'2023 Startup Express Summer Season' Concludes Successfully, Paving the Way for a Better World 

On June 2nd, the '2023 Startup Express Summer Season' (hereinafter referred to as ‘competition’) hosted by the Startup Research Institute (Director= Jungbien Moon) of Korea University Business School (Dean= Sang Yong Kim) was successfully held at LG-POSCO Hall. 'Startup Express' is a student startup competition held every summer and autumn, organized by the Seung Myung Ho Entrepreneurship Education Center. Its purpose is to propose creative business ideas based on entrepreneurial spirit and innovation, as well as to discover startup teams with excellent business viability. 

The judges for this competition included △Jungbien Moon, Director of the Startup Research Institute, △Jae Ho Jeong, Director of the Iljin Startup Support Center △Jin Kyu Park, Director of the Seung Myung Ho Education Center, as well as △Seung Pyo Lee, Director of the Iljin Global R&D Center △Won Kyung Yoo, Team Leader of the Business Planning Team at Hankook Ilbo △Jun Hyun Hwang, Team Leader of the Online Services Team at Donghwa Enterprise △Myung Choel Shin, Partner at Kingsbay Capital and Professor at Korea University Business School △Ji Seung Baek, Manager at SK C&C and △Seung Il Lee, CEO of PentaFlow. 

The event commenced with a welcome speech delivered by Jin Kyu Park, the director of the Seung Myung Ho Entrepreneurship Education Center, and also provided an introduction to the event. Director Park stated, "The teams selected in today's competition will have the opportunity to enter the Seung Myung Ho Entrepreneurship Education Center," and added, "If they grow for one year, they will eventually participate in Choo Choo Day and enter the actual market." He described the event as "the glorious beginning of that process." Director Park further expressed his pride, stating, "Currently, Korea University has 113 resident companies, and our Startup Research Institute continues to produce companies that receive investments and grow steadily after graduation of each generation. I hope that today's participating teams will also embark on this path together and achieve positive outcomes." 

In the competition, 12 teams selected through preliminary evaluations presented their business ideas. These included △AI-based self-introduction feedback service (Generative Lab) △post-processing managing SaaS platform for traffic insurance (DELPER) △self-development planner service through gamification (OV Land) △platform for exploring and saving hot spots through short-form content (Unboxing Dreams) △preventive and diagnostic service for canine patellar luxation (Barun Pet) △demand-responsive mobility service based on taxis (HOXI Mobility) △used equipment trading platform (Space Jump) △operating and management platform for dog daycare centers (Walga) △blockchain smart contract monitoring/auditing/cybercrime prevention service (Block Security Chain), △closed social network service that delivers family photos to the elderly (Mili Log) △dating platform utilizing AI technology and learning-based algorithms (SPAD) and △’four-cut’ photobooth photo archiving service(Photorage). 

The event comprised a 5-minute idea presentation and a 5-minute Q&A session for each team. The judges evaluated each teams based on their △problem definition △business model △capabilities and △determination to select the teams for entry. Among the teams, Barun Pet received the Seung Myung Ho Entrepreneurship Award, and Block Security Chain was awarded the Iljin Startup Award, propelling them onto the 'Startup Express,' the path to entrepreneurial success in the second half of 2023. Furthermore, eight teams, including △Space Jump △DELPER △Unboxing Dreams △Walga △Generative Lab △SPAD △Photorage and △HOXI Mobility, received encouragement awards for their remarkable efforts. 

After the conclusion of the competition, Jungbien Moon, Director of the Startup Research Institute, expressed, "Everything in the world is difficult and scary," and underscored the significance of taking a stand. He emphasized, "The most important thing is to position oneself with strong determination. If you prepare with unwavering resolve, there will be ample success awaiting you in the future." Moon further added, "Even if you didn't e,erge as winners today, our goal extends beyond triumph in this competition. We aim to reach the unicorn stage. Korea University will continue to provide more opportunities to access shared workspaces like 'The Stage,' so do not give up." 

Meanwhile, the two teams that received the Seung Myung Ho Entrepreneurship Award and Iljin Startup Award will be granted operating expenses. Additionally, all the teams, including the recipients of the encouragement awards, will have the opportunity to enter the Iljun Startup Support Center at the Startup Research Institute. Once admitted to the center, each team will benefit from ongoing guidance and support provided by mentors consisting of seasoned entrepreneurs, industry experts, and venture capitalists. They will also have access to systematic entrepreneurial education programs aimed at further enhancing their skills and knowledge.