Asan Nanum Foundation (Chairperson Eom Yun-mi) announced that it is recruiting startups to participate in 'Asan Voyager', a program that supports early-stage startups entering the U.S. market, until March 14.
'Asan Voyager' is a program that provides various support to software-based early-stage startups aiming to enter the US market. Participating startups will receive comprehensive support including local living expenses, coaching, seminars, and community programs. In particular, starting this year, it will be linked to the 'Global Track' of the Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition (Jung Chang-kyung), providing opportunities to participate in acceleration programs and demo days.
The target of the recruitment is an early-stage startup established within 5 years, and the CEO or co-founder must be Korean or a foreigner of Korean descent. In addition, the company must have a web- or mobile-based software product and must have a minimum viable product (MVP) or higher.
A total of 20 teams were selected for the 'Asan Voyager' program this year, and these startups will receive systematic support for entering the US market. Participating teams will receive up to 20 million won in local living expenses, and can receive up to 5 million won in additional support through 'Maru Overseas Expansion Benefits' when participating in overseas events such as CES. In addition, they can enjoy benefits such as shared workspaces and conference rooms through startup membership provided by 'Maru SF', the Silicon Valley base of the Asan Nanum Foundation.
'Asan Voyager' provides customized growth support programs to participating teams. It operates a coaching program to strengthen the capabilities necessary for entering the US market through team-specific diagnosis, and experts with startup experience conduct seminars to help deepen understanding of the local ecosystem. In addition, regular town halls, workshops, and local experience sharing sessions are held to encourage exchange and cooperation among participating teams.
The Asan Voyager participating teams will have the opportunity to present their US market entry results and pitch to an audience including investors at the Jeong Chang-gyeong Demo Day held in the second half of the year. The eight finalist teams of the Jeong Chang-gyeong Global Track will participate in the Demo Day and receive a total of KRW 170 million in prize money, including the grand prize of KRW 50 million.
In addition, Asan Voyager participating teams can enjoy various growth support programs and benefits from the entrepreneurship platform 'MARU' operated by the Asan Nanum Foundation. Through the 'Marubenefit' program, startups can receive services necessary for development, recruitment, and promotion for free or at a discounted price, and through the 'Marubenefit' program, they can receive 1:1 mentoring from industry experts and entrepreneurs.
Applications for support can be made through the official website of the Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition, and will be accepted until March 14. The final selection team will be announced on April 2 after document and interview screening. Asan Nanum Foundation will hold recruitment briefing sessions in four regions, including Seoul, Daejeon, Jeonbuk, and Busan, for prospective applicants, and will also hold webinars for Q&A by track.
“Many early-stage startups face difficulties as they start their businesses targeting large-scale overseas markets,” said Heo Yeona, team leader of the Asan Nanum Foundation’s Global Team. “Through the Asan Voyager Program, we will spare no support to help early-stage startup teams successfully settle into the U.S. market and focus on business growth.”
Meanwhile, Asan Nanum Foundation is also recruiting startups to participate in the '2025 Chung Ju-young Startup Competition'. Starting this year, a total of four tracks will be established: ▲Global Track, ▲Diversity Track, ▲Climate Tech Track, and ▲Pre-startup Track, and customized support will be provided for each track. In the second half of the year, an integrated demo day with a total prize pool of 400 million won will be held and various benefits will be provided.
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