The Ministry of SMEs and Startups in South Korea announced the launch of the 2026 Unicorn Bridge Project, beginning recruitment on January 30.

The initiative aims to support 50 startups with potential to become unicorns by providing a total of 1.6 billion won (US$1.1 billion) in government funding and up to 20 billion won (US$13.93 billion) in guarantees over two years.

Selected companies will receive 600 million won (US$418,000) and guarantees of up to 10 billion won (US$6.97 million) in the first year, with the top 20 performers eligible for an additional 1 billion won (US$696,600) and guarantees of up to 10 billion won (US$6.97 million) in the second year.

The program includes support for global market expansion, investment attraction, participation in international expos, and public market entry assistance.

Applicants must be non-listed firms with at least 5 billion won (US$3.48 million) in cumulative investments over five years and meet criteria such as a valuation of 100 billion won (US$69.66 million) or completion of specific startup programs.

Final selections will be based on a performance evaluation.

🔗 Source: Chosunbiz