[TexasN  amiangs0210@gmail.com] Korean IT startups have expanded their potential for global market entry through the K-Next Reality Showcase, held in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, November 20.

Korean innovation companies are continuing to make their mark in Texas. On the 20th, the Korea Information and Communication Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) hosted the K-Next Reality Showcase at the Downtown Westin Hotel in Austin, introducing seven Korean metaverse startups to investors, industry professionals, and IT researchers.

NIPA, under the Ministry of Science and ICT, has been facilitating global market expansion for Korean IT startups by hosting showcase events since August in regions like Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and New York.

According to Hong Tae-joon, head of NIPA’s Metaverse Expansion Team, 24 companies were selected to participate in global showcases, with seven (Apoc, SmartCube, We-ar, TSPXR, GD Communication, Widebrain, Xrisp, Eon Studio) attending the Austin event.

“We organized showcases in five regions, including Austin, where companies can directly connect with their target markets and potential partners,” said Hong, explaining that the events focus on targeted and strategic engagement.

Austin, hosting the second U.S. showcase after New York last month, is a hub for Texas’s IT industry. Known as Silicon Hills, Austin continues to attract high-tech companies, building its reputation as Texas Techno Valley.

With advancements in B2B software and technology integration, the metaverse is evolving into an industrial platform. It enhances supply chain management, resource allocation, and operational efficiency while accelerating digitization through big data and AI adoption. This industrial evolution of the metaverse maximizes the potential of blending virtual and physical worlds.

Shim Ja-young, a senior official from NIPA’s Metaverse Expansion Team, noted, “There is growing awareness of industrial metaverses, and we see significant potential for Korean metaverse companies in industrial applications.”

Metaverse companies participating in the Austin showcase demonstrated the scalability of their technologies for industrial metaverse applications. Korean metaverse technologies are increasingly recognized for their potential in the U.S. market, with local companies adopting virtual world systems for operations, marketing, and management. Industry experts believe Korean technology can secure competitiveness in the American market.

At the Austin showcase, new platforms connecting virtual and physical realities were presented, highlighting high industrial utility. Innovations included platforms for acquiring diverse information in virtual reality, virtual farm systems linked to actual farms, digital marketing solutions, and virtual exhibition platforms, showcasing the limitless possibilities of virtual spaces.

Benito Fernandez, CEO of “The Whisper,” a mobile security program startup based in Austin, praised the technical prowess of Korean metaverse companies. “There were platforms that could enable collaboration. I look forward to working together,” he said.

Meanwhile, NIPA also supported Korean metaverse and XR companies by operating the “K-Metaverse Pavilion” at SXSW 2024, held in Austin from March 10 to 13. As a leading global ICT convergence content exhibition, SXSW showcases diverse fields of convergent content. NIPA provided various programs, including individual booths, IR pitching, buyer matching, and local media promotions, to help Korean SMEs expand exports and develop international markets.