Gangwon's Startup Fervor Runs High: 11,539 Cumulative Applications for 'Everyone's Startup'

[Financial News, Chuncheon—Reporter Kim Ki-seop] Gangwon State's startup fervor has emerged as a wave of challenges far exceeding the region's population size. Ideas submitted from Gangwon for the nationwide startup audition, the 'Everyone's Startup Project,' totaled 11,539 across the first and second rounds, drawing participation equivalent to 2.7 times the region's share of the national population.
The Gangwon Creative Economy Innovation Center said on the 20th that applications for the second round of the 2026 Everyone's Startup Project, promoted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, closed on the 17th. A total of 92,838 applications were submitted nationwide. Gangwon accounted for 7,547 of them, including 6,391 applications to the General and Technology Track and 1,156 to the Local Track, or 8.1% of the national total.
Applications from Gangwon in the second round increased by about 89% from the first round. Given that the state's population accounts for roughly 3% of the national total, its share of applications was about 2.7 times its population share.
In particular, cumulative applications to the General and Technology Track ranked fourth among the nation's 17 provinces and metropolitan cities. Gangwon followed Seoul with 30,630 applications, Gyeonggi with 21,078, and Daegu with 10,027. It ranked ahead of all non-capital metropolitan cities, including Busan with 8,725 applications, Daejeon with 5,433, and Gwangju with 3,548, placing second among non-capital regions. The Local Track, which supports startups using regional resources, received 1,156 applications in the second round alone, bringing its cumulative total to 2,016. Excluding regional institutions that oversee multiple provinces, this was the highest figure among single metropolitan-region institutions operating the Local Track, of which there are eight nationwide.
This performance was supported by Gangwon State and the Gangwon Regional Office of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Gangwon State prepared additional support measures to help selected participants turn their ideas into actual products and services. Together with the Gangwon Regional Office, it also coordinated cooperation among universities, startup support organizations, and private investors in the state so they could work toward a common goal. As a result, the number of mentor institutions for the General and Technology Track increased from seven in the first round to 10 in the second.
The mentor institutions participating in the second round were Catholic Kwandong University; Kangwon National University Technology Holdings Company; Kangwon National University's KNU Startup Innovation Center; Gangwon State University; Gangwon Design Promotion Agency; the Mid-career Startup Incubation Center of the Chuncheon Mirae Donghaeng Foundation; Bigbang Angels; Sangji University; Yonsei University Mirae Campus; and Hallym University Startup Support Division.
The Everyone's Startup Project, run by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, is a nationwide support program designed to let anyone interested in starting a business compete with just an idea. After evaluation, participants advance through successive rounds and receive support needed for commercialization, including startup activity funds, mentoring, minimum viable product (MVP) development, and connections to investors.
Lee Hae-jeong, CEO of the Gangwon Innovation Center, said, "The number of applications, far exceeding twice Gangwon's share of the population, reflects the result of Gangwon State, the Gangwon Regional Office, the hub institutions, and the mentor institutions joining forces behind a common goal." Lee added, "As the hub institution for Gangwon, we will continue supporting the mentor institutions and applicants through to the end so that this startup fervor leads to actual commercialization and business growth."

[email protected] Kim Ki-seop Reporter