Latest Startups & Entrepreneurship News
Global Innovation Forum 2026 in Seoul Attracts CES Participants
Seoul hosts the Global Innovation Forum at CES 2026, featuring a startup pitching competition with participants from seven countries: Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Israel, Japan, Canada, and France. Over 200 global VCs and media attend, offering pitching, panels, and networking for international expansion.
The rebranded event strengthens IR competitions with top VC judging for investment and growth opportunities.
Samsung C-Lab Startups Win 17 CES 2026 Innovation Awards
Samsung will showcase C-Lab startups at CES 2026 in Eureka Park, including 15 from Outside program in AI, robotics, and digital health. Since 2012, C-Lab has incubated 959 projects; this year features regional startups from Daegu, Gwangju, and Gyeongbuk.
Four Samsung Financial C-Lab startups debut at CES for global collaboration.
OneRobotics Raises $206M in Hong Kong IPO for SwitchBot
Singapore-based OneRobotics, behind SwitchBot smart home products, completes $206M Hong Kong IPO despite tech stock headwinds. The funding highlights resilient venture interest in AI-driven smart home tech early in 2026.
It underscores shifting investor priorities in global markets.
MiniMax Launches $540M Hong Kong IPO in AI Boom
Chinese AI startup MiniMax kicks off a HK$4.2 billion ($540M) IPO in Hong Kong, pricing shares at HK$151-165. The Shanghai firm tests investor appetite for capital-intensive AI amid a gold rush.
Trading starts January 9, valuing it at up to HK$50.4 billion.
AI Startups Create New Billionaires in Investor Surge
Founders of Scale AI (Alexandr Wang, Lucy Guo) become billionaires after Meta's $14.3B investment; Cursor valued at $27B. Perplexity ($20B), Figure AI, Safe Superintelligence ($32B), and others see soaring valuations post-ChatGPT.
Many launched under three years ago by ex-OpenAI execs like Ilya Sutskever and Mira Murati.
Top Tennessee VC Firms Fuel 2026 Healthcare and Fintech Deals
Nashville dominates with funds like Solidus Ventures backing $28M Aspire Health Series C and Jumpstart Foundry in HealthStream's $15M round. Memphis and Chattanooga focus on biotech and logistics; average seed rounds hit $1.8M.
Local networks connect startups to HCA hospitals and freight execs.
Upstarts Media Outlines 2026 Resolutions After 2025 Hits
Upstarts highlights 2025 scoops like ex-OpenAI staffers raising $20M for Applied Compute and European defense tech at $100M. 2026 focus: more bangers on AI tools for VCs, coding startups, and refoundings like Handshake's AI pivot.
Emphasizes fun, deep dives, and founder benefits.
Euclid Ventures Predicts Anduril as Top 2026 IPO
Euclid forecasts Anduril's IPO to explode on defense, autonomy, and geopolitics convergence. Among 2026 outperformers, it leads in high-growth potential.
Other predictions cover startup trends across sectors.
Europe's Founders and VCs Share 2026 Scaling Resolutions
European startup leaders resolve to scale fast without losing core values in 2026. VCs emphasize disciplined growth post-easy money era.
Focus on maintaining speed amid challenges.
Top 10 European VC Firms Lead 2026 Charge
European VC evolves beyond growth-at-all-costs; top firms prioritize sustainable bets. They drive funding in tough markets for 2026.
Shift from easy money highlights disciplined investing.
C-Lab Expands to Regional and Financial Startups at CES
Samsung's C-Lab features seven regional startups from Daegu, Gwangju, Gyeongbuk—largest CES presence ever. Four financial C-Lab Outside startups join for first-time global exposure.
Highlights open innovation across affiliates.