Since its 2015 inception, the Catholic Kwandong University (CKU) Startup Support Foundation has cemented its role as a premier innovation hub, executing nine startup support projects sponsored by three central government ministries and local authorities over the past decade.
“With the university’s unwavering support, we’ve moved beyond our foundational and development phases into a period of exponential growth,” said Kang ShinSoo, Head of the CKU Startup Support Foundation. “We are strategically expanding our support systems and infrastructure to generate new momentum, counter regional decline, and invigorate the local economy.”
The Foundation is currently organized into four key divisions—the Startup Support Center (comprising Pre-Startup, Early-Stage, and Deep Tech teams), the Business Incubation Center, the Local Contents Business Support Center, and the Startup Research Institute—staffed by a team of 18 dedicated professors and managers. “To honor our 10th anniversary with meaningful achievements and solidify our reputation, we are tackling our mission with a renewed and relentless focus,” Head Kang emphasized. We sat down with Head Kang on September 10th at the Catholic Kwandong University Startup Support Foundation in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.
ShinSoo Kang | Head of the Catholic Kwandong University Startup Support Foundation
Professor, Department of Technology Entrepreneurship, Catholic Kwandong University
Chairman, Gangwon-do Venture and Startup Promotion Committee (Current)
Director, Catholic Kwandong University Business Incubation Center (Current)
Formerly: President, Gangwon Business Incubation Center Council
Former Head, Department of Entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property, Catholic Kwandong University
Former CIO, Witbe Co, Ltd.
Former Vice President of Academic Affairs, Catholic Kwandong University
Former Dean of External Relations, Catholic Kwandong University
BS in Statistics, Korea University
Ph D in Statistics, Iowa State University
Completed Doctoral Coursework in Business Administration, Myongji University
How would you assess the accomplishments over the past decade?
“Since our foundation was established and selected for government-funded projects, I can confidently say we have been working nonstop. Beginning with the Leading University for Startups Project in 2016, we have served as the lead institution for nine key initiatives, including △the Early-Stage Startup Package (2019~2026); △the Lab-Specialized Leading University for Startups (2020~2024); △the Lab-Linked Early-Stage Startup Package (2021~2022); △the Gangwon Open Military Education Institution (2020); △the First-Time Youth Startup Support Project (2021); △the SOS Developer Re-education Project (2021); △the Pre-Startup Package (2023~2026); and △the Local Contents-Focused University program (2025~2026). All of these are official startup support projects backed by government bodies such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. Including the current cohort, we have supported a total of 403 companies. While the numerous ministerial commendations and our recognition as an outstanding institution are certainly meaningful, I believe our single greatest achievement is the launch of the K-Startup Promotion Association. This organization was founded independently by our graduating companies, driven by their desire to pay forward the government support they received to the next generation of entrepreneurs. Incorporated as the K-Startup Promotion Association, the organization was launched on September 25, 2024. It is dedicated to actively supporting emerging companies in the field, with a framework that provides business consulting, domestic and international market development, investment support, and startup education. Its membership is growing steadily and currently stands at 110 companies, including associate members.”
What is the main business focus this year?
“Every year, our primary focus is discovering and nurturing high-potential companies. Identifying truly exceptional startups is a meticulous process, but supporting their growth in a way that reflects today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape presents an even greater challenge. To drive revenue growth and, in turn, job creation, it’s crucial that we facilitate market entry and investment opportunities. That is why we provide continuous, needs-based mentoring and consulting not only for our current cohort but for our alumni companies as well. This year, especially, the government approved a supplementary budget for the Early-Stage Startup Package, allowing us to select and support an additional 10 deep-tech companies. We are concentrating our efforts on generating significant outcomes in this area. Recognizing that investment is a critical catalyst for growth, we have designated ‘expanding investment attraction’ as a key priority for the year and are actively increasing our engagement with relevant venture capital and investment firms. Achieving 100% startup certification for our staff is another key internal goal for this year. For our team to provide tireless, effective support, it’s crucial that we continuously enhance our own professional capabilities. That’s why I consider this ‘100% certification’ goal a vital internal priority.”
What would you identify as the core strengths of the CKU Startup Support Foundation?
“When executing government-backed projects, I believe the most critical elements are the system and the infrastructure. Fueled by a deep analysis of our regional landscape, our vision is to create the ‘Gangwon Startup METTA Universe: Designing Future Enterprise Value.’ We are committed to serving as the central hub for discovering and nurturing startups in a Systematic, Stereoscopic, and Sustainable way, driving the future of Gangwon’s startup ecosystem. METTA is an evolution of the ETTA (Education-Think-Try-Action) system our university has been developing since 2016. It embodies our commitment to delivering tailored, systematic support aligned with each startup’s specific stage and timing.
Specifically, METTA stands for: Magnification, to strengthen our proprietary startup discovery system; Establishment, to build a comprehensive digital support network across the Gangwon region; TT (Trigger & Try), to operate an innovative and responsive support system; and Acceleration, to speed up growth through customized follow-up and successful EXIT strategies.
Aligned with this vision, we’ve set a goal to bolster the competitiveness of local industries by identifying high-potential companies and nurturing them into star performers. We are executing a long-term roadmap for systematic operations, including deriving key strategic tasks for the METTA framework.
In terms of infrastructure, our strengths include an always-on mentoring system staffed by dedicated experts, founder-friendly incubation spaces, access to shared equipment, and support for commercializing the university’s vast IP portfolio. We also maintain a deep pool of professional talent to help companies navigate market entry, fundraising, and technical challenges.
Our core strength lies in our ability to see our companies through their challenges, helping them achieve stable and sustainable growth in the market. The CKU Startup Support Foundation operates with such a robust and dedicated team that we proudly consider ourselves the ‘special forces’ of enterprise growth.”
What key criteria are used to evaluate and select companies?
“We select companies through a fair and rigorous evaluation process that involves external experts. Fundamentally, we look for companies with valuable technology and products or services that have the potential to make a significant impact on their industry. Key evaluation factors include market competitiveness and growth potential, assessed from the customer’s perspective in terms of purchasing appeal and utility. Beyond that, the drive and resilience of the founder and the team are critically important. A company with a true ‘entrepreneurial spirit’ is far more likely to create value across the board—from job creation and sales to genuine product innovation. To ensure a fair selection, a panel of external experts first conducts a written evaluation of each applicant’s business plan against a standardized set of metrics to create a shortlist for presentation reviews. The presentation evaluation, which includes roughly 1.5 times the number of available slots, is also conducted according to strict criteria. The entire process is video-recorded to guarantee objectivity and fairness in our evaluation procedures. We have a formal appeals process. We provide candidates with feedback from each evaluator, and if an appeal is filed regarding the procedure, a separate operations committee reviews the claim to determine whether it will be accepted.”
What are the flagship programs offered?
“Although specific offerings can differ by host institution, foundational support for △market entry, △investment, △proof-of-concept validation, and △technology development is consistently provided. Catholic Kwandong University operates an independently designed mentoring program branded as ‘Gaemi (開謎)’, which helps prospective and early-stage startups overcome a variety of challenges. We have continuously refined this program based on feedback from satisfaction surveys, and its consistently high ratings for mentoring have made it a cornerstone of our offerings. The name ‘Gaemi’ not only symbolizes the diligence of an ant (the meaning of gaemi in Korean) but also combines the Hanja characters for ‘open’ (開) and ‘riddle’ (謎) — conveying the program’s mission to help businesses unravel their questions and challenges. We manage requests through a dedicated support channel and, depending on the need, match companies with vetted external experts to help resolve their specific issues.
Additionally, we run the ‘METTA-PR Program’ to support exhibition participation and media relations, the ‘METTA-MD Program’ to facilitate market entry through retail placement and buyer matching, and our annual ‘CKU VEXPO,’ a startup festival designed to showcase achievements.”
What are some notable success stories among the startups currently supported or residing in the program?
“Over the past decade, we have consistently cultivated two to three companies each year that are recognized as top-performing enterprises. Among them are companies that have gone public and others that have surpassed 10 billion KRW in annual sales. Standout examples include PotatoNet Inc., Microalgae Ask Us Inc., Sensorview Inc., and The PICT Inc. In addition to these, many of our alumni are on the path to becoming unicorns, successfully securing investment and listing on the KOSDAQ.
To highlight one, PotatoNet Inc., selected for our 2023 Early-Stage Startup Package, is a cybersecurity firm. Operating under the brand name ‘OLPEMI,’ the company developed the world’s first malicious deep web detection technology to provide a safer internet environment for its clients. Leveraging AI and know-how from analyzing over a billion deep web data points, their solution overcomes the failures of conventional web security, enabling preemptive threat response and blocking malicious deep web access at the source. It is a formidable security company that continues to secure major R&D projects, attract investment, and post strong growth.
Microalgae Ask Us Inc., another 2023 selection, is a biotech firm specializing in natural ingredients derived from its land-based, smart-farm cultivation of microalgae. Aspiring to become a unicorn in the microalgae sector, the company commercializes materials for health supplements and pharmaceuticals, serving clients across the food, functional feed, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries while actively pursuing global expansion. Recognizing its high enterprise value, Daesang Holdings, the parent company of the major conglomerate Daesang Group, has made a strategic equity investment in the firm.
Furthermore, Sensorview Inc. (2017 cohort) was named a pre-unicorn in 2022 before listing on the KOSDAQ in 2023. The PICT Inc. (2018 cohort), an ICT company, received Inno-Biz certification in 2023 and is growing rapidly through investment, now diversifying into the AI sector.
The Catholic Kwandong University Startup Support Foundation places a high value on communication. Do you have a unique approach to communicating with company CEOs?
“The majority of our team members have been with us since our inception, which fosters exceptional professionalism and teamwork. While our managers and professors handle daily communications, a unique aspect of our approach is a two-day networking retreat held immediately after selection to build strong personal rapport from day one. This isn’t just a meet-and-greet; from the very first interaction, our goal is to understand each company’s situation, identify their pain points, and determine precisely what support they need. While we make use of various communication channels—social media, phone, and email—what truly sets us apart is our emphasis on ongoing on-site visits, where we continue to engage in regular meetings and consultations with companies. We emphasize partnership. We tell our companies, ‘The CKU Startup Support Foundation is your most enthusiastic partner and advocate. Think of us as your dedicated professional consulting firm.’ We say, ‘We will always be your steadfast support system, so never hesitate to knock on our door with any challenge or concern.’
On this basis, we have continued to stay connected with our alumni companies, and a representative success born from these bonds is the launch of the Incorporated K-Startup Promotion Association I mentioned earlier. It is no small feat for alumni companies to take the initiative to form an association and to support their junior counterparts by sharing their expertise and capabilities. Through open communication, we built a shared understanding, and it’s incredibly meaningful that they are now paying forward the benefits they received to address the needs of the next generation.”
What programs are offered to support companies with their global expansion?
“The reality is that most companies wish to expand into overseas markets, but they face difficulties due to insufficient information on procedures, methods, and the business environments of their target countries. Over the past decade, we have diligently strengthened our global network, and we now operate 13 ‘Global Testing Market Hubs’ across five continents. These hubs serve as a crucial first step, allowing companies to test their products and services in the local market before launching a full-scale export strategy. While we’ve run export programs annually, our accumulated experience and expanding buyer pool allow us to continuously enhance their quality and sophistication.
This year, for our early-stage startups, we’re running a global program called ‘G-STAR.’ We’ve selected five companies for a guided entry into Asian markets, including China, Japan, and Vietnam. The export tour is already underway, kicking off with a visit to Nanjing, China, this September. This direct engagement model, where overseas buyers are matched through our hubs for on-site, face-to-face meetings with local importers and distributors, is designed to maximize the probability of export success.
For pre-startup companies with market-ready products, we run a program called the ‘Global Testing Market.’ We are pursuing export deals with a target of securing at least three contracts. For interested companies, we also offer an educational program to share essential strategies and know-how related to exporting.”
What programs are in place to help startups with investment attraction and market development?
“Attracting investment is not a short-term process, so our programs are designed to address numerous long-term considerations. It is important, from the very stage of company discovery, to receive recommendations for firms with high potential for attracting investment. At the same time, these companies must not only aspire to secure funding but also prepare for many tasks, such as strengthening their IR capabilities. To foster this investment-ready environment, we have formal agreements with roughly four investment firms for each of our pre-startup and early-stage packages, with specified investment commitment amounts. The process begins with one-on-one meetings between our companies and the investors. The investors then select a shortlist of companies for consideration, who then receive intensive IR training, including pitch deck development, before a final IR event where selections are made.
For pre-startup companies, the journey to final selection can take longer as their products are often still in the prototype phase. However, we strive to run an accelerated program by initiating investor matching immediately upon their acceptance into our package. We named the investment program for our pre-startups ‘Show Me The Money,’ borrowing from the popular TV show to make the concept more familiar and accessible.
The Early-Stage Startup Package includes a program called ‘METTA-Investment Skill-Up.’ This year, we completed the investor matching process at an early stage and carried out investment consultations alongside training.
For market development, early-stage startups can leverage our ‘METTA-MD’ program, which facilitates entry into retail channels based on the maturity of their products or prototypes. In conjunction with this, we offer the ‘BM-Tech Bridge’ program, which supports IP and certification acquisition to help validate a company’s technology and minimize the risk of failure.
Since pre-startup companies are at the prototype stage, we first guide them through a ‘Business Diagnosis Simulator’ to analyze their technology and market potential. Based on that diagnosis, we help formulate a growth strategy and business model before proceeding to market development support.”
What are the future goals for the Catholic Kwandong University Startup Support Foundation?
“As I mentioned, our vision is ‘The Gangwon Startup METTA Universe that Designs Future Enterprise Value.’ To realize this, we have set two primary goals: to produce △five ‘METTA Star Companies’ with valuations of 50 billion KRW or more, and to cultivate △fifty ‘Star Youth Companies’ that establish roots in Gangwon with five or more employees. As we mark our 10th anniversary, our foremost goal is to reflect on our journey, recalibrate our vision and values, and reaffirm our objectives to further elevate our organization’s standing and impact.
I believe we have come this far thanks to the cooperation, support, and encouragement of our university president and members, the network of startup support institutions in Gangwon, and a pool of experts from both Korea and abroad. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of them. Furthermore, I would like to express my gratitude to our members for their efforts and dedication, and I also extend my thanks to the 403 companies that have accompanied us on this journey, wishing them sustainable growth and continued success in their entrepreneurial endeavors.”
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com