Hoban Group is taking steps to discover innovative startups that will lead the future through an innovation technology competition.
Hoban Group noted on the 20th that it will hold the '2025 Hoban Innovation Technology Competition (2025 HIT CHALLENGE)'.
The Hoban Innovation Technology Competition is a representative open innovation program aimed at discovering companies with innovative technologies to strengthen the group's future competitiveness. This competition, now in its 7th edition following the 'Hoban Next Startup Competition,' is collaborating with a total of 48 companies. This year, it is co-hosted by Hoban Group, the Seoul Business Agency (SBA), the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), and the global electronic component and smart solution company 'SOLUM'.
The recruitment areas are ▲ Smart city (robots, construction innovation, new energy technologies, new construction materials, etc.) ▲ Accommodation, leisure, and distribution (smart golf courses, resource circulation, digital transformation, etc.) ▲ Manufacturing sector (smart factories, renewable energy, etc.) ▲ New business (Ag-TECH, AI, mobility, ESG, drones, etc.), totaling four institutional sectors.
Corporations wishing to participate can apply through the 'Startup Plus' website by the 14th of next month.
After evaluations, including document review, on-site inspection, and presentation assessments, a total of eight companies are expected to be selected as award-winning corporations. Award-winning corporations will receive prize money of approximately 200 million won and support funds for commercialization. Additionally, various follow-up programs, including technology Proof of Concept (Proof of Concept), test beds, office space, global programs, networking, and investment connections, will also be supported.
Hoban Group will particularly seek to promote strategic synergies that extend from startup discovery to validation, commercialization, and investment, in connection with the '2025 Hoban Open Innovation Demo Day' this year. The demo day is an event that provides opportunities for startups to promote themselves and connect with investment, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), purchases, and employment.
A representative of Hoban Group said, "This competition is a platform for public and private cooperation to realize innovative ideas," and added, "We will actively support promising corporations so that their technologies do not remain as mere ideas but can be applied in real fields such as Hoban Construction and Hoban Industries."