Smilegate Orange Planet Startup Foundation Selects 19 Startups for H1 2025

스마일게이트 오렌지플래닛, 2025년 상반기 혁신 스타트업 19개 팀 선정 A steadfast supporter of Korea's startup ecosystem, Smilegate Orange Planet Startup Foundation, has once again asserted its presence by finally selecting 19 innovative startup teams to shine in the first half of 2025. Orange Planet plans to actively support the successful launch of these teams through 'Orange Farm' and 'Orange Garden,' customized support programs for each startup stage. This selection saw 6 teams chosen for 'Orange Farm,' which supports startups in critical need of early investment and business advancement, and 13 teams for 'Orange Garden,' designed for pre-startup stage teams taking their first steps in entrepreneurship. This demonstrates Orange Planet's broad support philosophy of discovering and nurturing potential teams across all stages of entrepreneurship. Approximately 500 teams from diverse fields that will lead the future of Korea, including real estate, bio, finance, content, data, environment, and energy, applied and competed fiercely. Through a rigorous multi-stage screening process involving document evaluation, in-depth interviews, and presentations, teams with innovative ideas and unique growth potential were honored with final selection. Notably, Smilegate Investment participated in the selection process, meticulously reviewing the possibility of early investment, thereby raising expectations for the future value of the selected teams. The selected Orange Farm teams will receive 12 months of free office space in a prime location on Teheran-ro, Gangnam, Seoul, along with groundbreaking investment of up to 500 million won, in-depth mentoring from venture capital experts, and opportunities for linked investment through the Private Investment-led Technology Startup Support (TIPS) program. Orange Garden teams will also receive 6 months of office space support, as well as intensive support for concretizing revenue models and establishing market entry strategies, laying the foundation for successful entrepreneurship. A noteworthy point is that companies that were unfortunately not finally selected will also be provided with a 5-week online incubation program. This offers a glimpse into Orange Planet's firm commitment to providing growth opportunities to more startups and strengthening the capabilities of the entire Korean startup ecosystem. Over the past 10 years, Orange Planet has significantly contributed to the Korean startup ecosystem by supporting 393 startups and raising their cumulative corporate value to an astonishing 3.7 trillion won. Center Director Seo Sang-bong expressed expectations for a bright future for startups, stating, "We will spare no effort in providing all support to ensure that early-stage startup teams equipped with creative ideas and excellent execution capabilities can firmly take root and, furthermore, boldly challenge the global market."