Applications open through Sept. 8 for individuals, teams and companies

Six top performers to be selected after year-end evaluation

The Financial Services Commission office at Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul [Yonhap]
The Financial Services Commission office at Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul [Yonhap]

The Financial Services Commission is accepting applications for the second-half cohort of its 2026 D-Testbed program, which helps fintech companies and aspiring entrepreneurs test and validate financial ideas.

The FSC announced Tuesday that applications will be open from Wednesday through Sept. 8 — a four-week window — for the second-half round of the D-Testbed program.

D-Testbed supports fintech companies and prospective founders in verifying innovative ideas using real data and analytical tools. Since launching as a pilot project in 2021, 170 teams have participated through last year, and 25 teams are currently running tests in the first half of this year.

For the second half, the FSC will select 15 teams across three categories: collaborative projects, public-interest projects and open proposals. Individuals, teams and companies are all eligible to apply, and applicants may choose between a general track and an AI track.

Selected teams will receive a 12-week testing environment with access to real financial data and a remote analytics system. Teams admitted through the AI track will also receive additional high-performance computing resources — graphics processing units — capable of large-scale computation.

Commercialization support will run alongside the testing period. Participants will receive mentoring from specialists in law, investment, statistical analysis and cybersecurity, as well as feasibility assessment reports covering the testing process and commercialization potential. Teams that apply to certain support projects operated by the Korea Fintech Support Center will also receive bonus points during screening.

Starting this year, the FSC extended the maximum period for which usable data can be provided from three years to five. Participants may also bring in external data they have secured — provided it has been pseudonymized or anonymized — and use it within the analytical environment.

Applications can be submitted through the D-Testbed website. The FSC plans to conduct a year-end performance evaluation covering both the first- and second-half cohorts and will select and recognize six outstanding teams.

Meanwhile, a combined 40 teams participated in D-Testbed last year across both halves, 10 of which conducted their testing through the AI-specialized track. Of the six outstanding teams selected at year-end, four developed alternative credit-scoring models for people with thin credit histories, including small-business owners and young adults.


rim@heraldcorp.com