Asan Nanum Foundation, 4 Times the Value of Togetherness

10th Anniversary Meeting... 448.6 Billion KRW Social Value Created Over 10 Years
Maru360 Startup Support Center, Twice the Size of Maru180, Opens on Yeoksam-ro, Gangnam, Seoul

Jung Mong-joon, Honorary Chairman of the Asan Nanum Foundation, is attending a press conference and delivering a greeting.

448.6 billion KRW. This is the monetary value of the social value created by the Asan Nanum Foundation over the past 10 years. The total amount the foundation has invested in building the startup ecosystem and spreading entrepreneurial spirit is 109 billion KRW. This means that for every 1 million KRW spent on projects, the foundation generated social value worth approximately 4.86 million KRW. The foundation plans to significantly expand its support for startups through Maru360, a newly opened startup support center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

The Asan Nanum Foundation (Chairman Han Jung-hwa) held a press conference on the 10th anniversary of its establishment at Maru360 on the 2nd, announcing these results. The event was organized to present the foundation’s achievements over the past decade and to introduce the newly opened Maru360. Attendees included Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-joon, Chairman Han Jung-hwa, Executive Director Jung Nam-yi, and other officials.

Jeongnam, Executive Director of Asan Nanum Foundation, is presenting the 10th anniversary achievements at a press conference.

◆Support for 1,253 Startups Over 10 Years=Executive Director Jung Nam-yi stated during the performance presentation that the foundation conducted a ‘Social Impact Measurement Study’ with a professional consulting firm to objectively evaluate the value of its projects over the past decade. According to the disclosed impact report, the foundation has worked with 1,406 partners and 364 partner organizations over the last 10 years. Notably, through youth startup support programs such as Maru180 and the Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition, the foundation has consistently supported the startup ecosystem, assisting a total of 1,253 startup teams over 10 years. To revitalize the investment ecosystem, the foundation established the ‘Chung Ju-yung Angel Investment Fund,’ which has invested in 31 funds and accelerators, helping over 900 startups secure investments.

Additionally, 27,500 people have experienced entrepreneurship through the foundation, and 4,489 individuals have gained an understanding of and strengthened their entrepreneurial capabilities. As part of its social innovation ecosystem expansion projects, the foundation also runs educational programs for social sector workers, graduating 267 participants who are now employed at 247 nonprofit and social economy-related organizations, the foundation reported.

Asan Nanum Foundation MARU360 Startup Office Space and Lounge

◆Opening of ‘Maru360,’ Twice the Size of Maru180=The Asan Nanum Foundation also unveiled Maru360 for the first time on this day. With two basement floors and 11 above-ground floors, and a total floor area of 6,777 square meters, Maru360 is twice the size of the existing startup support center Maru180. Maru360 houses the Asan Nanum Foundation headquarters, startup office spaces, domestic and international venture capital firms, accelerators, and support organizations.

The foundation has already signed business agreements with eight overseas venture capital firms, enabling them to use Maru as a hub for domestic startups. A studio is also available where startups can produce content and conduct free test shoots for products and services. A foundation official explained, "Maru is a platform for people who practice and spread entrepreneurial spirit," adding, "It embodies our ambition to open opportunities for diverse possibilities and create new changes in the startup ecosystem together."

Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-joon, who attended the event, said, "We reflected on how much our foundation has achieved over the past 10 years and considered what kind of sharing we can practice in the future," adding, "The Asan Nanum Foundation promises to accompany young challengers and share seeds of hope with society."

Executive Director Jung Nam-yi stated, "The Asan Nanum Foundation will continue to demonstrate a frontier spirit to create a future where anyone, anywhere can freely challenge and lead change," and added, "We will support young entrepreneurs and social innovators so that anyone, regardless of their background, can express their entrepreneurial spirit."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.