[DigitalToday reporter Chi-gyu Hwang] Startup accelerator SparkLabs said on April 28 it will introduce Spark Claw, an accelerating programme for solo AI founders and small teams.

Spark Claw is aimed at discovering and nurturing “AI-native” entrepreneurs who use AI as a practical team member, not just a simple tool.

SparkLabs is moving in earnest into investing in solo founders who operate without a team, and this is the first case of expanding its investment philosophy rather than easing existing investment criteria, the company stressed.

The selection process consists of an online application, a first-round document screening, participation in an intensive bootcamp and a final investment review. Founders who pass the bootcamp will receive initial investment of up to 100 million won. Founders who do not proceed to investment will also be classified as teams in SparkLabs Stage 2 and Stage 3, and will be managed on an ongoing basis by maintaining eligibility for priority support in follow-on placement programmes and community membership. SparkLabs CEO Eugene Kim (김유진) said, “Thanks to AI, the era has arrived in which solo founders and small teams can become unicorns within 2 to 3 years of founding for the first time in history.” He said examples include Matthew Gallagher, who is nearing 3 trillion won in revenue in 2 years with the telemedicine company Medvi, which he founded alone in 2 months; Maor Shlomo, who sold Base44, an AI app builder he developed alone on weekends, to Wix for 100 billion won in 6 months; and Mercor, founded by 21-year-old entrepreneurs in 2023 that became a unicorn about 2 years after launch and now has a valuation of $1 billion. He said the goal is to discover and nurture such young AI-native founders in South Korea as well.