7th Anniversary of 'Maru180', Incubated 237 Startup Teams

Average Investment Amount of 2.1 Billion KRW During Residency Period, Employment Workforce Nearly Doubled

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Asan Nanum Foundation (Chairman Han Jung-hwa) celebrated the 7th anniversary of the opening of the startup support center 'Maru180' on the 14th by producing and releasing an infographic showcasing its achievements.

Maru180 is a startup support center established by Asan Nanum Foundation as part of its youth startup support project, located at 180 Yeoksam-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Since opening in April 2014, it has provided comprehensive startup-related solutions such as office space, networking, investment, and education to early-stage entrepreneurs and startups.

Over the past 7 years, a total of 237 startup teams have grown by receiving office space support at Maru180. The average investment amount raised during their residency (for long-term residents) reached approximately 2.1 billion KRW. Notably, 71% of them succeeded in securing investment during their stay at Maru180. The number of employees also increased about twofold, from an average of 7 to 12. Since its opening, the competitive ratio for recruiting resident startups through open calls has averaged 19 to 1, and currently, 11 startups including Strum Korea, Assi, and Infork are fully engaged in their businesses at Maru180.

Maru180 has conducted various programs not only for resident startups but also to expand the base of the startup ecosystem. The cumulative number of visitors to Maru180 over 7 years has reached approximately 980,000. Mentoring sessions with experts in various fields were held 291 times, with 692 participants. In the underground event hall, 2,483 startup-related events such as demo days and hackathons have been held, and about 1.5 billion KRW has been sponsored to 70 startup-related organizations, with approximately 80,000 participants.

In addition, Asan Nanum Foundation has created the 100 billion KRW scale 'Chung Ju-yung Angel Investment Fund' to revitalize the investment ecosystem alongside operating Maru180, investing in 29 funds. The total amount of raised capital is approximately 1.28 trillion KRW, through which about 900 startups have received investments.

Han Jung-hwa, Chairman of Asan Nanum Foundation, said, "Asan Nanum Foundation set a goal to spread entrepreneurial spirit inheriting Asan's creative spirit and has been dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and startups since opening Maru180 in 2014. With Maru180 celebrating its 7th anniversary this year and the newly opening Maru360 in the second half of this year, Asan Nanum Foundation will continue to do its best to expand the domestic startup ecosystem."