KOSME Holds '2026 Startup Launching Ceremony' with 950 Young Entrepreneurs

All Startups Gather in One Place
Expanding Exchange Through Lectures and Networking

On May 8, the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency held the "2026 Startup Launching Ceremony" at the main campus of the Youth Startup Academy located in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, together with 950 young entrepreneurs.

This event was organized to wish for a successful start for the new class of young entrepreneurs entering the 16th cohort of the Youth Startup Academy, the 7th cohort of the Global Program, and the 1st cohort of the Deep Tech Program this year.

Attendees included Sukkyoon Kang, Chairman of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency; officials from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups; students from the 19 Youth Startup Academies nationwide; representatives from startup support organizations; as well as domestic and international private accelerators (AC) and venture capitalists (VC), totaling around 500 participants both on- and offline. In light of the high oil prices caused by the Middle East war, participants from distant locations were able to attend online.

During the first part of the event, the following took place: the "K-Unicorn Symposium," where alumni CEOs Ji-Sung Chung of SOS Lab and Wonkyung Han of Sunnysideup shared their growth experiences and startup insights; a roundtable with Gary Fowler, Chairman of GSD Venture Studios, a global VC; and "Alumni Day," a networking session for alumni and current students. Since the graduation of the first class in 2011, the Youth Startup Academy alumni network has grown to about 10,000 members, including this year's new entrants.

The second part of the event featured a ceremony to award the "Pace Maker" badge, symbolizing the partnership between the Youth Startup Academy and the new startups, as well as a joint event involving the new students, the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, and representatives from startup support organizations.

In addition, the policy counseling booth provided consulting services on policy funding, workforce challenges, and exports through the "KOSME on the Move" initiative. Related organizations also offered consultations on guarantees, investment, certification, public procurement (B2G) market entry, and overseas expansion. The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency supports the full growth cycle of startups, from initial business support at entry, to policy funding, investment attraction, sales channel development, and global expansion after graduation.

Sukkyoon Kang, Chairman of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, stated, "The Youth Startup Academy is a key startup support platform that helps young entrepreneurs turn their ideas into businesses and grow into global players. This year, we will further strengthen our support focused on AI transformation (AX), deep tech, regional innovation, global expansion, and experience-based entrepreneurship, so that young entrepreneurs can take the leap to become K-Unicorn companies."

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