Hanjayeon Hosts Cheonan·Asan Small Giant Special Zone Technology Startup Competition

On the 9th, the Korea Automotive Technology Institute held a technology startup competition in the Cheonan-Asan Small Giant Special Zone in Chungnam and encouraged outstanding technology startup companies.

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The Korea Automotive Technology Institute announced on the 9th that it held a technology startup competition in the Chungnam Cheonan·Asan Small Giant Special Zone and encouraged outstanding technology startup companies.

The participating companies this time were selected for this year's Innopolis Campus project and are prospective and early-stage technology startup companies being intensively nurtured through practical startup education, focused mentoring, commercialization and networking, and investment linkage support.

After presenting their startup items and business models in front of a panel of expert evaluators composed of university professors, venture capitalists, and startup support specialists, as well as representatives from regional innovation institutions, the final rankings were determined through judges' evaluations of the founders' capabilities, business feasibility, and technical aspects.

According to the competition results, certificates were awarded in the names of the Governor of Chungnam Province, the Mayor of Cheonan, the Mayor of Asan, the President of the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, and the Head of the Small Giant Special Zone Campus.

In particular, the Korea Automotive Technology Institute deployed three consulting experts on-site to support the pitching capabilities of participating companies and operated a 'Pitching Clinic Program' concurrently. Through this, they supported the supplementation of investor relations (IR) materials for participating companies, thereby encouraging technology startups within the Small Giant Special Zone and creating an opportunity to further spread the startup culture, the institute explained.

Oh Mi-hye, Head of the Small Giant Special Zone Campus at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, stated, "Through this competition, we expect to solidify the startup ecosystem in Chungnam Cheonan·Asan and create an opportunity for the Small Giant Research and Development Special Zone to establish itself as a mecca for technology startups."