Seoul Business Agency Contributes to 17 CES Innovation Awards 2026 winners - Proves Tech and Ingenuity of Seoul Startups

STUDIO LAB wins Best of Innovation Award for the 2nd time; Otiton Medical wins Innovation Award for the 2nd consecutive year

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, January 4, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- – 1-on-1 customized consulting produces 56 Innovation Award winners from approximately 250 applicants
– Strengthening global expansion capabilities through tailored support extending beyond the exhibition

The Seoul Business Agency (SBA, CEO Hyunwoo Kim), a support institution for small and medium-sized enterprises dedicated to vitalizing Seoul’s startup ecosystem and discovering outstanding startups, is proving the technological prowess and innovativeness of Seoul startups on the global stage. This year, the SBA produced 17 CES 2026 Innovation Award winners and one Best of Innovation Award winner. The winning companies credited their success to the SBA’s systematic support, particularly the "CES Innovation Award Consulting."

CES Innovation Awards: Organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) in conjunction with CES (Consumer Electronics Show), the world's largest tech exhibition. These awards are presented to the most outstanding products and services based on a comprehensive evaluation of innovation, technology, and marketability. Winning is considered a key indicator of verified global competitiveness.

The Seoul Pavilion: The SBA has supported CES Innovation Award consulting while creating and operating the "CES 2026 Seoul Pavilion" in collaboration with 18 startup institutions representing Seoul’s ecosystem. This year’s 17 Innovation Awards and one Best of Innovation Award further highlight Seoul's startups' global standing.

Proving Competitive Edge: STUDIO LAB and Otiton Medical

Among the 17 winners, STUDIO LAB solidified its technical leadership by winning the CES Best of Innovation Award, an honor granted to only about 30 companies worldwide, including global conglomerates. This marks STUDIO LAB’s second Best of Innovation win following their success at CES 2024. Meanwhile, Otiton Medical, which participated in the Seoul Pavilion for both CES 2025 and 2026, made the winners' list for the second consecutive year. These achievements are particularly meaningful because they demonstrate that the Seoul Pavilion support program drives sustainable growth for participating companies.

Sunghoon Kang, CEO of STUDIO LAB, credited the SBA’s consulting as the secret to their double-crown success: "I am grateful to the SBA for their generous, multi-year support, which allowed STUDIO LAB to focus on R&D for our unique AI and robotic technology. In an era of rapid AI and robotics development, we are constantly researching how to apply these innovations to real life. Winning Best of Innovation twice is a great honor, and we will do our best to ensure global brands benefit from our technology."

Jayden Kim, CEO of Otiton Medical, stated: "Winning the Innovation Award is the result of combining our technology with systematic consulting. Establishing our identity through expert market analysis and product positioning was the key to our two-year consecutive wins."

The Secret to Success: 1-on-1 Customized Consulting

The SBA’s consulting program boasts unrivaled effectiveness by matching startups 1-on-1 with experts. Dedicated consultants provide close support throughout the entire process, from drafting the application to final submission. This includes professional editing and English proofreading, as well as improving promotional materials, such as websites and product videos, to meet global judging standards.

Cross-Check System: The program utilizes a system involving accelerators with investment expertise, technical judges, and native English editors. This team provides intensive consulting to maximize the judging criteria: Engineering, Design, and Innovation.

Expert Analysis: Engineering PhDs from leading U.S. laboratories analyze each company’s R&D capabilities, while experts who served as venture CEOs and KOSDAQ listing committee members assess the global business appeal. Native English speakers with engineering backgrounds add sophisticated storytelling to significantly raise the qualitative standard of the applications.

Track Record: Based on this systematic support, the SBA has provided consulting services to approximately 250 companies over the past three years, resulting in 56 Innovation Award winners.

Beyond the Award: Ongoing Support and Community

The SBA’s commitment continues long after the awards are announced. The agency operates the "CES Innovation Award Community" to facilitate ongoing collaboration and post-exhibition support. STUDIO LAB and Otiton Medical are both active members of this network.

CES Innovation Award Community: Launched in September 2024, this networking group comprises winners from the Seoul Pavilion. It aims to increase information exchange and joint business opportunities.

Collaboration Support: The SBA supports small-scale team building and provides activity grants to help create tangible collaborative outcomes. Online communication channels offer real-time feedback and information on support programs.

Sustained Growth: By linking internal and external resources, the SBA has built a continuous support system that strengthens a company’s global expansion capabilities long after CES ends, fostering a robust startup ecosystem through partnerships with universities, public institutions, and private companies.

Hyunwoo Kim, CEO of the Seoul Business Agency, remarked, "I am incredibly proud of the Seoul startups that achieve outstanding results at CES every year. Seoul is proving its ecosystem's potential to the world. The SBA will continue to leverage various support projects and close public-private cooperation to build a sophisticated, 'Seoul-style' startup ecosystem that drives global success."

Seun Jung
Seoul Business Agency
+82 2-2222-3773
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