SK Telecom to back 15 AI, ESG startups to court Europe VCs

SK Telecom will support 15 South Korean startups in the AI and ESG sectors to attract European investment at the MWC26 event.

The company announced it will operate a dedicated exhibition hall and hold an investment briefing in Barcelona on March 4, inviting European venture capitalists.

SK Telecom said the 15 participating startups come from diverse backgrounds, ranging from AI consulting and optimization, cybersecurity and data security, data infrastructure, to renewable energy, ecosystem restoration, and digital solutions for stress management and sustainability.

SK Telecom also plans to host a startup investment briefing with seven participating companies.

🔗 Source: Newsis

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

SK Telecom’s startup support fits into a multi-trillion-won AI shift

The program sits inside SK Telecom’s broader shift from a telecom operator to what it calls an “AI and digital infrastructure company” 1.
SK Telecom has said it will invest a total of ₩5 trillion over five years in AI businesses, aiming for AI-related revenue of ₩5 trillion or more by 2030 2.
Its US-based corporate venture capital arm, SK Telecom Americas (SKTA), backs global AI companies through investments and partnerships, including a strategic investment in US startup Together AI 1.
The MWC effort continues earlier work. SK Telecom ran a similar program in 2024 to help domestic AI startups reach global audiences at MWC/4YFN (the startup-focused section of Mobile World Congress) 3.

A possible approach for older companies in the AI era

SK Telecom’s approach suggests incumbents can move past connectivity alone and take a bigger role in AI infrastructure and ecosystems 1.
By selecting startups such as Coxwave, an AI service consulting firm in the Barcelona investment briefing, SK Telecom introduces them to European venture capitalists and builds relationships with niche AI providers.
Startups get visibility plus access to SK Telecom’s enterprise sales routes. SK Telecom strengthens its position and looks for new service revenue.
Other industrial firms and telecom groups could copy the idea by using scale to scout, package, and distribute AI and ESG startups through partnership networks.