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Supporting the Growth of Regional Digital Companies… AIgement Wins Grand Prize
NIPA Hosts the “Regional Digital Scale-up Challenge,” an Investment Competition for Early-Stage Startups
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) announced on the 29th that they held the finals of the “Regional Digital Scale-up Challenge.” The event was organized as part of the Regional Digital Innovation Hub initiative.
The Regional Digital Scale-up Challenge is an investment competition for early-stage AI and digital startups located outside the Seoul metropolitan area. Its purpose is to expand investment opportunities by connecting startups with regional investment institutions and experts, while discovering and nurturing high-potential companies.
Ahead of the finals, a startup incubation program was offered from July to 47 companies across 14 local governments. The program included pre-assessments by investment and startup experts, IR and entrepreneurship training, and mock pitch sessions. Ten companies advanced to the finals after a preliminary round held in Daegu on August 12.
During the finals, venture capital judges selected the winners:
Grand Prize: AIgement
Excellence Award: CrossHub
Merit Award: Exeon Labs
The winning companies received awards from the Minister of Science and ICT, the President of NIPA, and the President of the Daegu Digital Innovation Promotion Agency.
Following the awards ceremony, a business matchmaking session took place with participation from 20 venture investment firms managing regional and government-backed funds. Thirteen startups, including the finalists, held one-on-one meetings with investors, and more than KRW 1 billion in investment is expected to be linked through these consultations.
The event was held alongside “Digital Innovation Insight,” a digital trend-sharing program. This year’s theme focused on “Physical AI,” a field with high potential for cross-industry expansion, featuring expert lectures that helped regional companies and institutions understand the latest digital trends.
Jung Su-jin, Director of NIPA’s Regional AX Headquarters, said, “It is often difficult for companies to meet multiple investors individually, so we hope this event served as a valuable opportunity to strengthen the business capabilities of regional digital enterprises.” She added, “We will continue supporting regional companies’ growth and investment attraction through initiatives like the Digital Innovation Hubs and the Regional Digital Global Bridge program.”
