Korea SMEs and Startups Agency to hold 24 events at youth startup academies nationwide

The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency will run 24 programs across 19 youth startup academies nationwide, covering investment attraction, technology exchange and ESG activities to mark Youth Day and Youth Week.

The agency announced Monday that it will hold tailored networking events for young entrepreneurs at its youth startup academies around the country from Sept. 19 to Sept. 25 in observance of Youth Week.

The events focus on fostering growth among youth-led startups, strengthening their capacity to attract investment and promoting ESG activities tied to local communities. All 19 academies will hold a combined 24 events throughout September on schedules set by region.

Investment attraction programs are among the highlights. The academies in North Chungcheong Province and North Jeolla Province will jointly host a "Dual-Impact Demo Day" to connect enrolled companies with investors. The Gangwon Province academy will hold a "Closed IR" session in partnership with regional investment institutions.

A technology exchange program for deep tech startups is also on the agenda. The "Deep Tech Startup Academy Tech Exchange" will give companies in the deep tech sector a forum to share technical information and explore collaboration opportunities. The North Gyeongsang Province academy will organize an ESG activity bringing together enrolled companies and the local community, including a "Young CEO Plogging Day" for young entrepreneurs.

The Youth Startup Academy was first established in Ansan in 2011 and has since expanded across the country. It currently supports entrepreneurs aged 39 or under who have been running a business for no more than three years, offering commercialization funding, startup space, education and coaching, and assistance with global expansion.

This year, the program supports 950 participants. In addition to the standard track, the agency operates separate global and deep tech tracks. The deep tech academy in particular supports startups in fields such as ultra-competitive industries, emerging sectors and climate technology, providing up to 200 million won ($147,000) in commercialization funding along with investment attraction and market-entry programs.

The agency said graduates of the Youth Startup Academy won 28 awards across 26 companies at CES 2026, and that the program has produced five unicorn companies and three listed firms.

"We hope these events, held during Youth Week, will serve as an opportunity to sharpen the competitiveness of young entrepreneurs and spread ESG values that benefit local communities," said Jo Han-gyo, the agency's director of human resources and growth. "We will take the lead in creating spaces for young people to connect and building broader social understanding of youth policy."