The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Oh Young-joo, hereinafter referred to as the MSS) announced on the 23rd that it will announce the 2025 'Super Gap Startup 1000+ Project' (hereinafter referred to as the Super Gap Project), which will select deep-tech startups with unique technologies in new industries and intensively support their global expansion through technology commercialization, open innovation, and investment attraction.
The Super Gap Project is a project to foster more than 1,000 deep-tech startups that will lead the future of the national economy in 10 new industry fields (▲system semiconductors ▲bio·health ▲future mobility ▲eco-friendliness·energy ▲robots ▲AI·big data ▲cybersecurity·network ▲aerospace·ocean ▲next-generation nuclear power plants ▲quantum technology) for five years from 2023 (~'27) and grow them into key players in the global market.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has selected 407 ultra-gap startups from 2023 to the present and provided long-term intensive support for key policy tools such as technology commercialization, collaboration with large corporations, and domestic and international investment attraction programs.
Compared to before the support, the business environment improved with sales increasing by 30.3% and cumulative investment increasing by 16.7%, and 12 companies were listed on KOSDAQ by utilizing the technology special listing system within the support period.
This year, unlike the previous year, we plan to strategically support the ultra-gap projects by dividing them into three stages according to the technological level of deep tech startups, as follows:
◆ Micro DIPS
'As a new program established in 25 years, we will strategically foster deep-tech startups in the AI and fabless fields, which are key areas of the global market, and provide funding and other support so that startups with high potential for commercialization of excellent technologies can grow into ultra-gap startups.
◆ Super gap (DIPS)
As with the existing super gap program, 182 new super gap startups in 10 fields will be selected through three tracks, including public offering, private sector/government recommendations, etc. Among these, 118 companies will be selected through the public offering track and will be supported with technology commercialization funds, etc.
◆ Beyond DIPS
Among startups that graduated from the Micro and Ultra-Gap programs, startups that have achieved remarkable results in sales, employment, and investment are selected through evaluation and supported with up to KRW 1 billion in global scale-up funds, global partnering, and local settlement for two years.
This announcement is to select new super gap startups for the public offering track of the Phase 2 super gap program. A total of 118 companies will be selected, and applications will be accepted from Thursday, January 23 to Thursday, February 20.
The Micro Super Gap Program plans to sequentially announce new recruitments by field, such as AI and fabless.
The selected ultra-gap startups will receive direct funding of up to KRW 1.1 billion per company, including up to KRW 600 million in commercialization funds for three years and up to KRW 500 million in R&D funds for two years after evaluation based on corporate needs, and can receive linked support such as policy funds, guarantees, and exports.
In addition, research institutes and universities designated as specialized leading institutions with the highest level of domestic technology, support personnel, and equipment in each of the 10 major fields will provide intensive support for technology commercialization, open innovation, and global investment attraction to strengthen the global expansion of startups.
In particular, this year, we plan to establish and support the 'LinkUp' project, which will pioneer sales channels through demand-based collaboration with anchor organizations in each industry, such as large corporations, centered on ultra-gap startups in technology fields with a wide range of technology-industry convergence (bio/health, future mobility, robots, etc.).
Minister Oh Young-joo said, “New industries such as AI are revolutionizing the nation’s industrial structure and causing revolutionary changes in all fields, and deep tech startups are at the center of this.” He added, “Through the Super Gap Project, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will do its best to support innovative deep tech startups so that they can establish themselves as key players in the global market.”
Detailed information on the integrated announcement for the '2025 Ultra-Gap Startup 1000+ Project Project' can be found on the K-Startup Portal and the website of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups .
- See more related articles
You must be logged in to post a comment.