Nevada Has Opened Its Door — SelectNV 2026 in April and K-Nevada Gateway in Sep. Are Rewriting the U.S. Entry Route for Korean-Asian Companies

Zero corporate and income tax, 135GW geothermal potential, America's only completed lithium loop, and the world's largest military training airspace — two platforms built on structural foundations are waiting for Korean companies

Nevada is emerging as a new axis in America's western investment landscape. Layered on top of a business-friendly environment with no corporate income tax and no personal income tax, the state offers the world's largest military training airspace, the only completed lithium loop in the United States — a full value chain from exploration through recycling — and a geothermal energy potential of approximately 135 gigawatts, equivalent to about 10 percent of total U.S. generating capacity.

These are not promotional claims. They are conditions already validated by the actual investment data of the U.S. Geological Survey, labor market analyst Lightcast, and global companies including Tesla, Google, and Ormat Technologies.

The Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) is leading with these structural advantages in hosting 'SelectNV 2026' on April 29–30. With energy, aerospace, and defense as the three core industries, this is a matching platform that brings global companies and investors looking to reposition their U.S. operations directly onto Nevada's terrain.

Centered on projects tied to lithium and batteries, drones and UAVs, and defense and space infrastructure, state government, local government, economic development agencies, and private developers present location options and incentive packages together in a single setting.

A dedicated follow-on program has been designed for Korean companies.

K-EnterTech Hub, Mediontech, Pacemakers, Genaxis, and Mission Law Firm will host 'K‑Nevada Gateway 2026' in Reno from September 27 through October 2.

To support program development and POC facilitation for participating companies, K-EnterTechHub has entered into a formal three-party MOU with EDAWN together with The Way Company — a cross-border operator based in the U.S. and Canada led by CEO Kim Min-kyung — signed on February 5, 2026.

If SelectNV is the place to 'discover' Nevada's potential, then K‑Nevada Gateway is the program focused on the 'execution' stage — where Korean and Asian innovative startups actually establish companies, and enter into POC agreements with investors and partners. Centered on five sectors — energy and batteries, semiconductors, medical and health technology, AI, content and media, and drones and Physical AI — the program packages pitching and IR sessions linked to Reno Startup Week, company visits, and Korea Night networking.

SelectNV 2026 — Two Days Proving the Future of Investment

SelectNV 2026, prepared by GOED, is not a simple investor briefing. It is a two-day program built with the intention of demonstrating, through data and firsthand experience, exactly why Nevada is the premier investment destination for energy, aerospace, and defense industries.

The first objective is to prove Nevada's competitive advantages directly through statistics, site visits, and infrastructure tours. The second is to connect global companies and investors with Nevada's industrial ecosystem through 1:1 meetings and roundtables, creating a pathway to real investment decisions.

The GOED team led by Executive Director Tom Burns will immediately follow SelectNV 2026 with consecutive participation in the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026, held May 3–6 in Washington D.C. Nevada's state government has designed these two events as a single journey — presenting an uninterrupted 'Nevada site exploration → federal-level investment matching' pathway for companies that explore Nevada in April and then proceed to formal investment matching in May. Nevada's economic delegation also visited Korea in November of last year.

Explore, Connect, Learn — The Three Program Tracks

SelectNV 2026's program architecture is not a simple site tour. It is structured as three tracks — EXPLORE, CONNECT, and LEARN — each designed to advance participants one step further toward an investment decision.

The EXPLORE track uses Las Vegas and Reno as bases to verify, at actual candidate sites, Nevada's access to western core markets, the logistics, power, and communications infrastructure supporting large-scale industrial parks, and the state's distinctively business-friendly environment with no corporate or personal income tax.

The CONNECT track is where participants come into direct contact with Nevada's industrial ecosystem's key players. Through 1:1 matchmaking sessions and roundtables with state and local economic development agencies, aerospace, energy, and defense companies, startups and scale-ups, legislative and regulatory officials, and leading universities and research institutions, it facilitates discussion of concrete project-level collaboration models — including factory establishment, R&D centers, logistics hubs, and joint ventures (JV).

The LEARN track is the place to explain 'why Nevada' through data. Through briefings on Nevada's innovation clusters and supply chain structure, workforce, wages, and regulatory environment, deep presentations on state incentive and support programs, and analysis of real investment and location success cases, it supports participating companies in examining investment feasibility from financial modeling and risk perspectives.

Why Now, Why Nevada — Six Structural Competitive Advantages

To summarize Nevada's competitiveness as simply 'no taxes' is to see only half the picture. Nevada sits precisely at the intersection of three global megatrends: the energy transition, defense industry expansion, and supply chain reshoring. Layered on top are tax structure, location, infrastructure, resources, and regulatory environment — forming structural advantages as a long-term strategic base. The following six strengths are not temporary incentives but foundational conditions to be evaluated through a medium-to-long-term investment lens.

① Zero-Tax — No Corporate, Personal Income, Inventory, or Franchise Tax

Nevada is one of a small number of states that imposes no state-level corporate income tax, personal income tax, franchise tax, or inventory tax. As a result, many companies examine Nevada for reasons of significantly lower total tax burden and operating costs compared to neighboring states like California. Tesla (Gigafactory Reno), Google, Apple, and Amazon's data centers and logistics hubs have already chosen Nevada — outcomes attributed to this tax and location package. Beyond this, GOED and county governments provide additional individual incentives including sales tax and property tax abatements for qualifying renewable energy and manufacturing facilities.

② Western U.S. Logistics Hub — One-Day Access to Tens of Millions of Consumers

Nevada is positioned as the inland gateway to western core markets including California, Arizona, Utah, and Oregon, and Pacific coast ports. Interstate corridors like I‑80 and I‑15 place tens of millions of consumers and manufacturing and distribution clusters throughout the western United States within one day's truck transport, complemented by the freight networks of Reno-Tahoe International Airport and Harry Reid International Airport (Las Vegas). This is the core reason battery, materials, logistics, and e-commerce companies select Nevada as a fulfillment and supply chain base covering the entire western region.

③ Aerospace & Defense Infrastructure — America's Largest Military Training Airspace

Nevada is home to a concentration of major U.S. military facilities including Nellis Air Force Base, Creech Air Force Base (a UAV operations hub), Naval Air Station Fallon, and Hawthorne Army Depot. Nellis training airspace extends to approximately 15,000 square miles — known as America's largest — providing UAV, drone, autonomous combat systems, advanced navigation, and sensor companies with testing and training opportunities closely resembling actual operational environments. Nevada-based proof-of-concept projects where defense and commercial drones intersect have already been carried out in number, including long-range drone delivery tests involving the Nevada UAS Consortium (Team Roadrunner).

④ Geothermal & Solar Energy Powerhouse — USGS-Confirmed ~135GW Geothermal Potential

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the geothermal energy potential of the Great Basin region at approximately 135GW — theoretically sufficient to supply approximately 10 percent of current U.S. electricity needs. As of 2024, renewable energy accounts for approximately 43 percent of Nevada's electricity generation mix, with solar comprising approximately 31 percent and geothermal approximately 8 percent. Ormat Technologies has entered long-range geothermal PPAs totaling hundreds of megawatts with Google and NV Energy, confirming a trend of Big Tech and utility clean energy demand concentrating in Nevada. This is why Nevada is cited as one of the very few locations where energy-intensive manufacturing, data centers, and defense projects can simultaneously satisfy RE100 and decarbonization requirements.

⑤ Lithium Hub — America's Only State with a Completed Lithium Loop

The Nevada North Lithium Project (NNLP) in Elko County, northern Nevada, was recently confirmed through exploration and economic evaluation to contain high-grade lithium-bearing clay widely distributed across the area. Combined with Tesla Gigafactory, Redwood Materials (battery and lithium recycling), and Dragonfly Energy (LiFePO₄ and dry-electrode technology), a lithium and battery value chain from exploration through mining, processing, refining, cell and pack production, and recycling is substantially completed within a single state. This is virtually unique in the United States, and with major Asian players' direct investment still at an early stage, this represents a significant first-mover opportunity for Korean companies.

⑥ Drone & UAV Pioneer State — FAA UAS Test Site and Long-Range Delivery Record

Nevada is one of America's seven FAA-designated unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test sites, enabling demonstrations leveraging extensive airspace and terrain where desert, urban environments, and mountains coexist. The Nevada UAS Consortium (Team Roadrunner) set what was then the U.S. record for longest-range drone delivery in 2017 by flying a fixed-wing drone approximately 97 miles (156km), with the technical and operational foundation based in Nevada's UAS test infrastructure. This test infrastructure, military training airspace, and diverse environments position Nevada as a base where drone, UAV, autonomous flight, and Physical AI companies can simultaneously conduct R&D and validate commercial services.

Ultimately, these six pillars are not 'promotions' subject to change like tax reductions or subsidies — they are structural conditions rooted in geography, resources, regulations, and infrastructure. For companies considering energy-intensive manufacturing, defense and space, batteries and materials, drones and UAVs, and data center and AI infrastructure, 'why now, why Nevada?' is no longer rhetorical but is becoming the genuine starting point of investment consideration.

Nevada Aerospace & Defense: The Numbers

Nevada's aerospace and defense sector has recorded growth of 53.2 percent over the past decade — more than double the national average of 25.5 percent. With a jobs multiplier of 2x, the direct and indirect employment effect is estimated at over 44,000 jobs. The following table summarizes key metrics based on Lightcast Q1 2026 data.

* Source: Lightcast Q1 2026 / Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR)

SelectNV 2026 — Registration and Attendance

SelectNV 2026 and SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026 (May 3–6) deliver the greatest impact when linked together. SelectNV provides on-the-ground Nevada exploration and matching; SelectUSA provides federal-government-level official investment facilitation. Scan the QR code below or visit the official website to access the detailed event schedule and registration form.

K-Nevada Gateway 2026 — Planting Korean Roots in Reno This Sep

If SelectNV 2026 in April is about 'discovering' Nevada, then K‑Nevada Gateway 2026 in September is about planting Korean companies' roots in Nevada. K-EnterTech Hub, Mediontech, Pacemakers, Genaxis, Mission Law Firm, and The Way Company — which has been supporting company establishment and POC in Reno on the ground — are all participating, aiming for an 'execution-focused bridge' rather than a sightseeing program.

The core is an execution partnership connecting the Korean side and the Nevada side. K-EnterTech Hub and The Way Company, through their formal three-party MOU with EDAWN (signed February 5, 2026), have established a structure that provides integrated support beyond simple networking — covering entity establishment, investment attraction, and local partner matching all at once.

Building on this MOU, both parties have designed the five-day K‑Nevada Gateway 2026 program with official linkage to Reno Startup Week (RSW 2026), planning to bundle on-site acceleration, legal, and IR support to help Korean and Asian innovative startups move from 'consideration' to 'execution.' The 2025 achievements — first K-Nevada Gateway held, Tom Burns Seoul visit, KSEA Nevada Chapter launch, and EDAWN MOU execution — support the 2026 expansion.

Five Target Sectors & Nevada Connection Points

The five sectors this program focuses on connect directly to Nevada's industrial ecosystem. Energy and battery companies use entry into Tesla Gigafactory supply chains, DRI CleanTech joint research, and NV Energy's 20GW AI infrastructure power demand as their connection points. Semiconductor companies leverage NCAR's shared research facilities and UNR's semiconductor research team, along with rapidly rising AI infrastructure hubs in northern Nevada like TensorWave and Switch SUPERNAP.

Medical and health technology is based on AI healthcare POC collaboration with Renown Health — northern Nevada's largest medical institution with 8,000+ staff and 985 beds — and the 2,200 sq ft Wet Lab at NCAR Biosciences. AI, content, and media is a core area of K-EnterTechHub's expertise, targeting UNR VARI Core (VR/AR facility), HPC computing infrastructure, and securing a CES 2027 gateway position. Drone and Physical AI companies secure actual flight certification testing and partnerships through Nevada Autonomous's FAA official UAS test site (1,000 sq mi zone, Reno–LV 500-mile BVLOS corridor).

Five-Day Program Schedule

Korea Night 2026 — 'K-Tech meets Nevada Industry & K-Culture'

On September 30, during the Nevada bridge program period, 'Korea Night 2026' — the first event in Nevada to weave business and culture onto a single stage — will take place. Co-hosted by The Way Company (CEO Kim Min-kyung) and K-EnterTech Hub under the slogan 'K‑Tech meets Nevada Industry & K‑Culture,' it is structured as a 2.5-hour intensive business event where technology, investment, policy, and culture intersect.

The session opening the event is a keynote address by Professor Go Sam-seok on 'The Co-evolution of Entertainment Technology and Global K‑Content Business.' K‑Pop live performance and K‑Culture experience programs then set the atmosphere, naturally connecting to themed business roundtables and investment deal talks covering energy and batteries, AI, content and media, health technology, and drones and Physical AI.

The attendee composition will be filled with key players from Nevada's local innovation and investment ecosystem. The investment teams from StartUpNV, FundNV, and AngelNV, representatives from economic development agencies including EDAWN and GOED, NCAR, DRI, and KSEA NV Chapter leaders, and startup executives selectively invited from among the 1,400+ Reno Startup Week 2026 registrants will gather in one place.

Korea Night 2026 aims to establish itself not as a simple networking event, but as the 'gateway event' where K‑tech companies and Nevada's industrial and investment community begin real partnership and deal discussions.

Participation Fees & Registration

A Message to Korean and Asian Companies and Startups

In 2026, the U.S. Department of Defense requested 142 billion dollars for Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) in its FY2026 budget alone, while global venture investment into defense and national security technology startups surpassed 7.7 billion dollars through October 2025 — an all-time high that puts defense tech alongside frontier AI as one of the fastest‑scaling sectors.

The energy transition anchored by geothermal, solar, and lithium has also crossed its inflection point: Google, NV Energy, and Ormat Technologies have signed long‑term geothermal power purchase agreements of up to 150MW, signaling the start of large‑scale clean energy investment flowing into Nevada.

Nevada is the exact intersection where these two currents meet. Asia — including Korea — already possesses world‑class capabilities in energy storage, UAV and drone systems, defense electronics, Physical AI, and battery supply‑chain technologies. What is needed now is not further proof that this technology exists, but a strategic decision about where and how to connect it to the U.S. market and its innovation ecosystems.

In 2026 alone, that decision can be tested twice. SelectNV 2026 in April is where companies can verify, through hard data and on‑the‑ground exposure, the real substance of Nevada as an investment hub. K‑Nevada Gateway 2026 in September is the execution‑focused bridge program where Korean and broader Asian startups can actually establish entities, sign POC agreements, and sit down with investors and strategic partners.

If your technology is ready but the U.S. market path still feels distant, this report’s message to Korean and Asian companies is straightforward: make Nevada your first foothold. SelectNV 2026 and K‑Nevada Gateway 2026 are designed to open that door.

* Sources: GOED official materials, SelectNV promotional poster, K-Nevada Gateway 2026 Program (v16), Nevada Aerospace & Defense Industry Report (Lightcast Q1 2026), USGS Great Basin Geothermal Assessment, Ormat Technologies/Google/NV Energy PPA announcement (February 2026).