Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kang Ki-jung) held the '2025 G-Unicorn Fostering Program Participating Company Competition' on the 2nd floor multipurpose hall of Bitgoeul Startup Station (STA‧G Stage) on the afternoon of the 23rd.
The 'G-Unicorn Incubation Project' is a corporate growth program that selects startups with excellent technological competitiveness and high growth potential and supports their business expansion (scale-up) and entry into the global market.
The target of support is a company with a headquarters, branch office, or research center in the Gwangju area, with less than 7 years of business experience, and a cumulative investment of 500 million won or more.
On this day, Gwangju City selected 5 start-up companies with promising innovation and growth potential among 26 participating companies through the competition. In advance, 26 participating companies were selected through an in-depth review (document and on-site) to evaluate their growth potential as unicorn companies, technology, and business feasibility, and then a competition was held to select the 'G-Unicorn Incubation Companies' through evaluations by external experts and a citizen evaluation panel.
The five G-Unicorn fostering companies selected this year are ▲ImediTech ▲Vessel AI Korea ▲Biocom ▲STH ▲Pint Korea.
The grand prize winner, ‘ImediTech’, develops nanofiber supports and manufacturing devices for interventional procedures. ‘Vesel AI Korea’, the grand prize winner, develops an AI orchestration platform for the development and operation of generative AI, and ‘Biocom’ develops an on-device AI agent to provide solutions for metabolic disorders and obesity. ‘STH’, the excellence award winner, develops an optimal manufacturing technology for platinum and alloy catalysts based on highly durable mesoporous carbon supports to promote the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cells, and ‘Pint Korea’ develops demand-tailored biodegradable medical composite materials.
Gwangju City plans to support global growth by providing these companies with commercialization funds and support for entry into the global market, as well as participation in domestic and international exhibitions, investment attraction, and open innovation strategies with large companies.
Specifically, commercialization support funds for prototype production and marketing, etc., will be provided from a minimum of 100 million won to a maximum of 200 million won. The grand prize winner will receive 200 million won, the best prize winner will receive 150 million won, and the excellence prize winner will receive 100 million won.
In addition, we have decided to diversify the global POC (technology verification) that was limited to one country last year, and support customized global market entry through a demand survey of preferred countries for each company.
Director of Economic Startup Bureau, Jaehee Joo, said, “Based on the amazing economic achievements of G-Unicorns fostered by Gwangju City, we will continue to discover and foster promising local startups,” and “We will support them to grow into global unicorn companies that go beyond Korea.”
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