Dongseo University Anchor Project Group student startup teams win awards across the board at FLY ASIA 2026

[Financial News] Dongseo University (President Jang Je-guk) announced on the 19th that all four of its student startup teams advanced to the finals and won awards at three startup competitions held in conjunction with FLY ASIA 2026 (Asia Startup Expo) at BEXCO in Haeundae recently.
The awards were: top prize for OUTPICKER (Jo Yeong-han) at the 2026 Fashion Solverthon; excellence award for muéde (Yeon Ju-hyeon); the Korea Student Aid Foundation Chairman’s Award for Biz (Hwang Seon-u) at the 12th Busan Startup Idea Competition; and an encouragement award for Equal (presented by Pa Kwan, team leader Jang U-yeong) at the 2026 Busan Foreign Student Startup Idea Competition.
OUTPICKER won the top prize for proposing KUMO, a visual branding management service that supports early-stage fashion brands with visual content creation and brand image development. muéde won an excellence award for muéde Custom Studio, which uses AI to help create customized fashion products that reflect individual tastes.
Biz presented its Smart AI Flood Evacuation Guidance System, which helps people evacuate quickly during torrential rain and urban flooding. It advanced to the final round as one of 15 teams selected from 346 applicant teams nationwide and received the Korea Student Aid Foundation Chairman’s Award.
Equal won an encouragement award as one of eight finalist teams for CraveMap, a local food information service that helps international students find the flavors of home while abroad, based on information they report themselves.
The achievement is noteworthy because support provided by Dongseo University’s Anchor Project Group to student startup teams—including product development, expert mentoring, and support connecting them with external competitions and practical investor relations (IR)—has produced tangible results. The group is strengthening its practice-oriented startup support system, which guides teams from idea discovery to startup clubs, product development, mentoring, external competitions and IR, and finally commercialization and follow-up support.
Jo Yeong-han, a third-year student in the Department of Tourism Management and Convention, who won the top prize, said, “I turned the content creation challenges I had observed among early-stage fashion brands into a business called KUMO, and it means a lot to have its potential recognized through this award. Going forward, I’ll develop KUMO into a service used in the actual market and use OUTPICKER’s own approach to show the individuality and stories of more brands to the world.”
Hwang Gi-hyeon, head of Dongseo University’s Anchor Project Group, said, “All four teams that advanced to the finals winning awards demonstrates the strength of practice-oriented startup support.” He added, “We will expand support that connects students with commercialization, investment and networking so they can grow in local, national and global startup arenas.”
[email protected] Byeon Ok-hwan Reporter