Sopung Connect (CEO Choi Kyung-hee), an accelerator specializing in value-up of early-stage startups, announced on the 26th that it held a kick-off event for the Growth Stage of the Jeonbuk Climate Tech Startup Growth Support Project 'SWITCH', jointly operated with the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province and Jeonbuk Techno Park, at the Jeonju Signature Hotel Art Hall on the 25th.
The "SWITCH" project consists of a Growth Track, which aims to produce tangible results through Proof of Concept (PoC) projects for climate tech startups, and a new track (Ground Stage), which supports technology validation for startups established less than seven years ago. This event, the second in a row following last year, officially launched the Growth Track program. Representatives from the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, Jeonbuk Technopark, Seongil Hitech, Sopung Connect, and participating startups attended.
This year's Growth Track selected five startup teams in the fields of activated carbon recycling, battery discharge hardware and software, materials, purification, adsorption, and separation, and hazardous substance reduction technology. The finalists are Wintech Glovis Co., Ltd., Cosolus Co., Ltd., Mona Co., Ltd., Unbridge Co., Ltd., and HSE Co., Ltd.
The kickoff event began with a welcoming address by Shin Hyun-young, Head of the Startup Support Division of the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, followed by an introduction of the SWITCH program and Seongil Hitech, followed by presentations of PoC proposals by participating companies. A "PoC Project Specification Workshop" was then held, where startups and Seongil Hitech's field departments concretized their collaborative projects and discussed key performance indicators (KPIs) and implementation plans.
Through the workshop, each startup identified a PoC project tailored to its unique characteristics and established a practical partnership with Seongil Hitech. Through this project, the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, Jeonbuk Technopark, and Sopung Connect plan to address the challenges climate tech startups face during their growth journey and support the creation of innovative outcomes linked to the local industrial ecosystem.
“This year’s SWITCH program goes beyond simple support and focuses on creating tangible business outcomes through collaboration between startups and companies,” said Kyung-hee Choi, CEO of Picnic Connect. “We will lay the foundation for climate tech innovation companies in the Jeonbuk region to grow into the global market.”
Jeonbuk Technopark Director Lee Gyu-taek said, “SWITCH is a significant demonstration platform that directly connects local industrial sites with startup technologies,” adding, “We will actively support startups to achieve rapid commercialization results and Jeonbuk to establish itself as a testbed for climate tech innovation.”
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