ICHCAP

What ICHCAP does

ICHCAP (International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region) is a UNESCO Category 2 Centre established under an agreement between UNESCO and the Government of the Republic of Korea, headquartered in Jeju (with operational references to Jeonju), South Korea. It serves 48 UNESCO Member States across the Asia-Pacific region, implementing programs in strategic development, information sharing, network building, and awareness raising under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The organization is part of a network of eight UNESCO Category 2 Centres in the ICH field globally.

Its core product surface is built around four digital platforms: ichLinks, a one-stop gateway for searching and sharing ICH data with 14 partner organizations; the e-KNOWLEDGE CENTER, which provides open access to digitized ICH archival material; ICH Courier, an online periodical covering ICH elements, national inventories, and policy documents; and ICH Journey, an interactive content series. Supporting outputs include the Frontiers in Living Heritage Research publication series, multi-country YouTube documentaries (e.g., 'The Great Himalayan Exploration'), and active Facebook and Instagram channels for outreach. Field programs include international exchange initiatives such as the Asian Lacquer Craft Exchange Programme (held in Seoul, Wonju, and Namwon in 2026), teacher-training collaborations with universities such as Jeonju National University of Education, and leadership workshops for young cultural heritage professionals (e.g., Bangladesh).

ICHCAP is a non-profit intergovernmental organization and does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded through UNESCO intergovernmental contributions and member-state support, with services provided free of charge to member states, partner organizations, educators, and the general public. The go-to-market motion is community-led — awareness raising, capacity building, and information sharing across a treaty-defined constituency rather than a commercial sales motion.

Name

ICHCAP

Legal name

ICHCAP (International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region)

Website

https://ichcap.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICHCAP is a UNESCO Category 2 Centre in South Korea that safeguards intangible cultural heritage across 48 Asia-Pacific Member States via the ichLinks platform, e-KNOWLEDGE CENTER archives, ICH Courier periodical, field-exchange programs, and education/training initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intergovernmental Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Physical Artifact Storage (Museum Collections, Historical Documents, Rare Materials) (TLALALAJ)

Keywords

• Intangible cultural heritage
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Heritage information sharing
• Cultural heritage archives
• UNESCO heritage programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Jeonju

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. UNESCO Intergovernmental Funding: ICHCAP operates as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre (Category 2 centres are integral parts of UNESCO's programme but are not legally part of the Organization). Funding is provided through intergovernmental contributions and partnerships rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICHCAP provides digital platforms, publications, and capacity-building programs to document, share, and raise awareness about intangible cultural heritage (ICH) across the Asia-Pacific region. Its core products are the ichLinks information sharing platform, e-KNOWLEDGE CENTER digital archives, ICH Courier periodical, and supporting research publications and exchange programs serving 48 UNESCO Member States.

Product overview

ICHCAP operates as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre offering a unified platform of information and knowledge-sharing products for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific region. The core offering is the ichLinks platform, a one-stop gateway for ICH data search and sharing. Supporting this are the e-KNOWLEDGE CENTER for digitized archives, the ICH Courier periodical for news dissemination, ICH Journey content series for public engagement, and published research works. The Centre also produces YouTube content and manages social media channels (Facebook, Instagram) for outreach. All products work together to facilitate ICH documentation, information sharing, network building, and raising awareness across 48 UNESCO Member States in the Asia-Pacific region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ichLinks: Intangible Cultural Heritage Information Sharing Platform - a one-stop gateway for easy search and use of all ICH information in the Asia-Pacific region
• ICH Courier
• e-Knowledge Center
• ICH Journey

Products and services

• ichLinks Intangible Cultural Heritage Information Sharing Platform — a one-stop gateway for easy search and use of all ICH information in the Asia-Pacific region, enabling systematic data and content sharing across 14 partner organizations and UNESCO Member States.
• e-KNOWLEDGE CENTER Digital archive providing open access to ICH digitized archival data and knowledge resources for researchers, institutions, and the public across the Asia-Pacific region.
• ICH Courier Online periodical publishing news and articles about intangible cultural heritage topics, ICH elements, national inventories, and policy documents across the Asia-Pacific region.
• ICH Journey Interactive content series exploring cultural heritage sites and traditions across Asia-Pacific countries, including destination features such as 'Explore Thailand, a City of Passion'.
• Frontiers in Living Heritage Research Research publication series covering living heritage topics, policy documents, and ICH safeguarding studies in the Asia-Pacific region.
• ICH Digitized Archival Data Collection of digitized intangible cultural heritage archival materials and documentation accessible via the ichLinks platform and e-KNOWLEDGE CENTER.
• Asian Lacquer Craft Exchange Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• 19 countries participate in ICH Video Production Project for cross-border heritage documentation

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICHCAP operates as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre in the Field of Intangible Cultural Heritage for the Asia-Pacific Region. The organization implements UNESCO's ICH safeguarding mandate under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, with 8 Category 2 Centres worldwide supporting this mission.
• 48 UNESCO Member States (Asia-Pacific)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICHCAP serves 48 UNESCO Member States across the Asia-Pacific region, providing programs for strategic development, information sharing, network building, and awareness raising on intangible cultural heritage safeguarding.
• ichLinks Partner OrganizationsmajorTechnology or Integration14 Partner Organizations collaborate on the ichLinks platform, contributing to the systematic mechanism for sharing ICH data and contents across the Asia-Pacific region through the one-stop gateway.
• ICHCAP StaffminorOthersICHCAP maintains a dedicated staff directory for its operations at the headquarters in Jeonju, South Korea, as part of its organizational structure.
• Jeonju National University of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICHCAP partners with Jeonju National University of Education to introduce living heritage to future teachers through educational programs and curriculum integration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Internet Archive: Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library preserving cultural, web, and media content for public access — directly comparable to ICHCAP's e-KNOWLEDGE CENTER in its mission to archive and provide public access to cultural materials at scale.
• Europeana Foundation: Europeana operates a digital cultural heritage platform across the EU member states, providing a unified gateway to digitized cultural content — directly comparable to ICHCAP's ichLinks platform in function (regional aggregation of cultural heritage data) and stakeholder model (intergovernmental/government-funded).
• Digital Public Library of America (DPLA): DPLA aggregates digital content from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States into a unified access portal — directly comparable to ICHCAP's ichLinks in providing a one-stop discovery gateway for cultural heritage data from multiple institutions.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Institution: Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage documents living cultural heritage through research, festivals, and digital archives — comparable in preserving intangible heritage practices and producing public-facing cultural content, though operating in a US institutional context.
• World Digital Library (Library of Congress): Although the standalone World Digital Library has wound down, the Library of Congress continues to curate cross-cultural digital collections from partner institutions globally — comparable to ICHCAP's cross-border cultural documentation work, though broader in subject scope.
• UNESCO: UNESCO is the parent organization of ICHCAP and the convener of the 2003 Convention — comparable as the umbrella authority that establishes ICH safeguarding norms, though its scope is global and multi-sector rather than Asia-Pacific specific.

Emerging players

• Endangered Languages Project: Operated by a partnership including First Peoples' Cultural Council and Google, this platform documents endangered languages and their associated cultural knowledge — overlapping with ICHCAP's mission to safeguard intangible cultural heritage, particularly oral traditions and linguistic diversity.
• Wikitongues: Wikitongues is a non-profit initiative dedicated to documenting endangered languages and supporting language revitalization communities — overlapping with ICHCAP's mission to safeguard intangible cultural heritage, particularly linguistic and oral traditions.

Regional players

• Korean National Commission for UNESCO: The Korean National Commission for UNESCO coordinates Korea's engagement with UNESCO programs in education, culture, and communication — comparable as a Korea-based UNESCO-affiliated body, but with a national coordination scope rather than ICHCAP's Asia-Pacific operational scope.
• National Library of Korea: National Library of Korea operates in the same host country as ICHCAP and shares a mandate of preserving cultural and informational heritage — comparable in mission (cultural stewardship) but focused on bibliographic rather than intangible heritage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ichcap9294/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICHCAP
• Instagraminstagram.com/unesco_ichcap/?hl=ko
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ichcap

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 ICHCAP