Samsung Electronics is stepping up efforts to expand technology collaboration and a symbiotic ecosystem by cultivating 1,000 startups through its C-Lab program.
On Tuesday, Samsung Electronics held the "2026 C-Lab Startup Demo Day" at the Seoul R&D Campus in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The event was organized to share the achievements of startups cultivated over the past year and to provide opportunities for investment attraction and business collaboration.
Thirty startups from the 8th cohort of "C-Lab Outside," which were cultivated in Seoul, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, and Gwangju, participated in this event. An exhibition space where attendees could experience the products and services of these companies was also set up at the venue.
At the Demo Day, six companies presented their proprietary technologies and collaboration cases with Samsung Electronics. These included "Config Intelligence," which develops data technology for training and deploying robot AI (artificial intelligence); "Piaspace," a multimodal AI company; and "Nano Forge AI," a company specializing in automating the design and synthesis of new materials based on AI.
Nano Forge AI introduced a case study of a Proof of Concept (PoC) for new material development technology currently being conducted with Samsung Electronics. Currently, 15 startups from the 8th cohort of C-Lab Outside are undergoing technology verification with Samsung Electronics while seeking additional business collaboration opportunities.
The cultivation effects of C-Lab Outside are also being proven through tangible results. Previously, the 30th companies in the 7th cohort of C-Lab Outside hired a total of 218 new employees during the program period, contributing to the creation of jobs for young people, and successfully attracted investments totaling 34.5 billion won.
Samsung Electronics introduced "C-Lab Inside," an internal venture cultivation program, in December 2012. In 2015, it established a spin-off system to support the separation of outstanding internal ventures, and in 2018, it launched "C-Lab Outside" to cultivate external startups. To date, the total number of internal ventures and startups discovered and cultivated through C-Lab has reached 1,000.
Since 2023, Samsung Electronics has expanded its cultivation hubs to Daegu, Gwangju, and Gyeongbuk, also contributing to the revitalization of regional startup ecosystems. Among the 30 startups in this year's 8th cohort, 12 are regional cultivation companies that receive support benefits such as business grants and consulting identical to those provided in Seoul.
Samsung Electronics provides selected C-Lab Outside companies with business support funds of up to 100 million won without acquiring equity, along with expert consulting and participation in domestic and international exhibitions. Even after the program ends, it offers subsequent growth opportunities such as investment and business collaboration through the "C-Lab Family" system.
in INDUSTRY
