The Deep Tech Startup Academy 5D program, which supports deep-tech startups in commercializing technology and attracting investment, is drawing attention as a growth platform for promising startups. It supports the entire cycle, from funding for commercialization to investment matching, accelerating, and technology commercialization, with the goal of nurturing deep-tech startup ventures.
Organized by the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) and hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, this program was introduced for the first time this year, and 200 corporations were admitted as the first cohort. Eligible applicants are deep-tech startups whose representative is 39 or younger and within seven years of founding. Selected corporations receive up to 200 million won in commercialization funds, and the program operates a variety of components for investment attraction and technology commercialization, including strengthening IR capabilities, corporate advancement, peer learning, investor meetups, and networking.
It also supports general partner direct investment and connecting with private investment. CNTTech, the program operator, is making direct investments totaling 1.2 billion won and is helping startups grow through follow-on investment attraction, startup space, and infrastructure support.
The Deep Tech Startup Academy 5D program's strength is tailored support that reflects the characteristics of deep-tech corporations. To overcome the deep-tech sector's constraints of long-term research and development (R&D) and high market entry barriers, it provides commercialization support based on a technology readiness level (TRL) diagnosis. In addition, it enhances corporate competitiveness by linking patent (IP) strategy development to protect core technologies with technology valuation.
It also focuses on strengthening competitiveness in investment attraction. By running a "due diligence preparation class" that checks risks that may arise during the investment screening process in advance, it compensates for corporations' weak points and raises the likelihood of successful investment. It is also laying a foundation for collaboration through peer learning and networking among cohort founders.
Representative success cases include AI solutions startup "Dagyum" and beauty-tech startup "Almond&Co." Dagyum recently secured a 15.5 billion won Series B investment with participation from LS Securities, Kyobo Securities, Mobidic Ventures, and the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (KODIT). In particular, as a corporation directly invested in by CNTTech at an early stage in 2022, it is regarded as a representative success case of technology commercialization and follow-on investment linkage.
Since joining the program, Almond&Co. has attracted a strategic investment (SI) from a KOSDAQ-listed company in the esthetics sector. It is being recognized as a model case of linking with the private investment ecosystem by leading not only to simple financing but also to business collaboration.
The Deep Tech Startup Academy plans to boost the investment-attraction competitiveness of admitted corporations, expand private investment networks to support technology commercialization and fundraising, and push to nurture deep-tech startup ventures with global competitiveness.