South Korea to Back 50 Startups with 20 Billion Won in 2026 Unicorn Bridge Project

South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups has announced the launch of the 2026 ‘Unicorn Bridge Project’ and will begin recruiting participating companies from the 30th.

The Unicorn Bridge Project, launched this year, aims to achieve the national goal of fostering unicorn companies.

According to The Chosun Daily, it targets enterprises with high growth potential and provides a total of 1.6 billion Korean won in government funding, alongside special guarantees of up to 20 billion Korean won over two years in stages.

The 50 companies selected will receive 600 million Korean won in government support and special guarantees of up to 10 billion Korean won in the first year.

These funds can be used to expand into global markets.

Companies that pass the first-year evaluation with outstanding performance will see the top 20 receive an additional 1 billion Korean won in funding and special guarantees of up to 10 billion Korean won in the second year.

To help firms advance towards unicorn status, the project offers follow-up programmes.

These include support for attracting domestic and overseas investment. Companies can also participate in international expos or prestigious academic conferences. Additionally, the project provides assistance with entering public markets.

Non-listed companies that have secured at least 5 billion Korean won in cumulative investments over the past five years are eligible to apply.

Applicants must also meet at least one of the following criteria. They must have a corporate value of 100 billion Korean won or more, or have completed the ‘TIPS R&D’ or ‘Super Gap Startup Project’ as a startup or venture company.

The Ministry plans to select the final 50 companies after a performance evaluation.

Minister Han Seong-sook said,

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