[For more diverse corporate information on the startups featured in this article, please visit the Unicorn Factory big data platform 'Data Lab'.]
A stage to determine the 'King of Kings' among deep tech (advanced technology) startups produced by science and technology specialized universities nationwide will be held next month.
MoneyToday’s startup media platform, 'Unicorn Factory,' will host the '5th K-Deep Tech Startup King of Kings Competition' on October 30 at the B Hall Plus Stage in COEX, Seoul Samsung-dong.
This year’s competition is held in conjunction with 'SMART ENERGY PLUS (SEP) 2026.' SEP is an energy-specialized event organized by the National Assembly Hydrogen Economy Forum and co-hosted by MoneyToday and COEX.
The number of participating universities has expanded from five to six this year. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), and POSTECH (formerly Pohang University of Science and Technology) are joined by the newly added Korea National University of Science and Technology (KENTECH). The competition is co-hosted by the six science and technology specialized universities and Unicorn Factory, with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation.
Eligible participants are student-founded startups with seven or fewer years in business and faculty-founded startups at the Series A investment stage or below. The open call covers all future new growth industries, including AI (artificial intelligence), semiconductors, biotechnology, healthcare, renewable energy, and Lisa icing. Each university has recommended representative student and faculty teams after conducting its own preliminary rounds. A written review is currently underway for the recommended teams, with advancement to the finals granted to a total of 12 teams: six student-founded teams and six faculty-founded teams.
The finals, held on the 30th of next month, will be conducted in the format of an actual investment fundraising IR (Investor Relations) presentation. Each team will have a 10-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. The six student-founded teams will take the stage in the morning, followed by the six faculty-founded teams in the afternoon. Judging will be based on a total score of 100 points, combining technical merit (30 points), marketability (20 points), business viability (40 points), and team capability (10 points).
The most notable feature of this competition is the composition of the judging panel, designed to facilitate practical investment and commercialization linkages tailored to the growth stage and technological characteristics of the startups. Participating judges include operators of the TIPS (Technology Innovation Promotion System) technology startup support program, corporate venture capital (CVC) arms of major corporations focusing on open innovation, comprehensive public, university, and private technology commercialization companies, deep tech-specialized venture capital (VC) firms, early-stage investment firms, leading accelerators (ACs) in the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region, and officials from the Research and Development Special Zone—figures representing the domestic deep tech investment ecosystem.
Specifically, Samsung C-Lab Outside, GS Vendors, and Ecopro Partners are participating as CVCs. In addition to discovering outstanding technologies during the judging process, they will provide opportunities that can lead to collaborations with major corporations through open innovation or Proof of Concept (PoC). Korea Technology Holdings and Blue Point Partners will evaluate the commercialization potential and value of startups based on university and research institute technologies, drawing on their understanding of such ventures. Venture capital firms such as L&S Venture Capital and LB Investment will focus on assessing companies’ growth potential and prospects for follow-on investment.
Regional and early-stage specialized accelerators (ACs) such as Series Ventures and CNT Tech will take on the role of supporting TIPS recommendations and subsequent incubation for winning teams. The Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation will link bonus points and preferential benefits in special zone support projects to Lee Sa-jang-sang (수상) teams, providing opportunities that can lead to follow-on commercialization and government support programs.
The award structure has also been significantly strengthened. A tripartite award system with diversified tiers has been established, involving the government (Ministry of Science and ICT), public institutional investors (Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation), and the private sector (MoneyToday). The Grand Prize will be awarded to a total of two teams—one each from the faculty and student categories—along with the Deputy Prime Minister’s Award and startup support funds of 3 million won each.
This year, an Excellence Prize has also been newly established as the Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation Lee (President) Prize. Four teams receiving the Excellence Prize will be awarded startup support funds of 1 million won each, and their award records can be utilized as bonus points or preferential criteria when participating in future special zone foundation support projects. Six teams receiving the Encouragement Prize will be given the MoneyToday Representative’s Award and startup support funds of 500,000 won each.
Follow-up support for winning teams has also been expanded. Winners can participate in a 'Unicorn Factory Networking Seminar' featuring representatives from VCs and ACs, as well as receive consulting and mentoring through expert matching. Bonus benefits are also provided when participating in CVC open innovation projects or the Global Digital Innovation Network (GDIN) overseas expansion program. Opportunities to attend major MoneyToday events for free, including the international conference 'K-Platform,' will also be offered.
Meanwhile, the King of Kings competition, launched in 2022, has solidified its position as a startup contest where growth is expected after Gong Ha-myeon-seo (수상) success, as past winning teams have consecutively achieved large-scale follow-on investments and overseas expansion.
Ninia Labs, which received the Grand Prize in the faculty category at the first competition, subsequently raised a total of 6.5 billion won in investment, accelerating its scale-up. EM Coretech, the Grand Prize winner in 2023, has secured Series B investment worth 6 billion won and is preparing for Yangsan, while Floatic has raised Pre-Series A investment worth 5.2 billion won and entered the North American market. Quest, the student category Grand Prize team in 2024, received the 'CES 2025 Innovation Award.' Last year, Celliaz, which develops a retinal regeneration therapy, and Nano Forge AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) company specializing in new material design and process automation, became the recipients of the first Deputy Prime Minister’s Award for Science and Technology.
[MoneyToday startup media platform Unicorn Factory]
in TECH
