[SeoulTech x IT Donga Joint Planning] Seoul National University of Science and Technology (hereafter referred to as SeoulTech) operates various support programs to aid the growth of startups, including preliminary and early-stage startup packages, makerspaces, and global collaborations. Furthermore, in collaboration with IT Donga, it provides global news to assist startups in overseas promotion and entry, introducing promising deep-tech startups both domestically and internationally.

Seoul National University of Science and Technology's Startup Support Group (hereafter referred to as the Startup Support Group) will participate in the global open innovation event 'Innovation Leaders Summit (hereafter referred to as ILS) 2025' held in Tokyo, Japan, with six incubated startups, strengthening support for overseas expansion.

As of 2024, ILS has established itself as a representative open innovation platform in Asia, where 110 major global corporations and 800 startups gather to discuss open innovation strategies. Major Japanese accelerators, venture capitalists, universities, and government agencies also participate, seeking world startups to research and develop together. As a result, it has positioned itself as a global-scale startup growth support event where not only open innovation but also dozens of M&A deals are conducted.


The Startup Support Group chose ILS as a means to lead the global expansion and open innovation of incubated startups for a reason. Last year, at ILS 2024, they participated with four early-stage startup package companies, including ▲ Playmonkey (CEO Kim Joo-sun), a company providing online play and care services for children ▲ Blast (CEO Bae Jeong-hyun), a no-code LLM service creator ▲ High Protocol (CEO Oh Sang-yeop), which showcased cross-chain liquidity aggregators and middleware infrastructure Pixelrus ▲ Digital Log Technologies (CEO Son Dong-kyu), an AI SaaS company aiding digital transformation of marketing tasks, achieving significant results. They recorded consultation amounts of approximately USD 2.11 million (about KRW 3.11 billion) after 43 consultations.

According to a satisfaction survey of startup representatives who participated in ILS 2024 with the Startup Support Group, they reported receiving substantial help, giving a score of 4.7 out of 5. The opportunity to meet and network with overseas major corporations and discuss collaborations, as well as the diverse support provided by the organizers, such as professional interpreters and exhibition spaces, received particularly positive evaluations.

Based on the achievements of 2024, the Startup Support Group plans to maximize results at ILS 2025. First, they expanded the participation target from early-stage startup package companies, which are in the midst of growth, to include preliminary startup package companies with growth potential. The number of participating companies was also increased from four to six.

Additionally, they devised a strategy to further enhance the process of Japanese market research and local buyer discovery to help participating companies lay a more solid foundation for entering the Japanese market. They also plan to refine the support system, including customized business matching and business meetups, to connect companies with the most suitable partners. Post-event follow-up meetings and collaboration discussions will be strengthened to ensure continued engagement. The Startup Support Group also prepares additional support programs to help participating companies continue their achievements after participating in ILS 2025.

From December 1 to December 5, ILS 2025 will be held in Tokyo, Japan, with the participation of the Seoul National University of Science and Technology Startup Support Group and ▲ Carers (CEO Park Na-hyun), a startup providing AI and data-based childcare tech solutions ▲ H3 Solution (CEO Choi Hyung-seok), leading the localization of high-efficiency liquid cooling systems for servers and workstations ▲ Pawdlers (CEO Lee Shin-hye), which introduced the super app Podly connecting pets, owners, experts, and brands ▲ K-Nano (CEO Kwak Dong-bin), developing semiconductor defect monitoring by incorporating aero measurement technology ▲ On-Demand Bio (CEO Seo Seung-oh), attempting bio-manufacturing innovation based on precision fermentation technology ▲ OptiQ Labs (CEO Jung Sung-jae), pioneering the ion trap quantum computer market with both stability and scalability.


These participating companies will receive pre-training and establish strategies for Japanese market analysis and technology demonstration. They will also focus on preparing global business model enhancement plans. The Startup Support Group supports matching and consultation programs tailored to the capabilities of each participating company. Furthermore, they assist in properly reviewing the feasibility of their business and checking and improving overseas market entry strategies. They plan to guide them in establishing overseas business directions and strategies by communicating and collaborating with global large and medium-sized enterprises.

The Seoul National University of Science and Technology Startup Support Group stated, "We are meticulously preparing the entire process, including business model coaching, large corporation matching, demonstration methodology education, buyer discovery, and consultation meetings, to support companies in achieving results in the global market." They added, "We will continue to develop overseas expansion policies for preliminary and early-stage startup package companies."

IT Donga Reporter Cha Ju-kyung (racingcar@itdonga.com)

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