At the Seoul Pavilion at CES 2026, hosting 69 startups, student talent has become a defining feature. The pavilion is operated by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA), which set up a 743-square-meter space inside Eureka Park, CES' dedicated startup hub. Orange-themed booths line the floor, while Haechi — Seoul's mascot — roams the aisles, drawing curious glances from international visitors.
The pavilion brings together 19 organizations, including four district offices, five startup support agencies and nine universities.
Participating companies span artificial intelligence, mobility and healthcare sectors.
Among the exhibitors, AI startup A.PLA demonstrated its proprietary motion-capture technology. The system extracts human movements from ordinary webcam footage or YouTube videos, converting them into training data for robots. The company had planned to bring a humanoid robot from Unitree Robotics for live demonstrations, but battery restrictions during air transport forced a change of plans.
Nearby, mental-health startup ATLO drew crowds with its emotion-sensing AI companion. Equipped with cameras, the robot reads facial expressions, gestures and vocal tones to gauge a user's emotional state and respond accordingly. The company offers the technology both as a mobile app and as a physical robot.
The robot demonstrated its capabilities on the show floor, recognizing hand gestures and engaging in conversation.
"Many people struggling with mental health don't want to be treated as patients at hospitals or counseling centers," said ATLO CEO Park Sung-hyun. "They want to be treated as individuals. Our AI companion serves as a friend who listens."
Park, who attended CES with a three-member team, praised the pavilion's support system. "Each company gets a dedicated university student who handles interpretation and booth logistics," he said. "They've been outstanding."
The student volunteer program has emerged as a hallmark of Seoul's CES presence. Drawn from nine Seoul-based universities and the University of Nevada Las Vegas, volunteers are matched with participating companies months in advance.
"The goal is simple: get one more investor, one more buyer in front of these startups," Kim said.
It took four years, he added, to persuade universities and government agencies to join forces under a single pavilion.
"When everyone came separately, it cost more and made less impact," Kim said. "Together, we punch above our weight."
Visually, the Seoul Pavilion stands out among national booths at Eureka Park. Kim pointed to deliberate design choices aimed at maximizing foot traffic, including a dedicated media center where journalists can file stories on site.
"If you don't have deep insight into a particular industry, you won't seek out those booths," he said. "We need to catch people's eyes first, then create an interface for conversation."
The results, Kim noted, speak for themselves. Of the 69 participating companies, 17 received CES Innovation Awards — a ratio he called the best in the world, crediting months of pre-show consulting and post-show follow-up.
"Other pavilions might bring 100 companies and win eight or nine awards," he said. "We're running at a different level."
"We'll evaluate after this show ends and plan accordingly," he said.
For now, the focus remains firmly on the show floor.
"For students, it's invaluable experience. For startups, it's a lifeline," Kim said of the volunteer program.
CES 2026 runs through Jan. 9.
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