Korea Startup Forum (KOSPO) announced on the 27th that it held its 2026 regular delegates' general meeting and elected Kim Jae-won, CEO of Elice Group, as the fifth chairman.
Approximately 60 attendees participated in the general meeting, including fourth chairman Han Sang-woo, CEO of Wizdom, along with vice chairmen, directors, delegates, and regular member companies.
The delegates unanimously elected Kim, who was nominated as the sole candidate at the first board meeting held in January. The newly appointed chairman leads Elice Group, an "AI full-stack" company that provides integrated artificial intelligence infrastructure, cloud services, industry-specific solutions, and education.
"In an era of a 730 trillion won national budget, KOSPO aims to become a key policy partner in designing the future of the national economy," Kim said. "Starting from 2026, which marks our 10th anniversary, we will take the lead in regulatory innovation in new industries, including the introduction of an AI technology quota system, and strengthen global cooperation so that the seeds planted over the past decade bear abundant fruit in the startup ecosystem."
KOSPO has expanded into new industry sectors among its 25 member industry categories and identified leading companies. Total membership stands at approximately 2,600 companies, of which about 1,400 have track records of securing investments based on innovation, growth, and technology.
The forum established industry councils in new sectors including AI, MICE-tech, and climate-tech, following earlier councils for telemedicine and legal-tech. It also introduced signature programs such as the regularized "Unicorn Farm" policy forum with the National Assembly and "The PITCH," an IR program connecting startups with investment opportunities.
This year, marking its 10th anniversary, KOSPO declared its transformation into a "problem-solving platform" to design the next decade for Korean startups. The organization plans to enhance industrial competitiveness through AX (AI Transformation) support for member companies and solidify institutional foundations for regulatory innovation and growth by activating startup policy agendas.
Through advancement of "COMEUP 2026" and expansion of global partnerships, KOSPO will provide practical support for entrepreneurs entering global markets. A 10th anniversary campaign will popularize entrepreneurship and redefine startups as a core brand of the Korean economy.
According to the "2025 Korea Startup Forum White Paper" released by KOSPO, member companies recorded total annual revenue of 18.9318 trillion won last year, with cumulative investment of 28.5978 trillion won. Total employment reached 52,695. By investment stage, among 905 companies, 527 early-stage companies that received seed to pre-Series B funding accounted for the highest proportion at 58.2%.