Korea Polytechnics holds 10th Venture Startup Item Competition

21 finalist teams showcase ideas using AI, biotech, semiconductor and robotics technology

Top 3 teams among winners sharing 16.4 million won in total prizes and startup support

The JUST team from Korea Digital Media High School presents their "Memory-Based Digital Welfare Ecosystem Memory Garden" concept at the finals of the 9th Venture Startup Item Competition, held in October last year. [Korea Polytechnics]
The JUST team from Korea Digital Media High School presents their "Memory-Based Digital Welfare Ecosystem Memory Garden" concept at the finals of the 9th Venture Startup Item Competition, held in October last year. [Korea Polytechnics]

Youth startup ideas that apply cutting-edge technology to social problems — from using AI to predict aquaculture damage caused by ocean acidification to issuing disaster alerts — are converging at a single competition.

Korea Polytechnics announced it is holding the finals of the 10th Venture Startup Item Competition at its Daejeon campus Wednesday.

A total of 168 teams applied for this year's competition. After document screening and an online preliminary round, 21 teams advanced to the finals — 12 in the "Polytech League" open to current students and graduates of Korea Polytechnics, and nine in the "High School League" for high school students and out-of-school youth from across the country.

The finalists will compete with startup ideas built around advanced technologies including AI, biotech, semiconductors and robotics.

Particularly notable this year are ideas that harness AI to address social challenges. Standout entries include an AI-based system for predicting ocean acidification and aquaculture damage, an AI-powered pre-consultation service for public complaints, and an AI disaster alert service using audible frequencies.

Korea Polytechnics is running the competition not merely as an ideas contest but as a growth process designed to lead participants toward actual startup launches.

To that end, the 21 finalist teams took part in startup lectures and expert mentoring sessions Sept. 19-20. A robotics company founder shared firsthand startup experience, while angel investors, startup coaches and youth entrepreneurship specialists provided tailored consultations for each team.

The mentoring sessions covered everything needed for real-world commercialization — from improving technical completeness and assessing market viability to refining revenue models, strengthening presentation materials and securing intellectual property rights.

Based on the final results, the three grand-prize winners will receive awards from the Minister of Employment and Labor and the Minister of SMEs and Startups. Four gold-prize teams will receive the Korea Polytechnics chairman's award, while six silver-prize teams and eight bronze-prize teams will receive awards from supporting organizations including the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, the Korea Startup Promotion Agency and the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association.

The 16 teams that did not advance to the finals will also receive encouragement awards. Including awards for supervising professors and teachers, a total of 40 prizes have been prepared, with total prize and startup support money amounting to 16.4 million won ($12,300).

"Ideas that students and young people have developed by identifying problems themselves and crafting technological solutions have a strong chance of working in real industry settings," Korea Polytechnics Chairman Lee Cheol-su said. "We will build an even more comprehensive support system — from idea discovery through mentoring to commercialization — to create a launchpad for technology entrepreneurship where young people can pursue their ambitions without hesitation."


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