2025 G-Startup: Identifying and Supporting 40 Innovative Youth Startups

Gangwon, Leaping Forward as a Cradle of Innovative Startups: Signing of the 2025 G-Startup Youth Startup Support Program Agreement Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and the Gangwon Center for Creative Economy & Innovation have taken an important step towards revitalizing the regional economy and developing the youth startup ecosystem. On the 13th, at the Center's Summit Hall, they successfully signed support agreements with the finally selected companies for the '2025 G-Startup Youth Startup Support Program,' promising full support to startups with innovative ideas that will lead Gangwon's future. Celebrating its 7th anniversary this year, the G-Startup Youth Startup Support Program is Gangwon's flagship program, operated in cooperation with Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and the Gangwon Innovation Center to discover and foster startups with innovative technology and potential within the province. Following recruitment and evaluation that began in January, 40 promising startups that showed prominence in new growth industries such as bio-health, ICT convergence, food tech, semiconductors, and future energy achieved the feat of being finally selected. The selected companies will receive customized support across three-stage tracks, tailored to their growth stage, including pre-startup, early-stage, and growth-stage. Beyond simple commercialization funding, seamless support encompassing the entire startup process is provided, including stage-specific startup education, expert mentoring by field, active networking opportunities, and connections for practical investment attraction, to help companies grow stably and establish themselves in the market. The agreement signing ceremony on this day was more than just an event; it was a meaningful networking venue where Gangwon-based startups gathered to interact and explore synergies for cooperation. The participating startup representatives shared innovative ideas and technologies, raising expectations for future growth engines. Kim Man-ho, Director-General of the Economic Bureau of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, stated, “This project, by supporting startups with excellent technology and business items, is expected to not only revitalize the regional economy but also significantly contribute to the development of the startup ecosystem and job creation,” promising unstinting interest and support. Lee Hae-jeong, CEO of Gangwon Center for Creative Economy & Innovation, stated her ambition, saying, “As G-Startup is a key program for discovering startups in the Gangwon region, we will strengthen various follow-up support connections such as investment and open innovation to enable participating companies to contribute to local industrial development through continuous growth.” This agreement signing will be a significant turning point for Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province to establish itself as a cradle of innovative youth startups and inject new vitality into the regional economy.