Pohang selects 10 promising small businesses to drive regional economy

Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, has selected 10 local companies as its "2026 Pohang Promising Small Businesses" following a meeting of the city's Promising Small Business Growth Committee on June 22, the city announced Sunday.

The selected companies are divided into three tiers. StradVision and DS Tech were named top-tier "outstanding promising small businesses," while Hilllab, IF, Carrot Punt, Gungmin Machinery, Simin Confectionery and Dawon Chemical were designated "promising small businesses." Immunobiome and Poscore were named "preliminary promising small businesses."

The selected companies will receive a comprehensive support package, including customized business assistance, scale-up consulting based on management environment analysis, R&D capacity building through a project manager system and cooperation with related institutions, overseas market entry support, and preferential working capital loans for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The committee also redesignated four companies — Gyeongdo Industrial, Humantech, Seonghwa E&C and Dreamtech — whose designation periods had expired.

The four companies will retain their promising small business status for another three years, continuing to receive indirect benefits such as expanded opportunities to participate in government support projects and working capital assistance.

"We will spare no effort in supporting the selected companies, which combine boundless potential with outstanding technological capabilities, so they can establish themselves as a core pillar driving the local economy," said Lee Sang-yeop, director of Pohang's employment and economy bureau.