Active Support for AI Startups... Hana Financial Group Partners with SK Telecom

AI Startup Dedicated Space 'AI Lab for Startups' Opens
Providing Space, Infrastructure Support, Investment, and Collaboration Opportunities

Hana Financial Group is actively supporting startups in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector in collaboration with SK Telecom. For the first time in the financial industry, they will provide a dedicated space for AI startups and offer various forms of support including investment reviews and business cooperation.

On the 12th, Hana Financial Group announced that it held the opening ceremony for 'AI Lab for Startups' for promising AI startups with SK Telecom at SparkPlus in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, the previous day.

AI Lab for Startups is the first workspace in the domestic financial sector exclusively prepared for AI startups. It was launched as part of a joint project following the strategic collaboration agreement between Hana Financial Group and SK Telecom in July last year.

Alongside this, the 'AI Startup Accelerator 1st Cohort' program was also initiated. Out of a total of 162 applicant companies, 15 startups specializing in generative AI, robotics, autonomous driving, natural language processing, and more were selected. These startups are provided with office space and business infrastructure free of charge, totaling 162 seats (430㎡) at SparkPlus COEX branch in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Additionally, for about six months until January next year, they will receive various support including ▲mentoring and investment review from Hana Financial, SK Telecom, and venture capital ▲business cooperation opportunities with Hana Financial and SK Telecom ▲participation in demo days and external IR events ▲attendance at exhibitions.

Ham Young-joo, Chairman of Hana Financial Group, stated, "We expect AI Lab for Startups to become a place that AI startups in Korea, which will innovate the future, must pass through and a space where the dream of AI unicorns is created." He added, "Through business cooperation with startups that have creative technologies and ideas, we will realize social values such as building a financial social safety net and actively support the creation of an AI startup ecosystem through the infrastructure possessed by the Group and SK Telecom."

Hahm Young-joo, Chairman of Hana Financial Group (fifth from the left), and Yoo Young-sang, CEO of SK Telecom (fourth from the left), attended the opening ceremony of 'AI Lab for Startups' held on the 11th in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and took a commemorative photo with the officials. (Photo by Hana Financial Group)

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