The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) in South Korea is now accepting applications for the 2025 Collaboration Program with Global Companies, a strategic initiative aimed at expanding the growth of Korean startups and facilitating their entry into overseas markets. 

This program, first launched in 2019 with Google Play under the ‘Changgu’ project, has evolved to include a broader range of industry leaders and sectors. By 2024, it had supported a total of 1,231 startups.

The 2025 program will see the introduction of three new partners: Thales, a global leader in defense, aerospace, and cybersecurity; L’Oréal Korea, the world’s largest beauty company; and Air Liquide, a major industrial gas provider. Together with the existing partner Ansys, a new dedicated program for the aerospace sector has been established, bringing the total number of programs to 14.

In 2025, MSS plans to select 364 startups, an increase from the 305 chosen in 2024, across 14 specialized programs:

1. Changgu: Collaborates with Google Play in the mobile services sector.
2. ENUP: Focuses on artificial intelligence in partnership with NVIDIA.
3. Majung: Works with Microsoft on cloud-based B2B solutions.
4. Daonda: A collaboration with Dassault Systèmes targeting the pharmaceuticals, biotech, and healthcare sectors.
5. ASK: In partnership with ANSYS Korea, caters to smart mobility, high-tech, industrial equipment, and machinery.
6. Jijunghae: Collaborates with Siemens in the electronics, electricity, machinery, equipment, parts, and medical devices sectors.
7. Jungle: Teams up with AWS (Amazon Web Services) in artificial intelligence and SaaS.
8. Miracle: Focuses on cloud-based AI/ML-utilizing smart solutions with Oracle.
9. IBM Quantum: Centers on quantum computing technologies and applications with IBM.
10. Ingenious: Another AI-focused collaboration, this time with Intel.
11. Trust My Tech: Partners with Thales to innovate in the deep tech sector.
12. L’Oréal Big Bang: Collaborates with L’Oréal Korea on research innovation and the digital sector.
13. N.E.O: Works with Air Liquide on eco-friendly energy solutions.
14. ASK Space: Another collaboration with ANSYS Korea, this time focusing specifically on the aerospace sector.

Startups interested in participating must apply by February 26, choosing one program that best fits their developmental needs. Selected startups will receive up to KRW 200 million (approximately USD 151,000) in commercialization funding, as well as access to professional services, training, consulting, and global market development support provided by the global companies.

To further bolster the success of these collaborations, MSS will launch an ‘Overseas Demonstration Program for Global Company Collaboration’ in 2025. This new initiative aims to provide additional support for Proof of Concept (PoC) and Proof of Value (PoV) for standout participants from the existing program.

Minister OH Youngju emphasized the critical role of these partnerships in fostering the growth of promising K-startups and expanding the adoption of open innovation practices, asserting that the 2025 program will significantly enhance the global competitiveness of Korea’s burgeoning startup ecosystem.