“Beyond patents, all the way to investment”—the Ministry of Intellectual Property lays the groundwork for regional IP startups to grow

[Financial News] The Ministry of Intellectual Property is creating a platform to help regional startups built on intellectual property (IP) attract investment.
 The Ministry of Intellectual Property said it will hold the 2026 Regional Intellectual Property (IP) Startup Road Day on the afternoon of the 5th at the OSCO Convention & Exhibition Center (OSCO) in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. The event is designed to give regional companies that have gone through the Ministry’s flagship startup support programs, IP Didimdol and IP Narae, an opportunity to demonstrate the value of their technologies and seek risk-capital investment.
 The Ministry has operated the IP Didimdol program, which helps prospective entrepreneurs turn ideas into intellectual property rights and start businesses, and the IP Narae program, which helps early-stage startups build patent portfolios and develop management strategies. This year, it significantly expanded regional demo days and specialized investment-attraction consulting to help companies move beyond consulting and securing rights and connect with actual investment.
 Of the about 2,000 companies supported by the two programs over the past three years, 41 took part in demo days across four regions (the Capital Area and Gangwon, Chungcheong, Honam and Jeju, and Yeongnam). Of these, 12 companies selected through a review will take the stage to pitch for investment today. Companies in high-tech, high-value-added fields—including materials, parts and equipment; bio and healthcare; and artificial intelligence (AI) and software (SW)—will present their technological strengths and business models. Awards, including the Minister of Intellectual Property Award, will be presented following evaluations by accelerators (ACs) and venture capital firms (VCs).
 Building on these results, the Ministry of Intellectual Property will launch two new programs next year: IP Strategy Package Support and Youth IP Voucher Support. The IP Strategy Package program provides a comprehensive set of services tailored to companies’ needs, from IP diagnostics and portfolio development to technology and management strategies. The Youth IP Voucher program enables young entrepreneurs to select and use the IP services they need. The Ministry plans to move beyond one-off support and establish a comprehensive support system linking startup creation, investment and commercialization.
 “The key to intellectual property support for regional startups is to go beyond securing rights and lead to tangible investment and business growth,” said Kang Won-gil, head of the Regional Intellectual Property Division at the Ministry of Intellectual Property. “I hope this Road Day will serve as a springboard for a new leap forward for promising regional startups that have received support.”   This is not the first event the Ministry has held this year to connect startups’ IP strategies with investment. On June 22–23, the Ministry held the 2026 Public-Private Partnership IP Strategy Support Meetup Day at GS Tower in Gangnam District, Seoul, with about 200 people from startups, private investment institutions and IP-specialist organizations in attendance. In July, the 2026 Capital Area-Gangwon Region IP-IR Networking Day was held in Songdo, Incheon, to strengthen the IR capabilities of startups built on outstanding regional IP and expand their investment opportunities. It was hosted by the Ministry of Intellectual Property and the Korea Invention Promotion Association (KIPA).

[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter