Shinsegae International Recruits First Cohort of In-house Venture "idea POD"...Nurturing Ideas into New Businesses
by Kwon Jaehee
Published 11 Feb.2026 06:00(KST)
Expanding Employee Participation Across Management... Establishing a Challenge- and Execution-Centered Culture
Up to Two Years of Business Funding Support and Benefits Such as Independent Office Space
Shinsegae International is moving to discover new businesses through an in-house venture program.
Shinsegae International announced on the 11th that it will be recruiting participants for the first cohort of its in-house venture program, "idea POD," for executives and employees until the 23rd of this month.
Idea POD is an in-house venture program built around three core concepts: idea, incubation, and innovation. "POD" refers to a small team and also symbolizes the seed from which a new business begins. The goal is for executives and employees to voluntarily submit creative ideas through an open call and develop them into new businesses.
This program is part of the "organizational paradigm shift" strategy that Shinsegae International announced last month to mark the 30th anniversary of its founding. It has been prepared to expand employee participation in overall management and to transform the corporate culture into one that is centered on challenge and execution.
As long as there is potential for commercialization, topics for proposals can be freely suggested, including ideas related to launching new brands and promising industries.
Teams that are finally selected will receive business funding support for up to two years, including prize money. The company will also provide external office space separate from the main organization and grant independent decision-making authority to ensure autonomous business operations. In addition, it plans to offer internal administrative support and institutional backing so that participants can focus on their entrepreneurial activities.
After the project ends, special incentives will be paid as a reward for challenge and dedication, regardless of whether the venture is spun off. If a spin-off is confirmed after verification of marketability and profitability, additional rewards such as equity compensation and stock options will also be provided.
In operating the in-house venture program, Shinsegae International plans to avoid formalistic reporting and to actively support bold and creative execution.
A Shinsegae International representative said, "We have established an institutional foundation so that executives and employees can take on challenges without the burden of failure," adding, "We will evolve into an organization that learns through challenges and turns the experience accumulated in the course of execution into assets for our next stage of growth."
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