KakaoBank to Support the Growth of Promising Fintech Startup Teams
- Input
- 2026-08-28 14:36:50
- Updated
- 2026-08-28 14:36:50
On the 28th, KakaoBank Corp said it had selected 12 outstanding pre-startup teams through the 'FIN:NECT Challenge,' a program designed to promote local fintech startups.
The 'FIN:NECT Challenge,' which KakaoBank Corp and the FinTech Center Korea have run annually since 2024, is a program that identifies promising startup teams in the inclusive finance and fintech sectors. This year, participants were recruited around two themes: solutions to protect financially vulnerable groups and improve financial access, and new business models and services using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.
This year's 'FIN:NECT Challenge' drew more than 430 teams from five regions nationwide: the Seoul area, Gyeonggi, Incheon and Gangwon, Chungcheong, Honam and Jeju, and Gyeongsang. Twelve teams that passed the regional preliminaries advanced to the integrated final round.
At the integrated final round held on the 27th, the 12 selected teams presented a range of ideas related to inclusive finance and the use of AI technology. The grand prize went to 'Cool Meerkat,' which introduced an app that detects voice phishing deepfakes by identifying family members' voices, and to 'We:Cover,' which proposed an AI service that provides financial and administrative checklists after a diagnosis of a serious illness.
KakaoBank Corp will offer six of the outstanding teams that reached the integrated final round an opportunity to attend TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, the world's largest startup conference, in San Francisco. The company said the program is intended to help them experience the latest technologies in the global market firsthand.
Meanwhile, KakaoBank Corp has continued to support the growth of young entrepreneurs. Last year, it donated 1.4 billion won to the FinTech Center Korea to support fintech companies' growth and help build a safe financial ecosystem.
[email protected] Lee Hyun-jung Reporter