Korea Women Inventors Association

What Korea Women Inventors Association does

Korea Women Inventors Association (KWIA, 한국여성발명협회) is a Seoul-based private nonprofit association that supports Korean women inventors and women-led invention businesses across the full lifecycle of invention — from idea generation and IP protection to commercialization and distribution. The organization is headquartered on the 6th floor of the Korea Intellectual Property Center at 131 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and operates as a member-governed entity under a president and board; Lee Hae-yeon currently serves as the 14th President (inaugurated February 2025).

KWIA delivers its mission through a portfolio of interconnected programs. The flagship 생활발명코리아 (Life Invention Korea / Seonghwal Bymyong Korea) is a nationwide annual ideas competition and development program co-organized with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). The 여성발명왕EXPO (Women Inventor King EXPO) is an annual business exhibition held at venues such as KINTEX to connect member inventors with domestic and international buyers. 사업화 지원 provides commercialization services including prototype production (a 2026 execution-company pool was opened), while 여성발명창의교실 offers invention and creativity education, including the professional 여성발명지도시과정 instructor certification course. The 발명정보 웹진 webzine and KWIA Clean Reporting Center extend the association's IP-adjacent services digitally.

KWIA's revenue model is dominated by membership fees — a 300,000 KRW one-time admission fee plus a 240,000 KRW annual fee for full members (정회원), with general members (일반회원) using the website for educational applications — supplemented by co-funding from KIPO-backed programs and event partnerships. Its GTM is event-driven: flagship competitions, EXPO exhibitions, and offline popup events drive engagement, with marketing supplemented by the inventor.or.kr website, YouTube, Facebook, and Naver Blog. KWIA has formalized core strategic alliances with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, Korea Invention Promotion Association, Korea Patent Attorneys Association, Korean Women Lawyers Association (MOU, Dec 2025), Korea Institute of Patent Technology (business agreement, May 2026), and Coupang (distribution partnership, June 2026). Member companies span diverse verticals including fermented foods, medical devices, jewelry, design, and university programs, illustrating the breadth of the women-inventor ecosystem the association cultivates.

Name

Korea Women Inventors Association

Legal name

한국여성발명협회

Website

https://inventor.or.kr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Korea Women Inventors Association (KWIA) is a Seoul-based nonprofit supporting Korean women inventors through IP education, commercialization services, and distribution partnerships. It runs flagship programs including Life Invention Korea and Women Inventor King EXPO, partnering with KIPO, Coupang, and patent bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women Inventor Support Services

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE)

Keywords

• Women inventor support
• Invention education programs
• Intellectual property services
• Invention commercialization support
• Nonprofit inventor association

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeoksamdong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Full members (정회원) pay an admission fee of 300,000 KRW and an annual fee of 240,000 KRW. General members (일반회원) can use the website for education applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Korea Women Inventors Association is a nonprofit membership association that supports Korean women inventors and women-led invention enterprises through a portfolio of programs: the 생활발명코리아 (Life Invention Korea) idea competition, 여성발명왕EXPO (Women Inventor King EXPO) exhibition, commercialization support services including prototype production, a women's invention creativity classroom, a certified women invention instructor course, and an online invention information webzine. It also facilitates distribution partnerships (notably Coupang) to help member products reach consumers.

Product overview

Korea Women Inventors Association (한국여성발명협회) operates as an umbrella organization supporting women's invention and intellectual property activities in South Korea. The association provides a comprehensive ecosystem for women inventors through multiple interconnected programs: (1) 생활발명코리아 - a core program for everyday invention ideas and their development; (2) 여성발명왕EXPO - a global business exhibition connecting women inventors with international markets; (3) 사업화 지원 - commercialization support services including prototype production; (4) 여성발명창의교실 - creativity education programs; (5) 발명정보 웹진 - digital content/news platform; and (6) 여성발명지도사과정 - professional certification for invention instructors. The organization also facilitates distribution partnerships with major e-commerce platforms like Coupang to help member products reach consumers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 생활발명코리아: Lifestyle invention program for women — an annual ideas competition and support program organized under the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and KWIA.
• 여성발명왕EXPO
• 여성발명창의교실
• 발명정보 웹진
• KWIA 클린신고센터

Products and services

• 생활발명코리아 (Life Invention Korea)

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Coupang (쿠팡)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 June 2026Korean Women Inventors Association partnered with Coupang to expand distribution channels for women's IP products. A popup event was held in Hongdae to showcase member products on the platform.
• Korea Institute of Patent Technology (한국특허기술진흥원)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026Business agreement signed to strengthen patent information support for women inventor companies, helping them enhance technological competitiveness through patent information.
• Korean Women Lawyers Association (한국여성변호사회)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025MOU signed to strengthen intellectual property rights for women inventors, providing legal support for IP protection and commercialization.
• Korean Intellectual Property Office (지식재산처)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for programs like 생활발명코리아 and 여성발명왕 EXPO, providing official support and recognition for women inventors.
• Korea Invention Promotion Association (한국발명진흥회)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for invention promotion activities, education programs, and member support services.
• Korea Patent Attorneys Association (대한변리사회)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for patent and intellectual property related services and education for women inventors.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA): Regional association of patent attorneys across Asia. Comparable as a broader IP ecosystem organization adjacent to KWIA's inventor-support mandate, providing IP education and networking similar to KWIA's programs but serving practitioners across Asia rather than women inventors in Korea specifically.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): United Nations agency coordinating global IP policy and providing IP infrastructure. Overlaps thematically with KWIA's IP protection and commercialization mandate but operates at the intergovernmental level rather than supporting individual women inventors directly.
• National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF): U.S.-based nonprofit recognizing inventors and running invention education programs (Camp Invention). Comparable to KWIA's mission of inventor recognition (EXPO, Life Invention Korea) and youth invention education (Creativity Classroom), though operating at significantly larger scale in the U.S.
• Korea Patent Attorneys Association (KPAA): Korean professional association for patent attorneys. Overlaps with KWIA's IP education and member support mission and is an explicit KWIA partner. Comparable as a Korean IP ecosystem organization but serves the practitioner side rather than the inventor side.

Emerging players

• Women Who Tech: U.S.-based nonprofit community supporting women in technology with programs, grants, and events. Comparable in mission structure (women-focused professional community organization with events and member support) but focused on tech rather than invention/IP, making it an adjacent rather than direct peer.

Regional players

• Korea Women Lawyers Association (KWLA): Korean professional association for women lawyers and a KWIA MOU partner since December 2025. Comparable as a Korean women-focused professional association providing member services and representation, though operating in legal services rather than invention/IP.

Direct peers

• International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA): Global federation of national inventor associations. Directly comparable as KWIA's potential international counterpart, offering inventor competitions, IP support, and cross-border commercialization platforms similar to KWIA's EXPO and commercialization programs.
• Korea Invention Promotion Association (KIPA): Government-affiliated Korean nonprofit promoting invention and IP commercialization nationally. Directly comparable to KWIA's mandate: both run inventor support programs, exhibitions, and education, with KIPA operating at the broader (non-gender-specific) national level that KWIA targets for women specifically.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqIbIGy4pZ26VhrLLYWxiJg
• Facebookfacebook.com/womaninventor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Korea Women Inventors Association