The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced on the 8th that it held the "2025 Science and Technology Startup Competition" at COEX in Seoul on the 6th and selected 10 teams to advance to the integrated finals of "Challenge! K-Startup 2025."
This competition is the final stage of the MSIT-run "Researcher League," a specialized technology startup preliminary league for researchers seeking to start a business based on public research achievements.
Now in its third year, the Researcher League has established itself as a leading competition in the laboratory startup field, producing winners such as the Presidential Award and the Prime Minister's Award.
This year, a total of 142 teams applied, a significant increase from the previous year (82 teams). A total of 20 teams, including 10 preliminary startup teams and 10 startup teams, advanced to the finals through written and online evaluations. The winners were selected through a final IR (Investor Relations) presentation evaluation.
The winning teams received the "Challenge! In addition to qualification for the integrated final round of the "K-Startup 2025," teams will receive capacity-building consulting from a team of expert advisors.
The Grand Prize in the Pre-Startup category went to the "XMUT" team (CEO Lee Byung-chul). This team received high praise from the judges for their proposal of a disposable ultrasound patch technology applicable to central venous catheterization. This technology was recognized as an innovative product that can enhance the accuracy and safety of procedures through image guidance.
CEO Lee Byung-chul stated, "This award is significant because it gives momentum to commercialization of a technology that was previously confined to a government-funded research institute." He added, "The competition was so fierce that it wouldn't have been surprising if all the finalists had won awards."
The Grand Prize in the Startup category went to "VisCure" (CEO Lee Seok-ju). This team presented a pressure-sensitive adhesive for displays using visible light curing technology. Compared to conventional UV curing methods, this adhesive offers UV protection and adjustable adhesive strength, demonstrating its technological prowess.
CEO Lee Seok-ju said, "The manufacturing technology developed through hard work in university laboratories has led to a startup," adding, "I am grateful to the Science and Technology Startup Competition for recognizing the value of technology-based entrepreneurship."
At this event, Jeong Han-ul, CEO of AI semiconductor startup Articron and recipient of the "Challenge! K-Startup 2024" Encouragement Award, shared his practical experience in technology startups and market entry, garnering a positive response from participants.
Lee Eun-young, Director General of Research Performance Innovation at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "I hope this competition will further promote startups based on excellent research results from universities and government-funded research institutes. The government will spare no effort in providing full-cycle support for the dissemination and commercialization of public research results to the private sector."