[Ministry of SMEs and Startups]
[Ministry of SMEs and Startups]

200 new companies selected this year; open competition ratio reaches 16.8-to-1

Selected firms eligible for up to 1.2 billion won in commercialization and R&D funding over three years

Ministry to build 'ultra-gap regional governance' network through 10 regional offices

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has selected 200 new companies for its "ultra-gap startup" program across 12 emerging industry sectors this year. The share of newly selected firms from outside the Greater Seoul area rose to 35.5 percent, up from 28.7 percent in 2023.

The ministry held a plaque ceremony and roundtable Monday at KAIST's Munji Campus in Daejeon for 12 of the newly selected 2026 ultra-gap startups based outside the metropolitan area.

The Ultra-Gap Startup Project selects startups in emerging industries and provides linked support covering technology commercialization funding, R&D and global expansion. Since launching the program in 2023, the ministry has selected roughly 200 companies annually and is currently nurturing a total of 804 firms.

The proportion of newly selected companies from outside the metropolitan area has climbed each year — 28.7 percent in 2023, 30 percent in 2024, 33 percent in 2025 and 35.5 percent this year. The ministry said the trend reflects its goal of spreading the new-industry startup ecosystem beyond its traditional concentration in the capital region.

The program's scope was also restructured this year. The previous 10 ultra-gap sectors were expanded into 12 new industries under six strategic pillars — AI, Bio, Contents, Defence, Energy and Factory. The 12 new industries include AI models and infrastructure, semiconductors, mobility, quantum security and networks, robotics, life sciences and new drugs, healthcare, content, defense, space, aerospace and maritime, eco-friendly technology, energy and nuclear power and nuclear fusion, and advanced manufacturing.

This year's recruitment drew applications through open competition, private-sector verification and ministerial recommendation. The open-competition ratio reached 16.8-to-1, surpassing 13-to-1 in 2023, 13.1-to-1 in 2024 and 13.7-to-1 in 2025.

Selected companies receive up to 600 million won in commercialization funding over three years. Those that pass a separate evaluation can receive an additional 600 million won in R&D funding, bringing total direct support to 1.2 billion won. Linked benefits include investment connections, export support, R&D infrastructure, open innovation and global expansion assistance.

The ministry will also provide follow-on support to 15 existing program participants that have shown strong performance in sales, employment and investment, offering up to 1 billion won in global scale-up commercialization funding over the next two years.

According to the ministry, three companies that went through the Ultra-Gap Startup Project — Padu, Rebellions and FuriosaAI — have grown into global unicorns. An additional 13 companies have attracted 67.7 billion won in investment, and 17 have achieved technology-based stock listings.

The ministry plans to establish an "ultra-gap regional governance" framework through its 10 regional offices, bringing together local governments, related agencies, venture capital firms and startups. It will also continue hosting regional startup support events, including investor relations sessions, one-on-one investment consultations and meetups with large and mid-sized companies.

"The steady rise in the share of ultra-gap startups selected from outside the metropolitan area will be a major boost to regional economic growth," First Vice Minister of SMEs and Startups Noh Yong-seok said. "We will actively work to identify outstanding new-industry startups in the regions, including by introducing regional bonus points in the Ultra-Gap Startup Project evaluation process."


hong@heraldcorp.com