Plug and Play GOAL Program Highlights 2024 Milestones and Plans for Advancing Global Innovation in 2025

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Plug and Play GOAL achieved significant milestones in 2024, driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and enhancing its global presence. In the past year, the US Soft Landing program supported 90 startups from over 12 countries, delivering 13 programs in in-person and hybrid formats. Looking ahead to 2025, the focus remains on advancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem and empowering startups worldwide. From its establishment in 2009, the GOAL program has accelerated over 1000 startups from across the globe to connect them to Silicon Valley resources.

Last year, Plug and Play worked closely with 16 esteemed collaborators and program sponsors, including the Armenian Ministry of High Tech Industry, City of Hamburg, City of Laval, Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Daegu CCI), Enterprise Singapore, Hamdi Ulukaya Initiative, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), Innovation Denmark, Korea Environmental Industry Association (KEIA), K Innovation Center (KIC) in Silicon Valley, Korean Ministry of Environment, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Startup Lithuania, Team of Wakers, The State of Schleswig-Holstein, and Zagreb Innovation Centre (ZICER). These partnerships played a key role in supporting startup growth and fostering innovation.

"We bring our startups into the Plug and Play ecosystem, which provides immense benefits, such as meeting real American people, experiencing the culture, and understanding how to expand their business in the U.S.," said Alexandre Corriveau, Director of Terro X from Laval. "As a partner, it's an opportunity to witness a wide range of innovations and stay updated on global trends. This is my third time coming to the summit, and I'm super happy to be part of this journey—I absolutely love what we're doing with Plug and Play right now."

Jon Steffen Therkildsen, Senior Advisor at Innovation Centre Denmark adds, "True value lies in networking, identifying emerging trends, and paths to action. Our partnership with Plug and Play Tech Center perfectly cements this commitment. When we bring our initiatives to the United States, connecting with the innovative ecosystems that Plug and Play so vividly helps define in Silicon Valley is paramount. This immersive exposure to American business culture and investor networks is indispensable for navigating not only the U.S. but also the global stage."

Jaehong Min, VP of Korea Environmental Industry Association, emphasizes Plug and Play's global presence, stating that, "Plug and Play plays a key role not only in Silicon Valley but also as a global hub for industries worldwide, helping multinational companies form strong networks while efficiently managing costs and time. In particular, the Korean team had the opportunity to participate in a well-structured program, from mentoring to demo day, over the course of several months, which significantly enhanced the global capabilities of Korean SMEs, leading to high satisfaction across the board."

Additionally, Stephane Ouaki, Head of Department at European Innovation Council, shares, "Plug and Play is ideally positioned to deliver the value that we're looking for our companies. Plug and Play provided them with training, exposure and understanding of what it takes to be successful in the US as well as gave us the platform to provide access to our companies to meet with corporates and investors."

Last year, the GOAL program delivered comprehensive support to startups through over 100 workshops focused on Silicon Valley best practices, including market entry strategies, scaling operations, fundraising, and corporate partnerships. The program facilitated more than 350 mentor introductions, provided tailored one-on-one guidance from industry experts and connected startups to a global network of over 550 corporate partners.

Participants also showcased their innovative solutions at Plug and Play's Global Startup Showcases during the June and November Summits, attended by over 3,500 representatives from corporations, governments, investors, and startups. In addition, startups gained valuable insights from over 20 founders, including unicorn leaders such as Alfonso de la Nuez from UserZoom, Martin Basiri from ApplyBoard, and Safwan Shah from Payactiv.

The following alumni shared how the GOAL program impacted their growth journey:

Eddie Yu, Founder & CEO of Okosix from Hong Kong, shared, "Plug and Play has very rich connections with investors and corporate partners. One of the highlights for me was attending Silicon Valley Summit. I met more than 15 potential investors there."

Catherine Kurt, CEO of AQ22 from Lithuania, said, "Participating in the GOAL program was a transformative journey for AQ22. The program's immersive workshops and personalized mentorship helped us refine our strategy, build meaningful partnerships, and sharpen our value proposition in ways we never anticipated."

Siyoung Na, Founder & CEO of Carbon Energy from South Korea, added, "The GOAL program was an incredible experience that exceeded all our expectations. We highly recommend GOAL to anyone looking to elevate their skills, gain fresh perspectives, and build lasting relationships within a supportive community."

Echoing this sentiment, Berkan Mifleh, Co-Founder of Malty from Turkey, highlighted the program's value in driving global ambitions: "It was a productive program for showcasing our startup and expanding our global network. (It was) an important milestone in taking steps toward our global market expansion."

Tomas Byčkovas, CEO of Biohifas from Lithuania, also emphasized the unique opportunities provided by their time in Silicon Valley, noting, "Engaging with fellow startups, industry mentors, and entrepreneurs has provided us with practical insights into scaling a business and improving our operations."

The success is demonstrated by the numerous partnerships and pilot projects that emerged from the participation in the GOAL program. The founders'  journey highlights the program's mission to bridge global markets and foster economic growth.

"We are proud to have hosted in 2024 more than 90 technology startups in Silicon Valley from so many countries with the help of JETRO and NEDO in Japan, State of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany, EIC from the European Union,  KIC and KEIA in South Korea and more. These startups will learn the best practices from the culture here and build global companies like BusinessObjects, Skype and Waze that would keep their organization in the home country but raise money in Silicon Valley and execute globally. This is why the top companies are either born in Silicon Valley or have satellite offices here," said Saeed Amidi, CEO of Plug and Play.

As the Plug and Play GOAL program looks ahead to 2025, it will build on the progress of 2024 to expand its reach, foster collaboration, and create new opportunities for startups and partners.

For inquiries and GOAL Soft Landing Program partnerships, please contact:
Elina Gorji, Senior Program Manager - GOAL Silicon Valley ([email protected])
Yui Koda, Program Manager - GOAL Silicon Valley ([email protected])

About Plug and Play:
Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're present in 60+ locations across 5 continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we've invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. To get in contact with Plug and Play, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/contact.

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SOURCE Plug and Play