WomenTech Network Leader at WomenTech Network )


October 2nd


10:00 Breaking Borders: How Asian Founders Go Global


For Asia’s founders, going global is both the ultimate challenge and the biggest opportunity. In this panel, Riso Ahn (The Garrison), JaeHee Chang (Antler Korea), Reinaldo Normand (Niu Ventures), and Deb Kumar Mondal (Uncomfortable) share their experiences helping Asian startups expand internationally. From fundraising and market entry to building global teams, they’ll uncover what it really takes to scale beyond borders.

Riso Ahn (CEO at The Garrison)
JaeHee Chang (Partner at Antler Korea)
Reinaldo Normand (Co-founder and GP at Niu Ventures)


10:30 The Business of Bold Ideas: Scaling Innovation in the Age of Convergence

Scaling innovation today requires more than great technology — it demands strategy, investment, and collaboration across converging industries and ecosystems. In this fireside conversation, Nacho Mateo, CEO of South Summit, sits down with Kei Shimada—global innovation leader and Chief Business Officer at ISC—who has spent his career transforming groundbreaking ideas into scalable businesses. Together, they’ll explore how frontier technologies, business strategy, and ecosystem design turn bold visions into lasting impact.

-Possible Talking Points

From Ideas to Markets: What Kei has learned about taking prototypes and turning them into investable, scalable businesses.

Frontier Tech & Ecosystems: How space and deeptech startups reshape investment logic and ecosystem strategy.

Scaling Lessons: What global founders can learn from Japan’s approach to innovation and commercialization.

Ecosystem Synergies: Where Spain/Europe and Japan/Korea can collaborate to accelerate growth.

Beyond Capital: The role of strategic partners, corporate collaborations, and policy in enabling startups to scale.


Kei Shimada (CEO at Sirius Technologies, Inc.)
Nacho Mateo (CEO at South Summit)


11:00 From Labs to Markets: Capitalizing Knowledge


Deeptech thrives where research meets entrepreneurship. In this panel, a serial entrepreneur and an investor explore how groundbreaking ideas can move from the lab to the marketplace. Together, they’ll discuss how to spark innovation, foster knowledge, and transform ideas into scalable, capitalizable ventures that shape the future.

Francisco Machín (Chief Data Analytics Officer at IE University)
Michael Blakey (Managing Partner at Cocoon Capital)
Alvaro Cabrera (CEO at DTB)


11:30 South Summit Startup Competition (10 startups)


Reinaldo Normand (Co-founder and GP at Niu Ventures)
Javier Villamizar (Operating Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers)
Kei Shimada (CEO at Sirius Technologies, Inc.)
Daniel Chapellin (Chief Operating Officer at Wealthing VC Club)
Ravi Jain (Investment Director at TDK Ventures)
Michael Blakey (Managing Partner at Cocoon Capital)
Maria Noel de la Paz (Acceleration Director at Magical )
Francisco Machín (Chief Data Analytics Officer at IE University)


12:30 LUNCH BREAK


13:30 The Alternative Journey: Founders Who Invest Back


What happens when founders become investors? In this session speakers will share their journeys from building startups to backing them. With experience in private equity, venture capital, and global portfolio management, they’ll discuss how founder-turned-investors bring unique insight to navigating Series A, scaling DeepTech and AI ventures, and shaping the next wave of global category leaders.

Kevin Pereira (Managing Partner at renoir Investment Partners)


14:00 The 4 Horseman of Designing an AI Chip


There has been an unprecedented amount of funding to startups to design the next generation of AI Chips and CPU processor. However, all these teams have to deal with 4 fundamental industry barriers. The smartest team does not always win if they don’t have the right stakeholders. How do you navigate this to win in the AI Chip race?

Hian Goh (Founder at Openspace)


14:30 From Victory to Vision: One Year Later with South Summit Korea’s Startup Winner


One year after winning South Summit Korea’s Startup Competition, Noora Lee returns to share her journey. In this retrospective interview, she reflects on the challenges faced, the opportunities unlocked, and the lessons learned along the way. From scaling hurdles to global ecosystem connections, we’ll explore what has changed since her victory. Join us for an inspiring look at resilience, growth, and the road ahead in DeepTech & AI.

Liz Fleming (Chief Ecosystem Officer at South Summit)
Noora Lee (Senior Manager at Dtonic)

15:00 Neuroscience-Driven Solutions: Deeptech to Improve Humanity


Where brain science meets deeptech, new solutions emerge to transform human lives. In this fireside chat, Deb Kumar Mondal (Uncomfortable) interviews Anna Shimafuji, founder and CEO of NeuralPort, to explore how neuroscience research can become impactful startups. From eye-tracking studies in autism to building cutting-edge brain-tech ventures, Anna’s journey shows how science, technology, and entrepreneurship can align to improve humanity.

Francisco Machín (Chief Data Analytics Officer at IE University)
Anna Shimafuji (CEO at NeuralPort)


15:30 Fueling Founders: Building the Next Generation of Scalable Startups


Behind every successful startup is more than funding—it’s the right support, networks, and vision to grow. This session will explore how founders in Korea and Japan can access the tools to scale globally, from strategic guidance and international connections to community and mentorship. The focus: empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs to build companies that compete on the world stage.

Hiroki Matsuda (Founder & Managing Director at Collective Souls Inc.)
Catherine Shiang (Managing Director at Asia Capital Advisor )
Sep Assadian (VP, Founder Success at venture, LAB Innovation Hub / HardTech Investor Network)