SMEs Ministry Launches AI League in K-Startup of the Year... Recruiting Participating Companies

by Lee Seohee

Published 22 Apr.2026 12:00(KST)

Until May 20

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on April 22 that it has established a new "Artificial Intelligence (AI) League" within the pan-government startup competition, "K-Startup of the Year," and is now recruiting participating companies.

Google AI Feature Reference Image. The Asia Business Daily DB

"K-Startup of the Year" is a leading national startup competition jointly operated by nine ministries, serving as a key platform in the startup ecosystem to identify promising startups and provide growth opportunities. The competition has produced innovative companies such as RYUTEN Technologies, LD Carbon, and Lion Robotics, establishing itself as a gateway for K-Startup success.

This year, the competition has been reorganized from the previous "Challenge! K-Startup" into "K-Startup of the Year." The program for prospective entrepreneurs will be separated and operated as the "Startup for Everyone Project," while the main competition will be refocused on early-stage startups to better identify companies with high growth potential.

The 2026 competition officially kicked off in March with an integrated announcement covering 12 leagues under nine ministries. Currently, nine leagues-including the AI League, Innovation Startup League, and Researcher League-have either begun or completed recruiting participants, while the Sports League, Intellectual Property League, and Defense Science & Technology League are scheduled to start recruitment soon.

A total of 130 teams selected through the ministry-specific leagues will advance to the integrated semifinals, and among them, 20 early-stage startups will be chosen to compete in the Grand Finals in December. The winning companies in the Grand Finals will receive prize money of up to 500 million won and will also be given preferential consideration in follow-up support programs such as the Early-Stage Startup Package.

The newly established AI League targets startups less than three years old, and the top 10 companies selected through the preliminary round will advance to the integrated semifinals of "K-Startup of the Year" alongside outstanding companies from other leagues. Applications will be accepted until May 20.