The “4th Agri-Food Tech Startup Expo (AFPRO 2026),” which lets visitors see innovations in future agri-food technologies and pet healthcare at a glance, opens at COEX in Seoul on the third floor, Hall C, from the 15th to the 17th for three days. Hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and organized by the Korea Institute of Agricultural Technology Promotion, NH NongHyup, and COEX, the event will bring in about 220 startups with 360 booths. Along with agri-tech, food tech, and green bio, pet tech and physical AI technologies—both seeing rapid growth recently—will be showcased in large numbers.
In the 21-trillion-won era for the pet market…The No. 1 viewing focus: pet tech
The field drawing the biggest expectations is pet tech (Pet-Tech). The domestic pet market is expected to surge from 850 billion won in August 2025 to 21 trillion won by 2032. As “pet humanization” spreads—treating pets like family—“human-grade” pet food, with a grade that people can eat, is becoming a global standard.
In particular, the evolution of pet healthcare technologies that incorporate AI stands out. A representative example is a diagnostic support technology that uses an AI to analyze, in seconds, periodontal disease, cataracts, patellar luxation, and more when users take a photo of a dog with a smartphone app. At this expo, promising domestic startups leading these global pet tech trends will take part in force to unveil innovative solutions.
Key pet tech startups to spotlight at AFPRO 2026
-
Grass Medi(Hall C 5209): Developing customized medicines and healthcare products for pets
-
Peterpeter(Hall C 5007): Health management solutions based on animal bio-data
-
Pells(Hall C 5104): The world’s first immediate-matching solution for animal drug patients based on a pet mobility screening platform
-
Diddle Lab(Hall C 5210): A pet food brand that designs health routines with patented technology
-
Active Pet(Hall C 4103): Functional pet healthcare based on natural materials
-
Rebon Lab(Hall C 5201): Human-grade premium pet food with no preservatives or additives
Investment industry interest in pet tech startups is also running high. At the on-site “AC Special Gallery,” nine investment firms will participate, and they plan to actively carry out startup scouting and investment consultations.
“Physical AI” and “AX” that are set to change the face of agriculture
This year’s core theme at the expo, “Physical AI,” refers to artificial intelligence that goes beyond just analyzing data to perform physical tasks as well. Robot technology that can recognize crops on its own for harvesting or follow workers and carry loads is emerging as a solution to persistent labor shortages in agricultural sites.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Rural Development Administration are also moving to accelerate industry development by announcing plans to invest a total of 57.2 billion won by 2030 to develop autonomous driving farm equipment and agricultural robots, among other things. “AX (AI Transformation),” which is reorganizing industry across the board around artificial intelligence, is evolving beyond simple automation into a decision-making platform that diagnoses growing environments and delivers optimal farming prescriptions.
-
MetaPharmUs(Hall C 2010): Developing “OmniFarm,” an agricultural physical AI that performs smart greenhouse harvesting, irrigation moisture, and scouting tasks
-
The Robotics(Hall C 3501): Manufacturing the autonomous-following robot “BotBox,” which recognizes workers, follows them, and transports harvested produce
-
Growwise(Hall C 2207): A fused hardware solution that combines remote environment control based on AI with crop growth optimization
-
GF(Hall C 2004): Developing an AI system for detecting crop diseases and pests, and autonomous-driving agricultural robots
-
Rowain(Hall C 4403): Building “IntelliFarm,” a vertical farm robot facility based on physical AI
-
IToV Energy(Hall C 4107): Unmanned pest-control smart farm automation solution
-
Alt2u(Hall C 4405): Manufacturing gateway-based data collection and remote control smart machines
-
GLEC(Hall C 5005): AI driving-record logger technology that won an Innovation Award at CES 2026
13 categories of AFPRO AWARDS and event overview
On the final day of the event, the 17th, “AFPRO 2026 AWARDS” will be held on the grand stage, and awards will be given to 13 excellent companies that showcased innovative technologies. Multiple related organizations and companies, including the Rural Development Administration and the Korea Racing Authority, will join as sponsors and will directly present awards.
People working in the agri-food technology sector and investors can view the expo for free through prior buyer registration, and a variety of side events—including efforts to attract investment, open innovation, and networking—will also be held on site.