Challenge! K-Startup 2025 Launches with Increased Support and New Leagues

Challenge! K-Startup 2025, South Korea’s largest government-backed startup competition, is now underway. Led by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), the event is held in partnership with nine other government agencies, including the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and the Ministries of Education, Science and ICT, National Defense, Culture, Sports and Tourism, Environment, Gender Equality and Family, and Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The competition is designed to discover and nurture the nation’s most promising entrepreneurs.

The event was officially announced on February 4, kicking off a series of preliminary leagues led by each participating ministry, which will continue until August. With its multi-ministerial approach, Challenge! K-Startup 2025 stands as Korea’s largest startup competition, offering aspiring innovators an opportunity to showcase their ideas and gain crucial government support.

The Challenge! K-Startup 2025 competition is structured into multiple stages, starting with ministry-led preliminary leagues, which will run until August. From these leagues, 225 teams will be selected to compete in the main competition, leading to the final selection of 30 teams in December. The grand finals will determine 10 top startup companies and 10 aspiring entrepreneurs, who will collectively receive KRW 1.4 billion in prize money, with individual awards reaching up to KRW 300 million. Winners will also be honored with the President’s Award and the Prime Minister’s Award.

To provide stronger post-competition support, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) has revised its selection criteria for startup commercialization programs. In addition to the top award-winning teams, Grand Prize recipients will now receive priority access to initiatives like the 2026 Prospective Startup Package. Furthermore, teams that reach the grand finals will be exempt from document screening in future startup support programs.

Challenge! K-Startup was first launched in 2016 as a joint effort by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Ministry of National Defense. Over the years, it has expanded to include more government agencies, solidifying its status as South Korea’s largest startup competition. The event consistently attracts over 5,700 teams annually, including 6,238 participants in 2024, showcasing innovative and high-potential business ideas.

Last year’s final round, held on November 12 at COEX, coincided with COMEUP 2024, the country’s largest startup event. The 2024 competition saw 20 teams receive awards, with bioprinting materials startup Biobricks winning KRW 300 million in the Startup League and WaterTrinez, which developed an eco-friendly water filter, securing KRW 130 million in the Pre-Startup League.

This year, Challenge! K-Startup has introduced a new Content League under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to support startups in the content industry. With this addition, the competition now features 12 leagues, increasing the number of teams advancing to the main competition from 210 to 225.