S. Korea Opens Startup Venture Campus Seoul

Seoul, South Korea - The Ministry of SMEs and Startups opened Startup Venture Campus Seoul on May 20, a 13,275-square-meter facility in Mapo-gu designed to support companies in artificial intelligence, beauty, fashion, and content.

The 14-story building, located near Hongik University Station, houses tenant workspaces on floors 4-10, networking areas on the first 3 floors, and event spaces in the basement and upper levels. 

The ministry said the facility currently hosts 43 startups, 8 large corporations, and 7 investment firms, with a planned capacity of approximately 200 startups.

Participating investment firms include Antler, Vertex, the Shorooq Partners, Sazze Partners, France's Jolt Capital, Muirwoods Ventures, and Qnesty. 

Microsoft, Hyundai Motor, and Naver Cloud are among the corporations involved in the facility's open innovation programs.

The ministry said the facility will serve as a center for scale-up programs, hosting investor relations demo days and coordinating verification projects with science and technology institutes. 

The site will also draw on its proximity to three local universities for mentoring programs.

Minister Seong-sook Han said the ministry intends to support the facility as a platform connecting enterprises, technology, and investment, with the goal of integrating domestic startup capabilities with digital infrastructure for global expansion.