- OpenAI, Mercedes-Benz, HP, and Astellas join Korea’s AroundX program 2026.
- Startups collaborate with global firms in AI, biotech, and mobility sectors.
- AroundX drives deep-tech growth, jobs, and international expansion for startups.
Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) revealed that four new international companies, OpenAI, Mercedes-Benz, HP, and Astellas, will participate in its main open innovation program, AroundX, starting in 2026. The announcement took place at the AroundX Open Innovation Seminar held at COMEUP 2025 in the COEX Convention Center in Seoul. These updates will expand the program to 17 global companies, enhancing its influence in AI, mobility, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing.
AroundX was founded to assist startups in utilizing global infrastructure, research and development networks, and pathways for commercialization. The initiative works on a partnership basis; each international company collaborates to create proof-of-concept (PoC) projects, joint marketing efforts, or localized R&D trials with Korean startups.
From 2019 to 2024, businesses backed by AroundX generated almost 4,000 jobs and secured KRW 603 billion (USD 460 million) in total investment. Startups that completed the program, such as Colosseum Corporation, an AI logistics firm backed by AWS, have grown internationally, initiating collaborative ventures in Japan with AWS Japan and Daiwa.
The inclusion of OpenAI and Mercedes-Benz enhances the program’s technological breadth and industrial scope. It further strengthens Korea’s plan to establish itself as a startup center focused on deep-tech and AI in the Asia-Pacific area. The addition of OpenAI, Mercedes-Benz, HP, and Astellas signifies a pivotal shift in Korea's integration of global innovation networks within its startup policy framework.
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The involvement of OpenAI, a prominent AI company worldwide, and Mercedes-Benz, a frontrunner in intelligent mobility, indicates a shift toward enhanced cooperation between deep-tech ecosystems and international industrial networks. The government's current emphasis is on AI infrastructure, bio-innovation, defense technology, and advanced manufacturing areas that reflect the industrial presence of the new AroundX entrants.
With over 1,600 startups and 17 international partners currently linked via AroundX, Korea is developing a cooperative framework where deep-tech, AI, and global reach converge. The ongoing development of the program is anticipated to enhance Korea’s position as a cross-border innovation center, linking Asia-Pacific entrepreneurs, investors, and companies on a unified open platform for the forthcoming decade of global startup expansion.