'Deep Tech Startup and Investment Activation Week' to run through Thursday

Top startups to receive commercialization funds and up to 1 billion won in investment

A view of the Korea Research Institute of Science and Technology Promotion headquarters. [Herald DB]
A view of the Korea Research Institute of Science and Technology Promotion headquarters. [Herald DB]

A comprehensive support program connecting deep tech companies in the Daedeok Research and Development Special Zone with investors, startup resources, overseas pilot projects and global market entry opportunities is now underway.

The Daedeok R&D Special Zone headquarters of the Korea Research Institute of Science and Technology Promotion announced Monday that it will run the "Daedeok Special Zone Deep Tech Startup and Investment Activation Week" in conjunction with the 2026 Startup Korea Investment Week, which runs Tuesday through Thursday in the Gungdong area of Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.

The headquarters is organizing the event around two pillars: boosting investment and startup activity, and strengthening global partnerships.

On the investment front, the program will host a "Deep Tech IR" session and a deep tech startup competition to connect high-potential deep tech companies in the zone with investors. The sessions will include investment pitches and one-on-one investor consultations aimed at improving the chances of securing actual funding.

The top two companies from the startup competition will each receive about 10 million won ($7,260) in commercialization funds and an opportunity to attract up to 1 billion won in investment.

A "Deep Tech Startup Achievement Sharing Forum" will also bring together five regional special zones — Daedeok, Gwangju, Daegu, Busan and North Jeolla Province — to share results from their planned startup initiatives and explore ways to boost cross-zone investment cooperation.

Support for entering global markets will also be expanded. The program offers a step-by-step series covering feasibility reviews for overseas pilot projects, strategies for entering the North American market, and opportunities for joint research and business cooperation with overseas research institutions and pharmaceutical companies.

Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures and global pharmaceutical company Hikma will take part in a "Global Partnering Day," where they are set to discuss joint research, technology cooperation, investment, commercialization and overseas market entry prospects with Daedeok Special Zone biotech companies including Cellias, Thor Therapeutics, Geon AI, Innosystem and SIS Sensor.

The program also creates an opportunity to validate technologies on American soil. Through a "Social Problem-Solving Globalization Proof of Concept" session, four special zone companies will meet with officials from Montgomery County, Maryland, to review the feasibility of applying their technologies in local pilot projects.

A "Global R&BD Scale-up Seminar" will share strategies for navigating regulatory requirements and designing pre-validation frameworks needed when entering the North American market.

Throughout the event, a walk-in consultation booth will operate on the first floor of Daejeon Startup Park, offering on-site guidance on special zone programs and support projects — including those for research institute-affiliated companies and advanced technology firms — as well as information on moving into the zone.

"For deep tech companies to grow, connecting with investors, markets and global partners is just as important as having strong technology," said Im Mun-taek, head of the Daedeok Special Zone headquarters. "We will continue to provide hands-on support so that companies in the Daedeok Special Zone can expand their opportunities for investment, technology cooperation and entry into overseas markets."


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com