South Korea's largest multi-ministry startup competition, K-Startup of the Year 2026, began its full schedule on March 27 with an integrated announcement.

Nine ministries, including the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Korean Intellectual Property Office and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, said they will jointly promote the competition.

This year's contest features a revamp of the existing Challenge! K-Startup into K-Startup of the Year. As it newly launches the Startup Project for Everyone to discover and nurture prospective founders, it reorganised the existing two-track structure for prospective and early startups around early-stage startup companies.

Support will also be expanded sharply. The winner's prize will rise to 500 million won from 300 million won, and the number of teams given priority selection for follow-up support programmes such as the Early Startup Package will increase to the top 20 teams from the top 6. It also plans to support fundraising by creating a separate investment programme involving TIPS operators and others.

This year, it newly created an AI league to discover innovative AI companies. A total of 12 leagues will be operated: the Innovative Startup League, Student League, Defense League, Women's League, Climate, Energy and Environment League, Tourism League, Intellectual Property League, Defense Science and Technology League, AI League, Researcher League, Content League and Sports League.

The competition schedule begins with the integrated announcement on March 27 and will run preliminary leagues by ministry through August. Companies that pass the preliminaries will then go through an integrated main round, and 20 teams will compete in the final champions match in December.

SMEs and Startups Minister Hansung Sook (한성숙) said, "Through this competition, I hope a national representative innovative company will emerge to follow in the footsteps of Wrtn Technologies, LD Carbon and Lion Robotics, which have been produced by 'K-Startup of the Year' so far." She said, "Together with the Startup Project for Everyone newly 추진하는 this year, the ministry will firmly support the journey of startup talents."