- Targeting sports startups with less than 3 years of experience… A total of 5 teams advanced to the finals
- Establishing a growth support structure that extends beyond idea discovery to mentoring, IR, and networking
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation are holding the ‘Sports Industry Startup Idea Contest’ to discover promising startups in the sports industry.
This competition serves as the preliminary league for ‘K-Startup of the Year 2026,’ with the core objective of selecting early-stage startups in the sports sector and guiding them to the finals. It is designed with a structure that goes beyond simple idea selection to verify actual commercialization potential and marketability.
‘Growth-oriented selection structure’ leading to advancement to the main tournament
Eligibility is limited to startups in the sports industry with less than three years of business experience as of the integrated announcement date and cumulative investment raised of 3 billion KRW or less. Ideas across various fields, including sports tech, content and services, and ESG-based sports, are eligible for recruitment. The selection process consists of two stages. First, 20 teams will be selected through a document review, followed by an IR presentation evaluation to select the final five teams. Subsequently, the selected companies will be recommended for the finals and provided with follow-up programs, including mentoring, IR enhancement, and networking.
In particular, it is highly significant for the finalist teams, as it allows them to expand their contact with investors and secure opportunities to validate their business on the stage of a nationwide startup competition. It is differentiated by being a program centered on a ‘growth track’ rather than simply awards.
Applications for the contest will be accepted until May 25, and detailed recruitment schedules and application methods can be found via the banner on the right side of the Darae Strategic Commercialization Center Newsroom ( https://newsroom.etnews.com/darae/ ).
An official from the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation stated, “We hope this contest will serve as an opportunity to provide tangible growth opportunities for entrepreneurs in the sports industry,” adding, “We look forward to the active participation of startups with innovative ideas.”
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