TIPS Program
TIPS Program is a Korean government-backed tech incubator, operated by the Korea Angel Investment Association under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, that selects early-stage technology startups and cultivates them through angel investment matching, workspace at TIPS Town, and a Pre/Post-TIPS lifecycle program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersGangneung, South Korea
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What TIPS Program does
TIPS Program (Tech Incubator Program for startup Korea) is a Korean government-private partnership tech incubator program established in 2015 and modeled after Israel's Yozma-style private-investment-led startup support system. It is administered by the Korea Angel Investment Association (한국엔젤투자협회) under the supervision of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (중소벤처기업부), with technical evaluation support from the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Institute for SMEs (중소기업기술정보진흥원). The program selects early-stage startup teams with technology items that can lead the global market and intensively cultivates them through private angel investment matched with government co-investment funds.
The product portfolio comprises four lifecycle stages: the core TIPS Program for selected startups, Pre-TIPS (including a Regional Track for non-metropolitan founders) as pre-incubation with business development funding and investment linkage, and Post-TIPS as a follow-on support tier for graduates. TIPS Town, the program's physical hub, spans three to four buildings in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, providing co-working space for resident startups and a community platform for non-resident TIPS teams. Distribution runs through the official jointips.or.kr portal, the K-Startup government portal, recurring online and offline business briefings, and a network of 30+ operating partners (angel investors, VCs, and corporate CVCs such as POSCO, Hyundai, Sparklabs, K Cube Ventures, and Bon Angels).
TIPS is not a commercial entity and does not generate revenue. It is funded by the South Korean government and operates as public policy infrastructure for early-stage technology entrepreneurship. Operating partners invest in startups in exchange for equity; TIPS itself takes no equity stake and charges no fees to applicants. The program's competitive position rests on its official mandate, the breadth of its operating-partner network, and its ability to combine government matching capital with private angel investment in a single, structured selection process.
TIPS Program firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TIPS Program
- Legal name
- TIPS
- Website
- https://jointips.or.kr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- TIPS Program is a Korean government-backed tech incubator, operated by the Korea Angel Investment Association under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, that selects early-stage technology startups and cultivates them through angel investment matching, workspace at TIPS Town, and a Pre/Post-TIPS lifecycle program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TIPS Program industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Incubation Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)
Keywords
Where TIPS Program is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gangneung
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
TIPS Program business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Funding Program: TIPS is a government-funded program administered by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (중소벤처기업부). The program is operated by the Korea Angel Investment Association (한국엔젤투자협회) as the managing organization, with support from the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Institute for SMEs (중소기업기술정보진흥원). The program facilitates matching between angel investors and startups rather than generating direct revenue.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
TIPS Program product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startup Korea) is a government-private partnership tech incubator, managed by the Korea Angel Investment Association under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The program selects startup teams with technology for global market and provides investment matching, workspace, and community support, modeled after the Israeli incubator program.
Product overview
TIPS Program is a single unified program (팁스 프로그램) — a Korean government-private partnership tech incubator modeled after Israel's program — that selects promising startup teams with technology for the global market and intensively cultivates them toward success. The core TIPS Program is complemented by TIPS Town, a physical co-location hub in Seoul's Yeoksam-dong district with three buildings for resident startups and a broader community platform. Additional offerings include Pre-TIPS (지역트랙), a pre-incubation track for non-metropolitan early-stage startups offering business development funding and investment matching, and Post-TIPS, a follow-up support program for graduates of the core program. Together these form a lifecycle-stage portfolio from pre-incubation through growth support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TIPS Town: Physical hub in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul comprising multiple buildings that serves as a community space for TIPS resident teams and provides co-working facilities.
- Pre-TIPS
Companies that use TIPS Program
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
TIPS Program technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
TIPS Program partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
33 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- 한국엔젤투자협회 (Korea Angel Investment Association)coreManaging organization (관리기관) for TIPS Program operations. Coordinates program activities, manages operating partners, and handles startup team recommendations and selection evaluations.
- 중소기업기술정보진흥원 (Korea Technology and Information Promotion Institute for SMEs)coreResponsible for TIPS R&D selection, evaluation, and related inquiries. Handles the technical assessment and evaluation aspects of the program.
- 창업진흥원 (Korea Startup Forum)coreHandles inquiries related to linked programs including startup commercialization and overseas marketing support.
- POSCO Holdings / POSCO ChangUp GroundmajorOperates POSCO ChangUp Ground (TIPS TOWN S6) - a private-public partnership startup hub in Seoul. Provides office space for TIPS resident companies.
- SparklabsmajorAccelerator/VC firm operating as a TIPS partner, identifying and investing in promising startup teams.
- Bon AngelsmajorAngel investor network operating as a TIPS partner for startup investment and acceleration.
- K Cube VenturesmajorVC firm operating as TIPS partner, providing investment and support for technology startups.
- Seoul National University Technology HoldingsmajorOperates S-INNOVATION startup incubator center in Yeoksam, providing office space and support services for TIPS member companies.
- The VenturesminorVC firm listed as TIPS partner organization.
- Bluepoint PartnersminorVC/investment firm listed as TIPS partner organization.
- FuturePlayminorAccelerator firm listed as TIPS partner organization.
- HYUNDAI (Hyundai Motor Group)minorMajor corporation with venture division operating as TIPS partner.
- Kite Entrepreneurship Foundation (카이트창업가재단)minorFoundation supporting entrepreneurs, listed as TIPS partner.
- Capstone PartnersminorInvestment firm listed as TIPS partner organization.
- PrimerminorVC/investment firm listed as TIPS partner.
- Coolidge CornerminorVC firm listed as TIPS partner organization.
- Innopolis PartnersminorInvestment firm listed as TIPS partner.
- KST Holdings (한국과학기술지주)minorScience and technology holding company listed as TIPS partner.
- ETRI HoldingsminorResearch institute holding company listed as TIPS partner.
- Suprema InvestmentminorInvestment firm listed as TIPS partner.
- Mirae Science & Technology Holdings (미래과학기술지주)minorTechnology holding company listed as TIPS partner.
- Venture SquareminorStartup media/platform firm listed as TIPS partner.
- Sunbo Engel PartnersminorAngel investment network listed as TIPS partner.
- Synergy IB InvestmentminorInvestment bank/VC firm listed as TIPS partner.
- BNH InvestmentminorInvestment firm listed as TIPS partner.
- Mega Investment (메가인베스트먼트)minorInvestment firm listed as TIPS partner.
- Big Basin Capital (빅베이슨캐피탈)minorVC firm listed as TIPS partner.
- NtelsminorIT services company listed as TIPS partner.
- InfobankminorData/information services firm listed as TIPS partner.
- KAIST Venture (카이스트청년창업투자지주)minorKAIST-affiliated startup investment holding company listed as TIPS partner.
- WAPSminorTechnology/investment firm listed as TIPS partner.
- ActnerLABminorTechnology firm listed as TIPS partner.
- HugelminorBiopharmaceutical company listed as TIPS partner.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
TIPS Program competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- K-Startup: Korean government startup support portal under the same Ministry of SMEs and Startups that oversees TIPS. Both are state-backed programs funneling resources to Korean startups, with K-Startup serving as the broader ecosystem platform and TIPS as the private-investment-led accelerator track.
- Y Combinator: Global benchmark for private-investor-led startup accelerators. TIPS explicitly references the Israeli model and shares structural DNA with YC (batch-based accelerator, mentorship-driven, investor selection). Useful comparable for scale, methodology, and ecosystem impact.
- Techstars: Global accelerator network with mentor-driven programs. Operates private-investor-led startup selection models comparable to TIPS and provides a benchmark for international accelerator program structure, mentor network effects, and corporate partnership models.
- Seoul Business Agency (SBA): Seoul metropolitan government agency that supports Seoul-based startups and SMEs through funding, incubation, and global expansion programs. Overlaps with TIPS in target audience (Korean startups) and in being a government-supported startup enabler.
Direct peers
- Sparklabs: Major Korean accelerator and VC that operates as a TIPS operating partner but also runs its own independent accelerator programs. Directly comparable as a Korean tech startup accelerator targeting early-stage founders with mentorship, capital, and follow-on support.
- D.CAMP: Korean startup accelerator and shared workspace hub backed by Kakao and Naver. Comparable to TIPS as a prominent Korean startup support institution providing workspace, mentorship, and ecosystem connectivity for early-stage tech founders.
- Born2Global Centre: Korean government-backed program under the Ministry of Science and ICT supporting Korean startups' global expansion. Comparable to TIPS in being a state-led startup support program targeting globally ambitious Korean tech founders.
- K Cube Ventures: Korean seed-stage VC firm and active TIPS operating partner. Comparable to TIPS as a Korean early-stage tech investor that combines capital with hands-on incubation support for technology startups.
Regional players
- Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA): Korean government agency under the Ministry of Culture that supports content and creative industry startups. Comparable as a sector-focused government accelerator with dedicated funding and incubation infrastructure for Korean startups.
Emerging players
- Pioneer Square Labs (PSL): US-based venture studio/accelerator modeled on private-investor-led startup creation. While not a direct Korean competitor, PSL's studio model provides a useful international comparable for how government-aligned ecosystem programs can scale startup creation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
TIPS Program financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TIPS Program leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
TIPS Program funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TIPS Program M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2072 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TIPS Program
What does TIPS Program do?
TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startup Korea) is a government-private partnership tech incubator, managed by the Korea Angel Investment Association under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The program selects startup teams with technology for global market and provides investment matching, workspace, and community support, modeled after the Israeli incubator program.
Is TIPS Program a public or private company?
TIPS Program is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was TIPS Program founded?
TIPS Program was founded in 2015. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is TIPS Program based?
TIPS Program is headquartered in Gangneung, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does TIPS Program make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Funding Program.
Who are TIPS Program's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are K-Startup, Y Combinator, Techstars and Seoul Business Agency (SBA). Direct peers are Sparklabs, D.CAMP, Born2Global Centre and K Cube Ventures. Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) is listed as a regional player. Pioneer Square Labs (PSL) is listed as an emerging player.
Does TIPS Program have an API?
No public API is recorded for TIPS Program.
What industry is TIPS Program in?
TIPS Program's product category is Startup Incubation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated), with a secondary code of EDAMAHAC, Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators. Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 6282.