🇰🇷 Accelerators, incubators and startup programs in South Korea

Accelerators, incubators and startup programs in South Korea

• TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startups)

  Program · Nationwide

  Korea’s flagship early-stage program, matching private accelerator investment with government R&D grants. 2026 reform raises the maximum grant from ₩500M to ₩800M (~$580K) and expands supported startups from 520 to 620.

  Offers: funding, mentoring

• K-Startup Grand Challenge

  Program · Nationwide

  Government-backed program built specifically to bring foreign founders into the Korean ecosystem, including visa help and settlement funding. 60% of 2025 participants secured follow-on funding or partnerships within 18 months.

  Offers: funding, info

• Startup for All

  Program · Nationwide · Free access

  Nationwide founder discovery program that brought in roughly 5,000 aspiring founders and mobilized 100+ support institutions and 500 mentors since its March 2026 launch.

  Offers: mentoring, community

• Korea Fund of Funds (KVIC)

  Program · Nationwide

  The Korea Venture Investment Corporation channels public capital into private VC funds, part of a 2026 plan to mobilize ₩4.4 trillion in venture funding.

  Offers: investment

• Baby Unicorn Program

  Program · Nationwide

  Part of the Global Unicorn strategy, giving scale-up support and financial instruments to selected companies as a public credibility marker.

  Offers: funding

• Entrepreneurship for All Project

  Program · Nationwide

  Audition-based program selecting 100 startup rookies annually, pairing them with structured preparation and direct investment linkage.

  Offers: funding, mentoring

• Deep Tech Startup Package

  Program · Nationwide

  2026 package concentrating funding on AI and deep-tech startups, with a regional preference policy giving deep-tech founders outside Seoul access to up to ₩390M.

  Offers: funding

• D-8-4S Special Visa / OASIS

  Program · Nationwide · Free access

  The two founder visa pathways: D-8-4S evaluates on innovation and feasibility rather than academic credentials; OASIS is a points-based curriculum toward the D-8-4 Technology Startup Visa. Minimum entity capital is ₩10M (~$7,500), which grant funds can cover.

  Offers: info

• Global Startup Centers

  Program · Seoul + regional · Free access

  Dedicated centers in Seoul and regional cities offering free or subsidized workspace and dedicated managers connecting foreign founders directly to investors and corporate partners.

  Offers: space, mentoring

• Regional Startup Cities

  Program · Nationwide

  A decentralization push building five dedicated regional startup cities by 2026 and ten by 2030, spreading opportunity beyond Seoul.

  Offers: space, funding

• KIAT (Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology)

  Program · Nationwide

  One of the country’s core R&D grant bodies, part of the broader Digital New Deal innovation funding strategy alongside NRF.

  Offers: funding

• Primer

  Accelerator · Seoul

  Korea’s first startup accelerator, seed funding and hands-on mentorship, alumni include MyRealTrip and Bungaejangter.

  Offers: funding, mentoring

• SparkLabs Korea

  Accelerator · Seoul

  Part of the global SparkLabs network, running seed-stage cohorts with mentorship and follow-on investor access.

  Offers: funding, mentoring

• D.CAMP

  Accelerator · Seoul

  Bank-backed startup hub and accelerator in Gangnam, running public events, demo days and mentoring programs.

  Offers: space, mentoring, community

• FuturePlay

  Accelerator · Seoul

  Deep-tech focused accelerator and studio, known for building and investing in hardware and AI startups from the ground up.

  Offers: funding, mentoring

• Google for Startups Korea

  Accelerator · Seoul · Free access

  Google’s local startup support program offering mentoring, technical resources and community events.

  Offers: mentoring, community

• Seoul Business Agency (SBA)

  Program · Seoul

  City agency investing in and supporting Seoul startups.

  Offers: funding, investment