"Finding a Way in Boston": 6 Seoul Biotech Companies Head to Cambridge

Seoul City sends, and CIC Catalyst receives to promote entry into the U.S. market

Seeking partners for research and commercialization, such as Boston hospitals, research institutions, and investors

Editor-in-Chief Jang Myeong-sul 2026-10-08 18:19

서울경제진흥원이 지원하고 CIC 캐털리스트가 운영하는 2025년 '서울창업허브 미국 바이오·헬스케어 액셀러레이팅 프로그램'의 보스턴 CIC 행사 모습

(Boston = Boston Korea) Reporter Jang Myeong-sul = Six Korean biohealth startups will participate in a Boston visit program from October 12 to 16 to lay the groundwork for entering the U.S. market.

Companies that have undergone about eight weeks of online training and individual mentoring meet with hospitals, research institutions, investors, and others in Boston to assess the potential for research and commercialization of their technology and to find partners.

Supported by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) and managed by CIC Catalyst, this project is a program designed to assist Seoul-based startups in expanding overseas. It is one of the global expansion support initiatives of the Seoul Startup Hub, operated by the SBA, and is named the "Seoul Startup Hub US Bio & Healthcare Accelerating Program." Launched in 2024, it marks its third year this year.

The six participating companies selected this year are Tinaclon, Beyond Medicine, Stellarcube, Huino, Crystavision, and Aslon. While their technologies and stages of growth differ—such as a company that filters new drug candidates using artificial intelligence, one that treats jaw joint pain with an app, and one that converts patient pain into numerical values—their goal is the same: to find a path to enter the U.S. market.

Jo Eun-sora, a representative from the Seoul Economic Promotion Agency, explained in an interview with Boston Korea that the selection process focuses primarily on assessing the potential and readiness for entering the U.S. market. The SBA entrusts selection authority to the CIC, which is familiar with Boston and the U.S. market, and the CIC selects participating companies through the review of English applications, video presentations, and Q&A sessions.

The evaluation assesses not only technology but also team composition, the CEO's vision, the specificity of the strategy for entering the U.S. market, existing business track record, and local networks. A key criterion is also whether leveraging the CIC's human network and support can lead to tangible results.

After selection, they prepare to enter the U.S. market. They receive common online training on marketing, presentations to investors, and assessing whether their products or services align with local U.S. demand, and refine their business strategies through one-on-one sessions with mentors assigned to each company.

Chang-Won Lim, Director of StellarCube, a participating company, stated that he received concrete assistance through this mentoring, ranging from the structure of materials introducing the company to investors to strategies for approaching the U.S. market. Director Lim said, "We received a great deal of help from our mentors regarding how to communicate to approach the market, how to persuade, and how to strategize for regulatory entry."

The Boston schedule to be held next week will translate these preparations into actual meetings. Private presentations and individual meetings for investors will take place, and on October 15, a public demo day will be held at Venture Café where participating companies will introduce their technologies and businesses.

Zachary Metz, project manager at CIC Catalyst, stated, "We will provide online and in-person seminars, mentoring, and meetings with officials in Boston from August to October," adding, "We welcome the community to reach out to them first while they are in Boston."

케임브리지 소재 CIC에서 2025년 행사진행 모습

A particular emphasis of the Boston event schedule is on connecting partners tailored to the specific needs of each company. According to the SBA, the CIC aims to provide at least three meaningful business connections per company. This is achieved by arranging meetings individually based on whether the desired counterpart is a hospital, university research lab, pharmaceutical company, or investment firm.

Director Im Chang-won also emphasized the significance of CIC referrals in these connections. He described it as a kind of "verification ticket," noting that unlike individual contact, being referred through the CIC program allows for meetings where the other party already has a certain level of trust in the company's readiness and competitiveness. He explained that connections made through the CIC lower the barrier to establishing relationships with local organizations.

The program's performance is also measured in detail. The SBA considers proof-of-concept (POC) studies testing the performance or applicability of local companies and technologies, paid contracts, investment reviews, and the establishment of local subsidiaries as key outcomes. In the long term, the goal is to extend this to contracts for transferring the developed technology to entities such as pharmaceutical companies.

However, given that research, clinical trials, and regulatory approvals in the biohealth sector take time, one does not expect to secure investment or contracts during a short one-week visit. "In this year, we consider it a meaningful achievement just to get into the deal review process with an investor," said Jo Eun-sora, the person in charge. She explained that the biohealth sector requires more expertise than general startup support, and setting growth indicators and performance standards is also not easy.

An SBA official stated that establishing a foothold for expansion into Boston by forming partnerships with hospitals or university research institutes is also a meaningful achievement. This implies that the process of building relationships that lead to future joint research and commercialization is just as important as securing immediate contracts.

Follow-up support continues even after the on-site schedule concludes. Upon return, CIC assists companies in continuing follow-up discussions with organizations met locally for approximately one month, or up to three months, at their request. Re-application for the same program is possible for up to three years.

Actual cases are also emerging. Huino, which was selected again this year following 2024, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its electrocardiogram (ECG) patch, 'MEMO Patch M'. The company has entered into a joint research project with Johns Hopkins University Medical Center to advance 'MEMO Cast,' software that analyzes the vital signs of hospitalized patients to predict the risk of cardiac arrest within 24 hours, and is also discussing consultation and collaboration with the Mayo Clinic. The goal is to obtain FDA approval for MEMO Cast within this year as well.

Through this visit, the SBA plans to identify the licensing and research collaboration challenges that companies actually face and reflect them in future programs.

Boston Korea will introduce the U.S. market entry strategies of the six companies participating in this program in turn.

editor@bostonkorea.com