Women Enterprise Supporting Center

What Women Enterprise Supporting Center does

Women Enterprise Supporting Center (여성기업종합지원센터) is a nonprofit foundation established in 2007 under Article 15 of the Act on Support for Women's Business by the Korean Women's Economic Association, headquartered in Yeoksamdong, South Korea. It operates as the sole government-designated comprehensive support institution for women-owned businesses in South Korea, serving an addressable base of approximately 3.26 million women-owned enterprises (over 40% of all enterprises in the country). Its single primary customer segment is women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses, for whom it delivers startup incubation, funding (the Women's Head-of-Household Startup Fund), management consulting, job matching via the Women Enterprise Job Hub, public procurement access, market development, education through the Women CEO Business Academy, and Fem-Tech industry cultivation.

The organization's technology footprint centers on the Wbiz Women's Enterprise Comprehensive Information Portal (wbiz.or.kr), a digital platform integrating 14+ programmatic offerings including the AI-powered chatbot assistant, the Women Enterprise Products Public Procurement Platform (shopping.wbiz.or.kr), the Customized Bidding Information Service (kwbiz.bidcp.net), the Yeowoo Hot Deal e-commerce marketplace (wbiz.logishub.net), and the Women's Enterprise Certification System. Distribution relies on the self-serve Wbiz portal, affiliated program websites, social channels (YouTube @womanbiz, Naver Blog, two Instagram accounts), and institutional partnerships including the national Public Procurement Comprehensive Information Network (smpp.go.kr) and overseas women's economic organizations.

As a government-established support organization under the Act on Support for Women's Business, the center provides services free of charge to eligible women-owned businesses and does not operate a commercial revenue model; financial scale is not disclosed in the source material. Its competitive position rests on a statutory mandate, a documented 2.3x higher female-employment rate in women-owned businesses, and partnerships with the Korean Women's Economic Association for personnel exchange and integrated program management. Leadership is chaired by Park Chang-sook (박창숙), who concurrently serves as President of the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association.

Name

Women Enterprise Supporting Center

Legal name

여성기업종합지원센터 (Women Enterprise Supporting Center)

Website

https://wesc.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women Business Development Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building) (BPAGALAJ)

Keywords

• Women business support
• Entrepreneurship incubation
• Small business funding
• Business consulting services
• Public procurement marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeoksamdong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Women Enterprise Supporting Center is a government-designated nonprofit support institution established in 2007 under Article 15 of the Act on Support for Women's Business. It delivers a comprehensive suite of support programs for women-owned enterprises in South Korea, including startup incubation, dedicated startup funding (Women's Head-of-Household Startup Fund), management consulting, a job-matching hub, market access enhancement, public procurement platforms, bidding information services, certification of women-owned businesses, business education, Fem-Tech industry development, and policy research. All services are provided free of charge through the Wbiz comprehensive information portal and affiliated digital platforms.

Product overview

Women Enterprise Supporting Center operates as a comprehensive support platform for women entrepreneurs in South Korea, established under the Women Enterprise Promotion Act in 2007. The organization provides a portfolio of interconnected programs and services including startup incubation (여성창업보육센터), business competitions (여성창업경진대회), global acceleration (글로벌 액셀러레이팅), funding programs (여성가장창업자금), consulting services (여성기업 경영애로지원단), job matching (여성기업 일자리허브), market access support (여성기업 판로역량강화), e-commerce (여우핫딜), educational programs (여성CEO 비즈니스 아카데미, 미래 여성경제인 육성), Fem-Tech industry cultivation, a certification system (여성기업확인제도), public procurement marketplace (여성기업제품 공공구매), bidding information services, and a dedicated research institute (여성경제연구소). The portal also features an AI chatbot for user assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 여성기업 일자리허브 (Women's Enterprise Job Hub): Job placement and employment support services for women-owned businesses
• 여성기업 경영애로지원단 (Women's Enterprise Management Difficulty Support Team)
• 여성CEO 비즈니스 아카데미 (Women CEO Business Academy)
• 여우핫딜
• 여성경제연구소 (Women's Economic Research Institute)

Products and services

• Women Startup Incubation Center (여성창업보육센터) Startup incubation center providing women entrepreneurs with physical space, mentorship, and resources to support them during the early stages of building their businesses.
• Women Startup Competition (여성창업경진대회) Competition program that identifies and awards promising female-led ventures, offering winners opportunities for growth support and visibility.
• Global Acceleration (글로벌 액셀러레이팅) Global acceleration program connecting women entrepreneurs with international markets, resources, and networking opportunities to support cross-border growth.
• Women's Head-of-Household Startup Fund (여성가장창업자금) Startup funding program specifically designed for women heads of household to launch or expand their businesses.
• Women Enterprise Management Difficulty Support Team (여성기업 경영애로지원단) Consulting support team providing advisory services to help women-owned enterprises address operational challenges and management difficulties.
• Women Enterprise Job Hub (여성기업 일자리허브) Employment hub connecting women-owned businesses with qualified female job seekers through a dedicated online job-matching platform.
• Women Enterprise Market Access Enhancement (여성기업 판로역량강화) Program focused on enhancing market access and sales capabilities for women-owned enterprises.
• Yeowoo Hot Deal (여우핫딜) Online deal and direct-to-consumer sales platform for products made by women-owned businesses, providing visibility and sales channels.
• Women CEO Business Academy (여성CEO 비즈니스 아카데미) Business education program providing leadership and management training specifically designed for women CEOs.
• Future Women Economic Leader Cultivation (미래 여성경제인 육성) Program cultivating the next generation of women economic leaders through comprehensive training and development activities.
• Fem-Tech Industry Cultivation (Fem-Tech 산업 육성) Industry cultivation program supporting the development and growth of female technology (Fem-Tech) startups and innovations.
• Women-Owned Enterprise Certification System (여성기업확인제도) Official certification system that verifies women-owned enterprises for government and institutional recognition, including issuance of the women-owned enterprise certificate (여성기업확인서).
• Women Enterprise Products Public Procurement Platform (여성기업제품 공공구매) Dedicated public procurement e-commerce platform enabling government agencies and public institutions to purchase products from certified women-owned businesses.
• Customized Bidding Information Service (입찰정보 서비스) Customized bidding information service that aggregates public tender opportunities and delivers tailored notifications to women-owned businesses to support their participation in government procurement.
• Women's Economic Research Institute (여성경제연구소) Research division conducting surveys, publishing white papers, generating statistics, and producing policy reports on women-owned enterprises in South Korea.
• Wbiz Comprehensive Information Portal AI Chatbot (여성기업 종합정보포털 AI) AI-powered chatbot assistant deployed on the Wbiz comprehensive information portal that provides automated conversational responses to user inquiries about women's enterprise support programs, startup applications, and certification processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Women-owned businesses employ female workers at 2.3 times the rate of male-owned businesses
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Korean Women's Economic Association (한국여성경제인협회)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007The Korean Women's Economic Association (Kwbiz) established the Women Enterprise Supporting Center in 2007 under Article 15 of the Act on Support for Women's Business. The two organizations share personnel exchange and operate an integrated management system for women's business development programs, enhancing policy and operational efficiency.
• Women Enterprise Job Hub (여성기업 일자리허브)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA key affiliated program under the center's employment support initiative, providing a dedicated online platform connecting women-owned businesses with employment opportunities and job matching services.
• Women Enterprise Management Support Desk (여성기업 경영애로지원단)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partner providing expert management advisory services to women-owned businesses facing operational challenges. The support desk provides targeted consulting to address business difficulties.
• Women Enterprise Products Public Procurement Platform (여성기업제품 공공구매)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDedicated public procurement marketplace operated by the center, enabling government agencies and public institutions to purchase products from women-owned enterprises, expanding market access for women entrepreneurs.
• Customized Bidding Information Service (맞춤형 입찰정보 서비스)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialized bidding information service (kwbiz.bidcp.net) that aggregates and delivers customized public tender opportunities to women-owned businesses, facilitating their participation in government procurement.
• 여우핫딜 (Yeowoo Hot Deal) PlatformminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline sales platform for women-owned businesses operated through logishub.net, enabling direct-to-consumer sales of products made by women entrepreneurs.
• Public Procurement Comprehensive Information Network (공공구매 종합정보망)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner platform linking women-owned businesses to the broader national public procurement ecosystem through smpp.go.kr.
• International Women's Economic OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverseas women's economic organizations with which the center collaborates to expand international networks for women-owned businesses, supporting their entry into global markets and providing export infrastructure in women-specific industries such as K-Beauty and K-Food.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Golden Seeds: US-based investment firm and ecosystem that sources, mentors, and funds women-led companies. Comparable to WESC's Women Head-of-Household Startup Fund and broader funding/incubation role, though operating via private capital rather than government appropriations.
• Astia: Global nonprofit supporting women entrepreneurs building high-growth, innovation-driven companies through expert networks and capital access. Comparable to WESC's startup incubation, Fem-Tech cultivation, and global acceleration programs with a technology-led focus.
• Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC): US-based nonprofit that certifies women-owned businesses and provides access to corporate and government procurement opportunities. Directly mirrors WESC's women-owned enterprise certification and public procurement marketplace roles under a similar nonprofit structure.
• WEConnect International: Global nonprofit that certifies women-owned businesses and connects them to corporate and government supply chains. Highly comparable to WESC's combined certification, public procurement platform, and women-business support mandate, with a broader international footprint.
• National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO): US membership-driven organization advocating for women business owners through policy, education, and networking. Comparable as a women-business owner advocacy and support organization, though WESC is government-mandated rather than member-funded.
• Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC): Canadian network of women's enterprise centers funded by government and partners to deliver training, financing, and procurement support to women entrepreneurs. Closest international parallel to WESC's government-mandated, multi-program support model.
• Springboard Enterprises: Venture-catalyst organization that accelerates women-led technology startups through expert networks, capital connections, and curriculum. Comparable to WESC's Women CEO Business Academy, Fem-Tech cultivation, and global acceleration programs targeting scalable women-led ventures.
• Tory Burch Foundation: Foundation supporting women entrepreneurs through fellowship programs, capital access, and business education. Comparable to WESC's Women CEO Business Academy and 'Future Women Economic Leaders Cultivation' education programs targeting early- and growth-stage women founders.

Broad incumbents

• SCORE: US nonprofit partner of the SBA providing mentoring, education, and resources to small businesses through a volunteer network. Comparable to WESC's Women Enterprise Management Difficulty Support Team consulting services and Women CEO Business Academy, though serving a broader demographic.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): US federal agency providing small business funding, counseling, contracting, and advocacy. Comparable as a government-backed comprehensive small business support institution, though serving all owners rather than exclusively women-owned businesses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@womanbiz
• Instagraminstagram.com/iljarihub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Women Enterprise Supporting Center