Startups, Finance Sector Drive Innovation Synergy Through Practical Collaboration

D.CAMP Opens a Venue for Cooperation Between Startups Leading Financial Innovation and the Financial Sector

On the last day of October, an innovative gathering of startups and the financial sector took place at the D.CAMP event hall in Mapo, Seoul. With over 120 participants gathered, the 'D.CAMP StartupOI #FinancialSector' event went beyond simple networking to become a deeply meaningful occasion for sharing actual cooperation achievements and exploring the future. This event, co-hosted by D.CAMP and the Korea Fintech Support Center, focused on maximizing synergy between startups and the financial sector. A total of 59 startups participated in the preliminary open call, and after a rigorous evaluation, only 5 companies ultimately took the stage to showcase their innovative solutions and successful collaboration cases with the financial sector. 5 Startups Leading Financial Innovation: * Nampodo Market: Leads the digital transformation of wholesale markets, operating a platform that streamlines distribution and settlement processes between producers and wholesalers. * ReturnZero: Received high praise for providing on-premise solutions to the security-critical financial sector through its voice recognition AI-based call-to-text conversion service 'Vito' and enterprise meeting recording service 'Collabo'. * AIMS: Supports the digital transformation of numerous insurance companies by automating insurance policy analysis and claim assessment using AI technology. * Bigtech Plus: Contributes to solving social problems by providing a deposit safety diagnosis feature through its real estate information service 'HomeQ' to prevent 'Jeonse' (long-term lease) fraud. * Antock: A financial data specialist company that collects and analyzes data from all corporate entities in Korea to diagnose competitiveness and risks, having developed the 'MRI' solution to assist financial institutions in decision-making. Shining Awards and Growth Opportunities: The highest honor of this event, 'Startup of the Year,' was awarded to ReturnZero, which is leading the digital transformation of the financial sector with its voice recognition AI technology. Nampodo Market was selected as the 'Excellent Startup Noted by Financial Institutions,' and Bigtech Plus, which demonstrated innovation in real estate information services, was chosen as the 'Excellent Startup Noted by Investors.' In addition to a total prize money of 10 million KRW, the award-winning companies were given substantial growth opportunities. These include consideration for selection into the 2026 D.CAMP batch program (with investment linkage up to 1.5 billion KRW), priority investment review from D.CAMP's investment fund, and PoC support from the Korea Fintech Support Center (up to 120 million KRW per company). These rich benefits are expected to give wings to the growth of these companies. The Birth of Startup-Friendly Financial Professionals: The event also featured a special award for financial professionals who actively promoted co-prosperity with startups. Manager Lee Jae-jun of IBK Industrial Bank of Korea was selected as the 'Startup-Friendly Financial Institution Representative Chosen by Founders Themselves' and received the Financial Services Commission Chairman's Award. Notably, the collaboration between ReturnZero and IBK Industrial Bank of Korea garnered attention as an excellent case at this event, suggesting the potential for successful cooperation models between the financial sector and startups. Active Networking and a Venue for Future Cooperation: In addition to the official event, financial sector office hours were held concurrently, adding to the enthusiasm. With 45 mentor institutions and over 100 startups participating, a total of 135 individual meetings were successfully conducted, and throughout the venue, startup representatives and financial institution officials were seen engaging in serious discussions exploring potential cooperation opportunities. Park Young-hoon, CEO of D.CAMP, stated that it was "a meaningful occasion to gather and share the cooperation achievements between startups and the financial sector," and affirmed that D.CAMP would continue to provide various support for the growth of the startup ecosystem. Even after the event concluded, participants lingered. The sight of exchanging business cards and promising follow-up meetings fostered the expectation that this gathering would lead to further innovative collaborations. This event successfully concluded, presenting a bright blueprint for the future financial ecosystem to be built jointly by startups and the financial sector.