[메가경제=양대선 기자] Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Business Agency (CEO Kim Hyun-woo) announced the recruitment of ‘2026 Seoul Startup Hub Gongdeok Global Expansion Program’, which provides PoC opportunities, Scale-up, and Acceleration initiatives to support promising startups entering into global market. The application period runs from March 19th to April 7th.

Leveraging a global network of public and private collaboration, the program supports promising startups to establish in the global market and achieve scale-up. The first round of recruitment targets 13 countries across the Middle East, Europe and Southeast Asia, selecting around 60 startups across 10 programs.

This year, the program strengthens global PoC initiatives and introduces a new customer development program to help startups achieve a concrete results, moving beyond simple market explorations. Global PoC Initiative not only provides local technology validation and commercialization opportunities, but also enhanced support, including demand validation, local customer and partner matching and securing investment for late-stage scale-ups.

Ten global partners including 123 Factory, specializing in venture clienting in collaboration with Europe-based major corporations, HEC Paris, an accelerator dedicated to producing over 30% unicorns in France, Big Impact, a venture capital based in the Kansai region of Japan, and Unicorn Incubator, a leading cross-border accelerator specializing in Korea-India market entry will provide close support for startups entering local markets such as the Middle East, Europe and Southeast Asia by forming strategic partnerships.

Along with commercialization grants, customized acceleration, PoC opportunities with global corporations, and local market validation will be provided to selected startups.
Selected startups are provided with comprehensive support for global expansion including tailored 1:1 consulting, global IR and demo days, local PoC, customer-driven business development and fundraising and overseas incorporation.

Any Seoul-based startups are eligible to apply. The program plans to discover and support startups with their proprietary technologies in fields such as AI, Bio & Health Care, Robotics, Fintech and other emerging sectors.

Seoul Startup Hub Gongdeok Global Expansion Program has already been proven by its achievements.

Catalog which participated in 2025 Singapore Expansion Program secured PoC opportunity for a 1.8 MWp rooftop solar power plant at a local public water treatment facility. This led the company to broaden its local network by participating as a strategic partner in a technological innovation research project hosted by JTC Corporation in Singapore . Recently, the company has been accelerating in global expansion after securing KRW 40 billion in cumulative investment.

Corporation TR, a company which has received support from Seoul Startup Hub Gongdoek for two consecutive years, built partnership with FPT Group and AstraZenaca Vietnam. To implent the Spirokit, a digital-based respiratory diagnostic device to local hospital, the company conducted on-site evaluations and discussed implementation procedures with major respiratory hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Details on 2026 Seoul Startup Hub Gongdeok Global Expansion Program with PoC, Scale-up and Acceleration (10 countries) can be found on Startup Plus website. The application period runs from March 19th to April 7th.

Kim Jong-woo, Director of the Startup Division at Seoul Business Agency, stated, “ We have achieved tangible results through global public-private partnerships, such as conducting PoC projects with public institutions and participating in government research initiatives in Singapore, as well as forging strategic partnerships with Vietnamese enterprises. We plan to support innovative startups in achieving more tangible results leveraging enhanced programs, including PoC opportunities and customer development initiatives.

 

Seoul Startup Hub is a startup support facility established by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. As the city’s policy execution body, the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) operates four facilities – Gongdoek, M+(Magok), Seongsu, and the Seoul Startup center Dongjak – offering strategic initiatives such as global expansion programs, open innovation, and startup ecosystem revitalization.

[ⓒ 메가경제. 무단전재-재배포 금지]