Alibaba has unveiled Accio Work, an advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform aimed at streamlining business operations for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea. The new system promises to automate a broad spectrum of tasks typically handled by larger corporations, from sourcing and product planning to marketing and store management.
At a press event in Seoul, Shawn Yang, general manager for Alibaba’s APAC region, emphasized that AI has transitioned from a futuristic concept to a core business infrastructure. “Accio Work brings a large-size company’s operational efficiency to SMEs and one-person startups, allowing them to debut in the global market,” he said.
The agentic AI embedded in Accio Work does more than respond to queries. It actively generates tasks based on user requests and executes them autonomously. This allows entrepreneurs to focus on higher-value decisions, such as supplier negotiations and real-time risk management, while the AI handles repetitive or complex processes like market research, price negotiations, product registration, and international marketing.
Alibaba noted that SMEs often struggle with limited manpower, insufficient market knowledge, and barriers posed by differing languages, policies, and tax regulations. Accio Work is designed to bridge these gaps, providing continuous support for strategic decision-making and global market expansion.
James Zhang, head of global seller products and services at Alibaba, highlighted the transformative potential of the platform. “With Accio Work, companies can start business faster and make wiser decisions. It’s going to be a gamechanger for SMEs competing on the global stage,” he said.
The launch aligns with Korea’s growing digital infrastructure and international demand for its products. Alibaba reported an 18 percent increase in Korean partner companies on its platform this year and a 128 percent surge in inquiries from global buyers.
To further promote Korean innovation, Alibaba will host a Korean round of its CoCreate Pitch 2026, a competition leveraging Accio Work to identify the most innovative startups. The competition will feature three categories—general SMEs, 0-to-1 startups, and students—with prize money totaling 200 million won ($130,000). The Korean finalists will compete on Aug. 25, with the winner advancing to the global round in the United States.