Kakao Launches 50 Billion Won Regional AI Talent Project with Four Major Science and Technology Institutes

AI Development Project Awards Ceremony
Up to 1 Billion Won in Investment Considered for Winning Teams

Kakao Group has unveiled the first results of its industry-academia collaboration project aimed at discovering talent to lead the future artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

On January 22, Kakao announced that it held the finals and awards ceremony for the "Four Science and Technology Institutes X Kakao AI Development Project" at the Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. This project marks the first implementation of Kakao Group's 50 billion won regional AI ecosystem development plan, which was announced in September of last year.

On the 22nd, five teams awarded in the finals at Kakao AI Campus, along with the award presenters and related personnel, are taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Kakao

A total of 66 teams, consisting of professors and students from the four major science and technology institutes-Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)-participated in the project. The competition categories included technology startup ideas linked to Kakao's key businesses, such as Kakao AI services and infrastructure, KakaoBank financial advancement, Kakao Mobility's future business, and Kakao Entertainment's core technologies.

Thirteen teams advanced to the finals and presented their projects, with the Anibridge AI team from KAIST winning the grand prize. The five final teams received a total of 39 million won in prize money, and each winning team was awarded up to 35 million won in Kakao Cloud credits. On the day of the event, Baek Junho, CEO of FuriosaAI, delivered a special lecture.

These teams will receive business-specific mentoring through Kakao Investment's early-stage incubation program for the next six months. Depending on their achievements in technological advancement and business model development, each team will also have the opportunity to be considered for follow-up investments of up to 1 billion won.

In her congratulatory remarks, Jang Yunju, CEO of Kakao Entertainment, stated, "We have seen many ideas that can be expanded beyond the research stage into actual industries. I hope this project will serve as a starting point for AI technology to meet the market." Kim Doyoung, CEO of Kakao Investment, commented, "We have glimpsed the potential synergy between the research capabilities of the four science and technology institutes and Kakao's experience in services and investment. We will continue this as a sustainable model for fostering AI talent and startups, rather than a one-off competition."

Meanwhile, Kakao Group plans to further support the advancement of its AI talent development system based on industry-academia collaboration, beginning with this project.