A promotional poster for SK Telecom’s “SKTCH for Good” program / Courtesy of SK Telecom
SK Telecom has launched a next-generation program, “SKTCH for Good,” to discover and incubate startups focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, and will accept applications through April 30, the company said Tuesday.
“SKTCH,” a combination of SKT and “tech,” is a platform operated by the company to identify promising startups and strengthen collaboration, with the goal of co-creating future business opportunities.
Through “SKTCH for Good,” SK Telecom plans to work with startups in the ESG sector to address social and environmental challenges.
The company will select 15 startups with innovative ESG solutions, focusing on areas expected to grow in importance, including digital inclusion and care, climate disaster response and digital crime prevention.
Selected startups will receive tailored support, including mentoring and commercialization training, opportunities to develop collaboration models with SK Telecom, guidance on attracting investments and managing investor relations, participation in domestic and overseas exhibitions, and access to office space and other business infrastructure.
Startups interested in the program can apply through the SKTCH website (sktch.sktelecom.com) until April 30.
SK Telecom said it will run its accelerator programs under two tracks this year — “SKTCH for Good” and “SKTCH with AI” — as part of efforts to deliver more tangible results through collaboration in its role as an AI partner to startups.
“SKTCH with AI,” scheduled to launch in July, will select an additional 15 aritificial intelligence (AI) startups whose capabilities can generate synergy with SK Telecom’s AI strategy. Key areas of cooperation include full-stack AI technologies and customer-facing AI solutions.
Since 2021, SK Telecom has supported 78 high-growth startups focused on ESG goals. At the Mobile World Congress in March, the company said it aims to support 500 startups by 2030, in line with the government’s push to promote a “startup nation,” and to foster shared growth by linking its AI technologies, infrastructure and business capabilities.
“Startups’ innovative technologies and services can create significant change in society when combined with social value,” said Um Jong-hwan, head of ESG at SK Telecom. “Through ‘SKTCH for Good,’ we will help more startups solve social challenges and grow together with SK Telecom.”
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.