Must Connect Singapore Showcases the Potential of Korean Healthcare Companies

"MUST.CONNECT 2024 Singapore," a program introducing and supporting promising Korean startups in the global market, was held over two days starting on the 23rd at the GAIA Innovation Port, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. MUST.CONNECT is a global open innovation program hosted by MUST Accelerator (CEO Jisun Lee), which has long supported the innovative growth of Korean startups. Now in its third year, this year's roadshow featured a total of 14 startups, including eight in the healthcare and bio sector — such as BREDIS Healthcare, which enables early detection of dementia through blood-based diagnostics — and six in the sustainability sector, including AiiTech, a developer of waste-sorting robots. The second day of the event was dedicated to the eight healthcare and biopharmaceutical startups. Among them were BREDIS Healthcare and Able Therapeutics, both of which enable early diagnosis of dementia and cognitive impairment using blood testing and AI; BNJ Biopharma, an AI-driven drug discovery company with anticancer drug design technology; and BioResearch.AI, which provides an AI-based pharma and bio research platform. The event also drew participation from major global players including SGInnovate and Singtel Innovate — leading Singaporean startup support organizations — as well as JLABS, the innovation arm of global pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, Agape Medtech, and the Singapore Healthcare Innovation Center. NTU, often referred to as "Singapore's MIT" for its extensive collaboration with startups worldwide, joined the event as a program partner. Participating companies had been developing their strategies since June through workshops and one-on-one mentoring with global market experts, and this event gave them the opportunity for one-on-one partnering sessions with local experts, leading to practical discussions on market entry. As a result, three companies — BNJ Biopharma, BioResearch.AI, and Able Therapeutics — signed MOUs with program partners including NTU and BCS to pursue concrete forms of cooperation such as joint research and business partnerships. "Korean startups are highly dynamic and hold great potential. I am confident that collaboration between Korea, with its strong industrial base, and Singapore, which serves as a global gateway, can generate tremendous synergy," said Sean Ang, Chairman of NUS Alumni Ventures, an organization founded by graduates of the National University of Singapore (NUS), in his assessment of the roadshow. "This is not meant to be a one-off event — our focus is on helping startups achieve real outcomes, such as investment and revenue," said Jisun Lee, CEO of MUST Accelerator. "We will continue to help them shine by connecting them with more opportunities in the global market." The roadshow was supported by leading Korean startup support organizations, including the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZ), Incheon Technopark, the Incheon Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, the Busan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, and Seoul Startup Hub.