Antler Forge Global Info Session
Antler Forge Global Info Session
Turn Real Products into Real-World Adoption
An online information session for global technology startups with an existing product or early market deployment.
Antler Forge is a four-week execution program in Seoul that connects startups with enterprise customers to validate real-world use cases, generate commercial traction, and explore investment opportunities.
In this session, you'll learn about Forge Season 2, including the program structure, eligibility, enterprise collaboration model, investment opportunity, and real founder success stories.
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Asia
Seoul — 9:00 PM
Singapore — 8:00 PM
India — 5:30 PM
Dubai — 4:00 PM
Europe
Paris / Berlin — 2:00 PM
London — 1:00 PM
United States
New York — 8:00 AM
San Francisco — 5:00 AM
Why Forge?
Building great technology is only the beginning. Turning it into a product that customers are willing to pay for is a different challenge.
In enterprise markets, finding the right decision-makers, validating product fit, and moving from initial conversations to PoCs and commercial adoption often takes months.
Antler Forge compresses that journey.
Selected founders spend four weeks in Seoul meeting enterprise customers and industry partners, validating their products, gathering market feedback, and building commercial traction.
Based on each team’s execution, customer engagement, and market potential, Antler also evaluates investment opportunities throughout the residency.
Why Korea?
Korea is home to many of the world’s leading companies across semiconductors, automotive, electronics, manufacturing, robotics, healthcare, and gaming.
Companies including Samsung, Hyundai, SK, and LG are actively exploring technologies in AI, Robotics, Physical AI, Semiconductors, Mobility, and other frontier industries.
For international startups, however, reaching the right decision-makers and building meaningful enterprise relationships can be challenging.
Leveraging Antler Korea’s corporate and investor network, Forge helps founders understand market demand, validate product fit, and build early commercial traction for expansion into Korea and Asia.
Meet Our Enterprise Partners → [Link]
Who Should Join?
Forge is not designed for idea-stage founders.
Forge Is Designed for Teams That:
Have an existing product or early deployment
Are pursuing enterprise sales, PoCs, or commercial adoption
Want to validate their product in a new market
Are preparing to expand into Korea and Asia
Can relocate to Seoul for four weeks
Are ready to iterate quickly based on customer feedback
Recommended Stage
Seed ~ Pre-Series A
Funding stage is not the primary selection criterion. We place greater emphasis on product readiness, founder execution, and the team’s ability to generate meaningful commercial traction.
Focus Areas
Forge focuses on system-driven startups combining software, hardware, and deep engineering.
Physical AI & Embodied Intelligence
Robotics & Mechatronics
Enterprise AI
Semiconductors & Deep Systems
Mobility & Smart Infrastructure
Biomedical & Healthcare
Aerospace & Defence
Gaming & Interactive Technologies
Other System-Heavy or Frontier Industries
Startups outside these categories are also encouraged to apply if they are building technology that requires enterprise validation and commercial adoption.
What You’ll Get
Opportunity to receive up to USD 500K in investment from Antler
Four-week in-person founder residency in Seoul
Introductions to enterprise customers and industry partners
Customer interviews, product validation, and PoC opportunities
USD 650K+ in AI, cloud, and technology partner credits
USD 4M+ in portfolio partner benefits after investment
Access to Korean government funding programs, including up to USD 500K through TIPS
Partial airfare support for the first two selected international teams
Forge1
In March 2026, Forge Season 1 received applications from more than 100 startups across 35 countries, including the United States, France, India, Singapore, and Central Asia.
Selected founders joined the four-week residency in Seoul, where they validated their products with enterprise customers and industry partners, built commercial traction, and secured investment from Antler Korea.
Lili-o
https://www.lili-o.com/
A French Physical AI startup developing data foundries for humanoid and industrial robotics.
Through Forge, the team engaged with Korean enterprises, recruited a Korean co-founder, and established a stronger foundation for expansion into the Korean market.
Honestly
https://www.usehonestly.com/
An AI-powered customer intelligence platform that helps global brands analyze consumer opinions across social media, online communities, and review platforms.
During the Forge residency, the US founding team validated its product with Korean enterprise customers and demonstrated strong early commercial traction.
About Antler
Antler is a global venture capital firm that helps exceptional founders build Further, Faster.
Operating across 30 cities worldwide, Antler has supported and invested in more than 1,800 startups and was ranked the world’s most active early-stage investor by PitchBook in both 2024 and 2025.
Its global portfolio includes Airalo, Lovable, PixVerse, Wrtn, Sona, Salmon, Reebelo, Reditus Space, Imitation Machines, Standard Electron, and Type I Compute, spanning AI, enterprise software, robotics, semiconductors, aerospace, and other frontier technologies.
Antler supports founders from initial investment through customer introductions, market validation, global expansion, and follow-on funding.
Meet the Host
Gabriel Saeun Jung, Partner, Antler Korea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielsaeunjung/
Saeun is an entrepreneur and investor with experience spanning startup building, corporate venture capital, and early-stage investing.
Before joining Antler, she led corporate venture capital initiatives at GS Retail, where she worked with and invested in startups across Korea and Japan. Having also built a startup herself, she understands both the founder’s challenge of entering a new market and the corporate perspective behind partnership and investment decisions.
At Antler Korea, Saeun works with global technology founders on early-stage investment, enterprise partnerships, commercial traction, and market expansion.
During the session, she will introduce how Forge connects startups with the Korean market, what Antler looks for in participating teams, and how founders can use the four-week program to validate their products and build meaningful traction.