Korea IT Cooperation Center

What Korea IT Cooperation Center does

Korea IT Cooperation Center (KICC) is a non-profit, government-affiliated strategic hub established on July 11, 2014, in Singapore, operated under Korea's National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) and funded by the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT. Its mandate is to support Korean ICT startups and SMEs entering ASEAN and Oceania markets by acting as an 'ASEAN Global Business Base Camp' that combines advisory, market immersion, partnership development, and business matching services under one platform. KICC's operating geographies span Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia, with the Singapore office at 1 Finlayson Green serving as headquarters.

KICC's core product is the ICT Growth Program — a cohort-based mentorship and market immersion track delivered in partnership with Plug and Play and co-hosted annually at Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology (SWITCH) with IMDA. Complementary offerings include an On-demand Consulting Platform for Singapore-entry advisory, KICC Partnership Programmes covering marketing/PR guidance, business mentorship, and a local reseller/SI/distributor incentive program, plus Legal Services (patents, contracts, dispute resolution) and Business Development Support (branding, marketing). Eleven Korean startups completed the 2025 cohort spanning AI, cybersecurity, robotics, and digital education. KICC does not develop proprietary technology; its value lies in institutional access and curated market entry services rather than software products.

KICC's business model is government grant-funded rather than commercial. Revenue is not disclosed and there is no market-rate pricing — services are allocated via NIPA processes and program enrollment. The organization runs on a lean headcount of 1-10 staff, relying on partnerships (Plug and Play, IMDA) and parent NIPA resources for program delivery. Channel distribution occurs through direct program enrollment (enterprise tier) and a local reseller/SI network (mid-market tier), with marketing executed primarily via events, seminars, and roadshows. Because KICC is a public-sector intermediary rather than a commercial entity, the investment-relevant frame is policy continuity and program throughput rather than SaaS revenue metrics.

Name

Korea IT Cooperation Center

Legal name

Korea IT Cooperation Center

Website

https://kicc.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KICC is a Singapore-based, government-funded hub under Korea's NIPA that helps Korean ICT startups and SMEs expand into ASEAN and Oceania markets through mentorship, market immersion, business matching, legal, and partnership services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded Operations: KICC is funded by Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT and managed by NIPA as a non-profit government agency. It provides services to help Korean IT enterprises expand internationally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

KICC is a non-profit government-affiliated agency that supports Korean ICT companies — primarily startups and SMEs — with international market entry, partnerships, and business development services targeting ASEAN and Oceania markets. Its core offerings include the ICT Growth Program (mentorship, market immersion, business matching), an On-demand Consulting Platform, Partnership Programmes (marketing/PR advice, business mentorships, partner introductions), Legal Services (patents, contracts, dispute resolution), and Business Development Support (branding and marketing). The organization acts as an ASEAN Global Business Base Camp funded by Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT and managed by NIPA.

Product overview

KICC (Korea IT Cooperation Center) is a National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) strategic hub located in Singapore, established in 2014. Rather than a software product company, KICC offers a portfolio of business support services including the ICT Growth Program (providing mentorship, market immersion, and business matching for Korean startups entering ASEAN markets), an On-demand Consulting Platform for Singapore business expansion queries, Partnership Programmes offering marketing/PR advice and business mentorships, Legal Services (patents, contracts, dispute resolution), and Business Development Support (branding and marketing assistance). The center serves as an ASEAN Global Business Base Camp for Korea's Creative ICT Companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICT Growth Program A mentorship and market immersion program that helps Korean ICT startups expand into ASEAN and Oceania markets through business matching and support services.
• On-demand Consulting Platform A platform for Korean ICT companies to submit queries regarding their expansion into Singapore, providing on-demand consulting services.
• KICC Partnership Programmes Programs providing Marketing/PR campaign advice, Partnership Projects, and Business Mentorships to help Korean ICT companies establish partnerships and expand in ASEAN markets.
• Legal Services Legal support services including patents, contract writing, and dispute resolution assistance for Korean ICT companies entering ASEAN markets.
• Business Development Support Specialized business development support, branding support, and marketing support for Korean ICT companies seeking to expand internationally.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Plug and PlaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2025Plug and Play partners with KICC to manage and deliver the ICT Growth Program, providing mentorship and market immersion support for Korean startups expanding into ASEAN and Oceania markets.
• Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2025IMDA co-hosts the annual KICC ICT Growth Program Demo Day at Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology (SWITCH), facilitating connections between Korean startups and Singapore's innovation ecosystem.
• National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA)coreOthersKICC is managed by NIPA and serves as its strategic hub for boosting ICT business opportunities between Korea and ASEAN countries. NIPA is a non-profit government agency affiliated to Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT.
• Ministry of Science and ICT (Korea)coreOthersPrimary funding source for KICC operations and programs. The ministry supports KICC as part of Korea's national strategy to promote IT industry internationalization.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency): Korea's national trade-investment promotion agency under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; helps Korean companies expand globally with a much broader mandate across all trade sectors, not limited to ICT or ASEAN.
• JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization): Japan's government-backed trade and investment promotion agency; operates a global network of offices supporting Japanese companies' international expansion, parallel in mandate to KICC but for Japan across all sectors.

Regional players

• Enterprise Singapore: Singapore government agency supporting enterprise growth and internationalization; runs programs analogous to KICC's ICT Growth Program but serves Singapore-based companies rather than Korean ICT firms.
• MATRADE (Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation): Malaysia's national trade promotion agency; runs market entry support, business matching, and trade promotion programs across ASEAN and globally, paralleling KICC's mandate at the national level for Malaysia.
• BOI Thailand (Board of Investment): Thailand's government investment promotion agency; provides incentives, market entry support, and business facilitation for foreign and domestic tech/investment projects across ASEAN, structurally analogous to KICC.

Others

• NIPA (National IT Industry Promotion Agency): KICC's parent organization — Korea's national IT industry promotion agency under the Ministry of Science and ICT; oversees IT enterprise support, policy research, and internationalization including KICC's operations.
• Plug and Play: Global startup accelerator and venture platform; partners with KICC to deliver the ICT Growth Program and provides mentorship/market immersion for Korean startups expanding into ASEAN.
• IMDA (Infocomm Media Development Authority): Singapore's statutory board under the Ministry of Communications and Information; co-hosts KICC Demo Days at SWITCH and provides Singapore market access for Korean ICT companies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KICC.SG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kicc-sg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Korea IT Cooperation Center