12 startups selected through regional demo days to pitch for investment and commercialization support
A new platform has opened to connect the technologies and intellectual property held by startups directly to investment opportunities, going beyond simple IP registration or basic startup support.
The Korean Intellectual Property Office will hold the "2026 Regional IP Startup Road Day" on Thursday at Osko in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.
The event is designed to give regional startups nurtured through the office's IP Didimbol and IP Narae programs a chance to attract investment.
Through the IP Didimbol program, the office has identified promising ideas from prospective entrepreneurs and supported IP registration and business formation. Through the IP Narae program, it has helped early-stage startups strengthen their IP competitiveness and build IP-based management strategies.
This year, the office linked its IP startup support to regional demo days and specialized investment-attraction consulting, aiming to translate that support into tangible business growth. Of more than 2,000 companies that received support through the two programs over the past three years, 41 participated in four regional demo days covering the Seoul-Gangwon, Chungcheong, Honam-Jeju and Yeongnam regions. From those, 12 companies were selected to take the stage at this road day's investment pitch session.
At the final stage, companies spanning materials, components and equipment; biotech and health; and AI and software will present the competitiveness of their technologies, their business models and their growth potential. Accelerator and venture capital experts will evaluate each company's investment prospects, and awards including the commissioner's prize will be presented based on the results.
Meanwhile, the office plans to launch two new startup support projects in 2027 to further advance its IP-based startup support framework. One, an IP strategy package support project, will offer regional startups and prospective entrepreneurs comprehensive, tailored support covering IP diagnostics, IP portfolio development, and IP technology and management strategy consulting. The other, a youth IP voucher support project, will allow young entrepreneurs and prospective founders to select and use the IP professional services they need — including IP registration, patent research and analysis — on their own terms.
Through these new projects, the office intends to move beyond piecemeal IP support and provide startups with comprehensive professional IP services throughout their growth, linking that support all the way through to investment attraction and commercialization.
Kang Won-gil, director of the office's Regional Intellectual Property Division, said IP support for regional startups should not end at securing rights or providing consulting, but must lead to actual investment and business growth. "We hope this road day will serve as an opportunity for the promising regional companies that have grown with our support to take a new leap forward," Kang said.
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
