This photo, taken Oct. 12, 2025, shows the venue of the Expand North Star exhibition in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. (Yonhap)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 13 (Korea Bizwire) – More than 100 South Korean firms gathered at a major annual startup conference hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy this week, showcasing their latest advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging sectors.
The annual Expand North Star exhibition kicked off in Dubai on Sunday for a four-day run, bringing together about 2,000 global startups from various industries to explore investment and business partnership opportunities.
Fifteen South Korean organizations, including the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development and the Korea Creative Content Agency, as well as regional governments, joined the event with delegations of 103 startups seeking to broaden cooperation with global partners.
Among the South Korean startups at the Dubai event was Real Design Tech, which showcased an indoor bicycle designed for people with dementia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other mental conditions.
“While existing indoor bicycles are fixed in one place, our product offers an experience similar to riding an actual bike, as users must maintain their own balance,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lee Joong-sik said.
Lee said the bike not only provides comfort to users who have difficulty going outside but also helps them stay fit indoors.
“Through this exhibition, we aim to reach out to hospitals in the Middle East region to support people’s rehabilitation,” Lee said.
An indoor bicycle designed by Real Design Tech for people suffering from dementia and other mental disorders is displayed at the Expand North Star exhibition in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on Oct. 12, 2025. (Yonhap)
Real Design Tech is currently seeking to expand into eight overseas markets, including the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
ICF Co., another South Korean tech firm at the exhibition, showcased its platform dubbed ARcookie, which can transform AI-generated photos into augmented reality (AR) content for educational purposes.
“For example, our program can instantly create AR educational content, such as frog dissection for students through tablet PCs or smartphones,” said Seo Young-ho, the head of the company. “Artists can also create digital editions of their works.”
Seo said the company sees strong potential in the global market as demand for educational and artistic content exists worldwide.
A group of startups supported by Seoul National University also joined the event, including Mangoboost Inc., which aims to become an industry leader in the market for data processing units (DPUs) used at AI data centers.
“Amid the growing demand for graphic processing units from AI data centers, optimizing network performance has become crucial. Our DPUs can help address network bottlenecks at AI servers, enabling GPUs to operate more stably,” said Shin Won-jun, a manager at the company.
“The Middle East region has shown great interest in data centers. We aim to explore new areas of cooperation with partners and expand our presence in the market,” he added.
Amid the growing number of companies adopting remote working systems globally, Hoppers, another startup participating in the exhibition, promoted its comprehensive packages for digital nomads wishing to relocate to South Korea.
“For digital nomads who plan to stay overseas for more than a month, our company offers packages that include co-working space and accommodation, along with other necessary support,” Cho Jeong-hyun, who leads the company, said.
Her company was founded in 2021 amid the global shift toward remote work following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our goal is to make South Korea one of the major destinations for digital nomads.”
(Yonhap)