Korea Intellectual Property Office picks 12 startups for investment pitch day

The Korea Intellectual Property Office said Thursday it will hold a road day for regional intellectual property startups in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, bringing 12 selected companies before investors in a pitch session aimed at turning patent support into actual funding.

The event, the 2026 Regional IP Startup Road Day, is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at OSCO in the city. The 12 companies reached the final stage after a screening process that began with demonstration sessions in four regions: the capital area and Gangwon Province, Chungcheong Province, the Honam and Jeju regions, and the Yeongnam region. Those sessions drew 41 companies from the roughly 2,000 that have received support over the past three years through the office's IP Ddiddol and IP Narae programs, which help prospective founders turn ideas into registered intellectual property and help early-stage companies build IP-based management strategies.

The finalists will present in materials, parts and equipment, life sciences and health, and artificial intelligence and software. Evaluators from accelerators and venture capital firms will assess each company's technology, business model and growth prospects, and awards including the office chief's prize will be handed out based on the results.

"It is important that intellectual property support for regional startups does not end with securing rights or consulting, but leads to actual investment and company growth," said Kang Won-gil, director of the office's regional intellectual property division. He said he hopes the road day gives promising regional companies that have grown with the office's backing a chance to take a new step forward.

The office said it plans to add two startup support programs next year, an IP strategy package and a youth IP voucher scheme, to provide a broader range of intellectual property services and connect them to fundraising and commercialization. The strategy package will offer regional prospective and existing startups diagnostics, help building a record of IP results, and technology and management strategy consulting tailored to each company's needs, while the voucher scheme will let young founders choose the IP services they need, such as securing rights and patent research and analysis.