NST Hosts '2026 ITX'... Linking Deep Tech Planned Startups with Investment and Commercialization

[Financial News] The National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST) Joint Task Force for Commercialization of Government-funded Research Institutes announced on the 3rd that it held the '2026 ITX (Idea to sTartup eXpress)', a specialized startup and investment program aimed at attracting investment and accelerating commercialization for prospective entrepreneurs and startups at government-funded research institutes, at Sangyeonjae Seoul Station on the same day.
The 2026 ITX is a program designed to expand opportunities for fundraising and follow-up commercialization by connecting prospective deep tech entrepreneurs and startups from government-funded research institutes with investment institutions and Open Innovation (OI) managers at large and mid-sized companies. The event was attended by relevant investment institutions holding deep tech funds, as well as industry representatives from large and mid-sized companies who can identify industry demand prior to the startup phase. Startup items were refined through comprehensive expert feedback (Wrap-up) from a commercialization perspective, covering aspects such as Proof of Concept (PoC), certification and licensing, market entry, and mass production.
ITX started as a specialized consultative body for startups and investments that intensively verifies items from prospective entrepreneurs at government-funded research institutes from clinical, regulatory, investment, and business perspectives in 2025. This year, it expanded its functions to include venture capital (VC) firms and open innovation (OI) managers from large and medium-sized enterprises to discuss investment attraction and commercialization linkages.
Dr. Young-do Jeong of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), who presented a bladder cancer diagnostic item at '2025 ITX', established 'Float Bio' after refining his business model and won the Grand Prize in the startup track of this year's '2026 Science and Technology Startup Competition', and Dr. Lee Byung-chul of KIST also received the honor of winning the Grand Prize in the '2025 Challenge! K-Startup' Grand Finale after undergoing verification at '2025 ITX', and subsequent achievements are continuing.
It is assessed that the TF's 'convergent planned startup' is behind these achievements. It identifies startup opportunities through 'demand-technology convergence,' which connects industrial demand with technologies from government-funded research institutes, and 'technology-technology convergence,' which combines technologies and researchers from various institutes across institutional boundaries. In particular, it supports a startup pathway that involves jointly identifying promising items with entities such as Korea Science and Technology Holdings (KST), conducting marketability reviews, designing teams, providing intensive incubation, verifying ITX, and ultimately leading to corporate establishment and investment linkages.
Cho Seong-gyu, Team Leader of the NST Government-funded Research Institute Commercialization Joint Promotion TF Team, stated, "ITX is a platform for verifying promising startup items from the perspectives of investors and industry and connecting them to actual commercialization," adding, "We will support research results in leading to startups and market entry through convergence-type planned startups."

[email protected] Yeon Ji-an Reporter