Kookmin University Platform SME Research Center Recruiting First Cohort for 'Brand Value-up' Program for Platform-based Businesses

Curriculum Features Seven Experts Including VCs
11-Week Program Runs from July 2 to September 10

Poster (Provided by Kookmin University)

On April 16, Kookmin University's (President Jung Seung-ryul) Platform SME Research Center announced that it will be recruiting the first cohort of the "Brand Value-up" program from April 20 to May 15. The initiative aims to support promising platform businesses with scale-up potential, targeting entrepreneurs with strong growth prospects.

The "Brand Value-up 1st Cohort" is hosted by Kookmin University's Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship & Venture and organized by the Platform SME Research Center (hereafter "the Center"), with sponsorship from Naver. Through this Brand Value-up program, the Center plans to focus on supporting brands that have entered the business advancement stage and are ready for their next leap forward.

This recruitment targets fashion, beauty, and food brand businesses with annual sales of at least 10 billion won, aiming to select around 20 companies. Selection will be based on a comprehensive evaluation of each brand's differentiated competitiveness, growth potential, investment intent, and ambition for global expansion, conducted through document screening and individual interviews.

Companies selected for the first cohort of Brand Value-up will participate in an 11-week offline program held every Thursday evening from July 2 to September 10 at Sono Felice Convention in Samseong-dong, Seoul. The program will comprise expert insight lectures in fields such as AI, big data, and branding; networking opportunities with CEOs from promising brands in the fashion, beauty, and food sectors; one-on-one mentoring sessions with key domestic venture capitalists; and opportunities for strategic collaborations and partnerships to support business expansion. In addition, each participant will receive a scholarship covering an educational program valued at approximately 5 million won, along with a certificate of completion issued by the president of Kookmin University.

Poster (Provided by Kookmin University)

Notably, this program will feature the active involvement of venture capital (VC) and investment firms, which will provide close support for the establishment and execution of growth strategies for participating companies, leveraging their expertise and industry insights. The mentor group will include major domestic and international investors such as Corelia Capital, a Europe-based global VC founded by former French Minister Fleur Pellerin; JYP Partners, which invests in lifestyle and IP synergy creation; BNK Venture Investment, part of the BNK Financial Group; iM Investment Partners, a VC under iM Financial Holdings; IMM Investment, Korea's largest independent VC; and Company K Partners, which has a broad focus on AI and consumer goods.

Dohyun Kim, head of the Platform SME Research Center, stated, "Many brands with growth potential struggle to advance to the next stage because they lack clear direction and execution strategies. Through this program, we will help strengthen their competitiveness, establish a roadmap for business advancement and brand expansion, and actively support them in developing actionable plans and achieving tangible outcomes."

Further details about the recruitment for the first cohort of Brand Value-up can be found on the Center's website.

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