Challenge! K-Startup 2023 picks international student teams for main round

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups selected 200 teams to advance to its Challenge! K-Startup 2023 competition, with five being teams of international students chosen from the new track for international applicants.

The 200 teams that advanced to the Challenge! K-Startup 2023 competition pose for a photo at Front1, a startup hub in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Tuesday. [MINISTRY OF SMES AND STARTUPS]

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups selected 200 teams to advance to its Challenge! K-Startup 2023 competition, with five being teams of international students chosen from the new track for international applicants.

The 200 teams selected from the Promising Student Start-up Team 300 contest, considered the preliminary round, will advance to the competition, which provides cash prizes, training on how to pitch ideas to investors and mentoring for teams with business ideas or early-stage startups.

A kick-off ceremony was held Tuesday to celebrate the event at Front1, a startup hub in Mapo District, western Seoul.

Among the 200 teams selected from the preliminaries, five are teams of international students.

The preliminary round had separate tracks for international students, vocational school graduates and university students. This is the first time a track for international applicants was created.

The five international student teams and their products are as follows.

Adope is building an AI tool that matches shelter dogs to potential adopters based on the personalities and characteristics of the dogs.

Exmpad developed a smart learning platform that allows users to prepare for various tests by solving problem sets.

Koho is developing a service that connects real estate agents with international students looking for a place to stay.

Rheogreen developed technology that allows people to recycle colored plastic bottles in an eco-friendly way.

Baksanim developed a platform that allows users to access information about laboratory services and science forums.

"With teams of international students advancing to the Challenge! K-Startup 2023 finals, we are taking our first steps to create an environment that encourages foreigners to launch startups in Korea," Lim Jung-wook, head of the ministry's Office of Startup and Venture Innovation, said. "The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will do its best to carry out the government's Startup Korea project to make Korea a global hub for startups."

Startup Korea is a plan announced by the ministry in August, aiming to globalize Korea's startup ecosystem. As part of the plan, the government seeks to ease visa restrictions for foreigners who want to start businesses in Korea.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]