Recruitment of Students for the Private-Led Daejeon Youth Startup Academy

Bluepoint, from Selection to Education and Investment

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] The Daejeon Youth Startup Academy, operated as a private sector-led initiative since last year, has begun recruiting new students. The operating company of the Daejeon Youth Startup Academy (Cheongchangsa) Bluepoint Partners announced on the 18th that it will recruit students until the 6th of next month.

Eligible startup representatives are founders under the age of 39 who started their business within the last 3 years, located in non-metropolitan areas excluding Gangwon Province. Target sectors include ultra-gap fields such as system semiconductors and quantum technology, new industries like artificial intelligence and big data, and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) fields.

A total of 45 people will be selected through qualification review, document screening, in-depth evaluation, and presentation screening. Cheongchangsa is a project that supports all stages of startup development as a package, including providing residence space, education and coaching, and commercialization funding by discovering outstanding entrepreneurs. It has produced unicorn companies such as Toss and Zigbang.

Daejeon Youth Startup Academy 12th class students are taking a commemorative photo.

As a private sector-led initiative, Daejeon Cheongchangsa is responsible for everything from selection to education and investment attraction, led by Bluepoint for the second consecutive year. Among the 40 startup teams admitted last year, who overcame a competition rate of 16 to 1, more than three times the national average, five teams received direct investment from Bluepoint.

Bluepoint is a leading domestic accelerator that has invested in a cumulative total of 276 companies and manages investment assets totaling 114.7 billion KRW. It also possesses an industrial expert network and systematically supports startups using its own programs.

Kim Yong-geon, Vice President of Bluepoint, said, "Daejeon Cheongchangsa operates various programs involving startups and Bluepoint investment reviewers together," adding, "Through a private sector-led accelerating program, we will operate so that prospective entrepreneurs and early-stage startups in non-metropolitan areas can lay the foundation for growth."

Lee Myung-gi, Head of the Daejeon Regional Headquarters of the Small and Medium Business Corporation, said, "We expect a lot of interest from young CEOs dreaming of successful startups," and added, "We will actively discover and support young CEOs of promising investment companies in ICT and new businesses to nurture them as icons of growth."