CNT Tech announced that it is recruiting companies to participate in the '2026 Sports Startup Leap Center' program, which aims to discover promising startups in the sports industry and support their growth.
The Sports Startup Leap Center is a specialized sports industry startup support program hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and operated by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation. For the fourth consecutive year, CNT Tech has served as the program's operating agency, overseeing planning and operations. Building on its operational experience, the company continues to identify promising sports companies and provide investment and commercialization support.
This recruitment is open to companies with business ideas related to the sports industry. They must be established for three to seven years, or be established for less than three years and have completed another startup support program. Applicants will undergo a document review and presentation evaluation process, with 15 companies ultimately selected.
Selected companies will receive an average of approximately 50 million won in commercialization funding. Additionally, various programs will be offered, including customized expert mentoring based on a company diagnosis, investor relations (IR) consulting, market entry support through domestic and international networking, and opportunities to participate in Demo Day.
In particular, outstanding companies will be given direct investment opportunities from CNT Tech, and support will be provided through follow-up investment programs such as TIPS and LIPS. This will provide startups with opportunities to secure additional funding needed during the growth phase.
CNT Tech currently operates a sports-focused investment fund worth a total of 8.5 billion won, including a dedicated sports-focused mother fund. Its total investment resources are reportedly over 130 billion won. Last year, the company invested approximately 700 million won in three companies discovered through the program, leading to their selection as TIPS investors.
Meanwhile, CNT Tech has recently established partnerships with Kookmin University, Bogwang Investment, and others, strengthening its network to expand the sports startup ecosystem. Furthermore, as of 2025, CNT Tech has recorded the highest investment performance among domestic accelerators for six consecutive years, investing approximately KRW 23.4 billion in 104 companies annually.
Companies wishing to participate in the program can apply online through the Sports Industry Support website until 4:00 PM on March 24th. Further details can be found in the notice on the website.
In recent years, the sports industry has seen the emergence of startups in diverse fields such as data analytics, sports tech, and fan experience platforms, leading to an expansion of related startup support programs and investments.
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