AI Startup Accelerates Commercialization Through Collaboration with Global Corporations

‘On-Device AI’ and ‘Vertical AI’ programs launched
Collaboration with LG Electronics, Qualcomm, and Intel to support AI startups
Up to 100 million KRW in support for selected companies
Expansion of global market opportunities through demand-based partnerships

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 26th that it held the ‘AI Super Gap Challenge Kickoff Day’ event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. The event aimed to promote the commercialization of AI startups' technologies and support market expansion through demand-based collaboration between global conglomerates such as LG Electronics and Qualcomm and promising domestic artificial intelligence (AI) startups.

In addition to LG Electronics, which co-hosted the event last year, global giant Qualcomm newly participated this year, and through continuous consultations, the collaboration fields, programs, and scale of this challenge were significantly expanded. This year’s challenge consists of two programs: ‘On-Device AI,’ collaborating with LG Electronics, Intel, and others, and ‘Vertical AI,’ collaborating with Qualcomm and four promising deep-tech SMEs and startups that are Qualcomm’s domestic partners.

The On-Device AI program expanded collaboration this year to six fields expected to have global market scalability by incorporating startups’ creative AI technologies into smart TVs, digital signage, home appliances, and more, in addition to LG Electronics’ laptops from last year. The support scale is a total of 15 companies, selected jointly with LG Electronics through evaluation. Selected startups will receive increased collaboration funds of up to 100 million KRW for AI model development, proof of concept (PoC), and other activities. LG Electronics supports business unit matching, PoC planning cooperation, and technology development, while Intel provides development toolkits and AI chip utilization training. AI technologies of startups with excellent collaboration results will be embedded in LG Electronics’ devices, enabling revenue generation.

The newly established Vertical AI program this year supports collaboration with four deep-tech SMEs and startups in fields such as autonomous driving and drones, whose demand has been verified through Qualcomm’s market validation. The support scale is a total of four companies, selected jointly with Qualcomm through evaluation. Selected startups will receive collaboration funds of up to 100 million KRW for PoC and other activities. Qualcomm provides technical support such as AI semiconductors, access to the Qualcomm AI Hub, one-on-one matching with demand companies, and equipment utilization. AI technologies of startups with outstanding results will be linked by Qualcomm to new clients and global partners, facilitating global expansion and market access.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to sequentially hold challenges with anchor companies in deep-tech fields, starting with this challenge, including the ‘Fabless Challenge,’ which involves collaboration between fabless startups and all domestic foundries; the ‘Climate Tech Challenge,’ which supports public procurement using infrastructure from public institutions such as KEPCO; and the ‘Mid-sized Company-Startup Challenge,’ which discovers new growth engines through collaboration with mid-sized companies.

Minister Oh Young-joo of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups stated, “As AI technology accelerates rapidly in the global market recently, it is more important than ever for AI startups to quickly commercialize demand-based specialized AI technologies applied to specific devices and industries,” adding, “We will fully support related policies so that promising AI startups can commercialize innovative AI technologies with global conglomerates through this challenge and accelerate their global expansion.”