Gifted Science Students Hold ‘KIC’ Startup Competition... 22-Hour Hackathon

by Kim Yongu

Published 04 May.2026 17:06(KST)

Innopolis Foundation Supports

From Idea Generation to Business Feasibility Validation

A hands-on startup competition was held, where gifted science students tackled social problems by developing business ideas.

The Innopolis Foundation (Chairman Jeong Hee-gwon) announced on May 4 that it supported the "KIC (KSA Innovation Challenge)" in partnership with the Korea Science Academy of KAIST.

The competition was organized in a hackathon format. Participating students identified problems themselves and developed technology-based solutions into concrete business models. The process also included market feasibility validation and the concept of investment.

Students from Korea Science Academy of KAIST teams are engaging in idea generation activities to create business models capable of addressing social issues.

The event took place over two days from April 30 at the main auditorium of the Korea Science Academy. Fifteen teams, each consisting of three to five members, participated and carried out the entire process from idea generation to customer validation and the creation of a minimum viable product (MVP) over approximately 22 hours.

The Innopolis Foundation was responsible for evaluation and mentoring. By connecting a panel of professional evaluators, mainly composed of investment decision-makers, with a group of alumni mentors, the foundation enhanced the completeness of the business models. The grand prize team was awarded the Chairman’s Prize.

Support for the winning teams will continue. The plan is to foster growth by linking intellectual property applications, participation in external startup competitions, and follow-up mentoring.

This competition is expected to serve as an opportunity for gifted science students to develop into talents who understand not just research but also industry and markets.