Aspiring entrepreneurs swap insights with veteran founders and industry experts; seven teams honored at startup idea contest
Young entrepreneurs gathered in Mapo-gu to hear from veteran founders, receive expert advice and exchange ideas on building their own businesses.
Mapo-gu hosted the Mapo Youth Startup Day on Tuesday at the Mapo Youth Startup and Employment Support Center Naru, targeting aspiring and early-stage startup founders.
Organized by Mapo-gu and run by the Naru center, the event was designed to encourage young people with entrepreneurial ambitions and help them turn fresh, innovative business ideas into viable ventures.
The event ran from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and featured special lectures in which experienced founders shared stories of both success and failure, followed by open question-and-answer sessions that gave aspiring entrepreneurs a firsthand look at the realities of starting a business.
A highlight of the afternoon was the awards ceremony for the Mapo Youth Startup Idea Competition, held at 2 p.m. to identify promising young entrepreneurs and assess the commercial potential of their ideas.
Applications opened Sept. 14, drawing 183 teams from fields including generative AI, robotics and cybersecurity. After an initial document review and a second-round presentation, seven teams were selected as winners on Oct. 30.
At the ceremony, winners received trophies bearing the Mapo-gu district mayor's name along with a combined prize pool of 6.6 million won ($4,920).
The grand prize went to Kaims, whose founder proposed converting waste cooking oil into immersion cooling fluid for AI data center servers through an AI-based refining process — an idea that drew strong praise from judges.
The excellence award went to Puri and Market Pilot; the merit award to Stephow and Healing Heart; and the encouragement award to Bapmeokgohapsida and CORE.
One-on-one mentoring sessions were also held for pre-registered participants, with four specialists in fundraising and marketing on hand to offer practical guidance on securing startup capital, developing marketing strategies and charting a path for growth.
Icebreaker programs and an AI experience zone rounded out the day, giving attendees a chance to network and explore emerging technologies.
"I hope the fresh ideas and bold spirit of these young people lead to new opportunities and growth," Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun said. "Mapo-gu will continue building a solid foundation — through tailored support at every stage of the startup journey and access to expert consultation — so that young entrepreneurs can turn their dreams into reality and fully realize their potential."
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