Joining 9 Korean Startups Heading into Portland's 'Silicon Forest'

The Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy and Innovation announced on the 22nd that it has finalized nine Korean semiconductor startups to take part in the "2026 U.S. Portland Expansion Program" and has begun the related schedule.

The selected companies are MakinaRocks, VSL, SemiAI, SolverX, Aimursley, Genolab, Kopa, Cuprum Materials, and Korea Nanoort. The center had originally planned to pick five startups, but expanded the final selection by 80% based on results from last year's first cohort and the evaluation scores of applicants.

The program is designed to support Korean startups expanding into the Portland region, home to a dense cluster of global semiconductor companies including Intel, Lam Research, and Analog Devices — an area known as the "Silicon Forest."

This year's second cohort is operated in partnership with three organizations: Business Oregon (the state's economic development agency), the Greater Portland Inc. (GPI) economic promotion body, and the Silicon Forest Partnership, an industry consortium of local semiconductor companies. The program focuses on directly connecting Korean startups with leading local corporations and investors through these public-sector channels.

The selected companies will go through an online bootcamp running from April through May, followed by an on-the-ground program in Portland from May 11 to 15. Key support includes local office space, expert consulting, and 1-on-1 customized business meetups, with participation in major events held across Oregon.

Wonkyung Kim, CEO of the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, said: "What sets this second cohort apart is the new partnership with the Silicon Forest semiconductor industry consortium, which strengthens the foundation for public–private cooperation. By directly linking Korean companies with global semiconductor firms, we will support their entry and settlement in the U.S. market."