What K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre does

K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre (K-ICT 창업멘토링센터) is a government-supported startup mentoring institution headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 2013, the center operates under the K-Global Startup Mentoring Support Program, funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (과학기술정보통신부) and administered in partnership with the Korea Foundation for Entrepreneurship (한국청년기업가정신재단). It serves pre-startup and early-stage ICT entrepreneurs, as well as youth and career changers seeking digital-sector careers, by delivering structured cohort-based mentoring, specialized advisory services, and connections into Korea's broader startup ecosystem. The center is currently on its 28th cohort, with the 27th cohort final selections announced in early 2026 and 28th cohort recruitment launched in June 2026.

The center's service portfolio spans six core areas: structured mentoring programs in dedicated/cooperative, open, and selective formats; ICT business practice consulting covering legal, tax/accounting, and patent advisory; a digital youth online mentoring vertical (디지털 청년 온라인 멘토링); startup education programs (창업교육); investment attraction support (투자유치 지원); and selection certificate issuance for program graduates. It maintains an embedded ecosystem of partnerships with NIPA, Born2Global Centre, KISA, Korea Venture Business Association, Korea Business Angels Association, Korea VC Association, KDB Youth Startup Support Program, and KOEF. The center has no proprietary technology platform; service delivery relies on direct mentor engagement, on-site sessions, online mentoring channels, and program information and applications managed via its website at gomentoring.or.kr.

The organization's business model is non-commercial. Services are delivered to mentees at no direct cost, with operating expenses funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT as part of a national mandate to foster ICT entrepreneurship. No pricing tiers, fees, or commercial transactions exist; performance is tracked through cohort outcomes including mentee counts, investment attraction amounts, employment growth, and patent filings rather than financial returns. As of March 2026, the center relocated to a new headquarters at Seocho-daero 74-gil 33, 2nd Floor (Bit Building), Seocho-gu, Seoul, and maintains a small operating staff (1–10 employees).

Name

K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre

Legal name

K-ICT 창업멘토링센터

Website

https://gomentoring.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre is a Seoul-based, government-supported startup mentoring institution under the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, delivering cohort-based mentoring, ICT business consulting, and digital youth online mentoring to early-stage ICT entrepreneurs and career changers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Mentoring and Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

Keywords

• Startup mentoring
• ICT entrepreneurship support
• Business consulting services
• Youth digital mentoring
• Investment advisory support

Headquarters

HQ city

Seongnam

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre is a government-supported non-profit organization founded in 2013 that provides ICT entrepreneurs with one-on-one and group mentoring, specialized ICT business practice consulting covering legal, tax, patent, and administrative matters, startup education, and investment attraction support. The centre also runs a separate Digital Youth Online Mentoring program that connects young adults aged 18-34 with experienced mentors to develop their careers and digital skills.

Product overview

K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre (K-ICT 창업멘토링센터) is a government-supported startup mentoring center operating under Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT. The organization offers a comprehensive ecosystem of startup support services centered around mentoring programs, including dedicated/cooperative mentoring, open mentoring, selective mentoring, and ICT business practice consulting covering legal, tax/accounting, and patent domains. Additionally, the center provides digital youth online mentoring, startup education programs, and investment attraction support. The center operates with cohorts of mentees (27기, 28기) and tracks performance metrics including mentee numbers, investment attraction, employment growth, and patent filings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• 과학기술정보통신부 (Ministry of Science and ICT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Science and ICT is the supervisory ministry providing overarching policy direction and funding for the K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre as part of the K-Global Startup Mentoring Support Program.
• 한국청년기업가정신재단 (Korea Foundation for Entrepreneurship)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Korea Foundation for Entrepreneurship (KOEF) is a key operating partner that jointly administers the ICT Innovation Enterprise Mentoring Program, handling application processing, evaluation, and program operations on behalf of the Ministry of Science and ICT.
• 정보통신산업진흥원 (NIPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIPA (National IT Industry Promotion Agency) is a major government partner supporting ICT startup ecosystem development, closely affiliated with the center's programs.
• K-ICT 본투글로벌센터 (Born2Global Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBorn2Global Centre is Korea's leading startup globalization agency, co-located and affiliated with the K-ICT ecosystem to support startups in international expansion.
• 벤처기업협회 (Korea Venture Business Association)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Korea Venture Business Association supports the startup ecosystem and is listed as a related organization providing networking and ecosystem linkage for mentees.
• 한국인터넷진흥원 (KISA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorea Internet and Security Agency supports ICT startup ecosystem development and is listed as a related organization.
• KDB 청년창업지원사업 (KDB Youth Startup Support Program)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKDB Bank's youth startup support program is part of the broader government startup support ecosystem affiliated with the center.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startups): Korean government program, run by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, that provides mentorship and funding to deep-tech and ICT startups. It is a direct comparable as a government-funded, ICT-focused mentoring-plus-investment program.
• Born2Global Centre: Korean government-affiliated startup support agency focused on helping Korean startups go global, co-located within the K-ICT ecosystem that K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre serves. It is a direct comparable as a publicly funded, ministry-aligned startup support body in Korea.
• Fast Track (Kotlin Ventures) / FastFive Seoul: Seoul City government-led startup accelerator program providing mentorship and follow-on funding to early-stage Korean startups. Comparable as another publicly funded Seoul-headquartered mentoring/acceleration program competing for the same mentee pool.
• Primer (formerly Primer AI / Primer Korea): Korean startup support and mentor-matching platform that connects early-stage founders with experienced operators and investors. It is comparable to K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre's online mentoring and mentor-matching functionality.
• SparkLabs Korea: Korea-focused startup accelerator and venture firm running cohort-based mentoring programs for early-stage Korean founders. Comparable to K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre in its cohort-based mentoring structure, though privately funded and sector-agnostic.
• D.CAMP (Daehong Communications Startup Campus): A private startup accelerator and mentor-matching platform in Korea offering mentorship, office space, and programs to early-stage Korean founders. It is comparable to K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre's mentoring-focused, founder-centric model, though privately funded.

Broad incumbents

• K-Startup (Ministry of SMEs and Startups): The flagship Korean government startup support platform, operated by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. It overlaps with K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre as a government-funded mentoring and program hub for Korean entrepreneurs, but at a broader cross-sector mandate.
• NIPA (National IT Industry Promotion Agency): Korean government agency under the Ministry of Science and ICT that runs ICT startup support programs, including the ICT Innovation Enterprise Mentoring Program jointly operated with K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre. It is a direct institutional peer and parent ecosystem.
• Seoul Business Agency (SBA) Startup Programs: Seoul Metropolitan Government agency that runs startup incubation, mentoring, and education programs in Seoul. It is comparable to K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre as a public-sector mentoring program targeting Seoul-based founders, although SBA's scope is broader than ICT.

Others

• Korea Startup Forum (KSF): Nationwide membership/advocacy organization representing Korean startup founders and the ecosystem. It is comparable to K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre as a Korean membership-oriented entity supporting ICT entrepreneurship, but its role is advocacy and networking rather than direct mentoring delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mentoringcentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/kict_mentoring

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about K-ICT Startup Mentoring Centre