LG Uplus is supporting the growth and global expansion of domestic AI startups with technological competitiveness. They have announced this initiative at the ‘Shift Day’, which was held at their Yongsan office in Seoul on the 24th. This event aimed to share the results of their startup collaborations and future directions, with around 150 participants, including representatives from startups in the first and second batches of their ‘Shift’ program.
‘Shift Day’ serves as a platform to showcase the achievements of LG Uplus’s AI open innovation program, ‘Shift’, and to introduce the newly selected startups for the second batch. LG Uplus is focused on identifying promising early-stage startups in the AI future technology sector and aims to support them with technology collaboration, business cooperation, and investment to expand the AI ecosystem.
During the event, LG Uplus unveiled the 11 startups selected for the second batch, consisting of companies specializing in areas such as AI agents, AI/machine learning operations (MLOps), AI security, and AI Software as a Service (SaaS). These companies presented their AI technologies, future goals, and collaboration plans with LG Uplus.
LG Uplus is also aiming to provide global expansion opportunities for the Shift 2 startups. In collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), they will support cost reductions necessary for AI development and experimentation. Additionally, they plan to establish a strategic co-investment structure with Japan and Southeast Asia’s investment firm, ZVC, and provide global sales and marketing opportunities through collaborations with US-based Salesforce.
The company is also continuing to support participation in international exhibitions, helping AI startups attend the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. Five startups from the Shift program are expected to participate in the ‘4YFN (4 Years From Now)’ global startup event at MWC26 next year.
Looking ahead, LG Uplus plans to expand its joint programs with global partners centered around the Shift initiative. They are considering creating a co-fund with overseas companies to establish a global investment ecosystem, extending beyond startup support.
Hong Bum-shik, CEO of LG Uplus, stated, “According to the ‘Simply. U+’ brand philosophy, Shift provides essential support, including technology, business, and investment, in one go. We will support the entire growth process to help startups achieve real business outcomes and build a partnership model at a global level.”