Aerial view of the Korea Industrial Complex Corp. headquarters in Daegu. Photo courtesy of Korea Industrial Complex Corp.
The Korea Industrial Complex Corporation (KICOX) and the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund said on the 5th that they are recruiting participants for “KICS-UP Challenge & Local,” a 2026 industrial complex open innovation program that supports technology collaboration between large and mid-sized companies and innovative startups. The application deadline is the 12th.
KICS-UP is a program that connects the technology needs of large and mid-sized companies in industrial complexes nationwide with the innovative technologies of startups, supporting joint research and development (R&D) and commercialization. This year, it will be operated in two divisions: “KICS-UP Challenge,” in which demand companies present tasks, and “KICS-UP Local,” which addresses issues facing regional industrial complexes.
Six companies will participate in the Challenge track, including Kyobo Life Insurance, Naver Cloud, Polaris Office (041020), Korea Cable Telecom, NH NongHyup Bank and Sealink. The program will select 70 startups to jointly resolve tasks in the fields of insurance and healthcare, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud, data, communications and the Internet of Things (IoT), finance and manufacturing.
The Local track, newly operated on an integrated basis this year, involves demand companies and startups within national industrial complexes forming consortiums to address regional issues. Around four consortiums are planned for selection, focusing on machinery and defense in the southeastern region, semiconductors and bio in the Chungcheong region, robots and semiconductors in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, and energy and future mobility in the Honam region.
Eligible applicants are corporations with a business history of seven years or less as of the announcement date, as well as prospective founders. Universities and research institutions may also participate. Deep-tech startups in the 10 super-gap fields, including system semiconductors, bio-health, robots and AI and big data, are eligible with a business history of up to 10 years.
Selected companies will receive up to 15 million won per company in proof-of-concept (PoC) technology verification funding, expert consulting, enhancement of investor relations (IR) presentations, linkage to investment attraction and TIPS, and guarantee and investment support from the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund. They will also be given the opportunity to move into the KICS-UP office space in Seoul.
“We have significantly lowered the barriers to participation so that innovative startups can leap forward as growth engines for our regions,” KICOX Chairman Lee Sang-hoon said. “We will provide meticulous support so that the selected companies can achieve tangible commercialization results and take firm root.”