The Korea Society is calling for entries for “Startup Scene: 2026 Emerging Design Competition.” The competition is a part of Startup Scene: Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (hereinafter Startup Scene), a program initiative dedicated to empower the startup entrepreneurial community that encompasses the US and South Korean economic landscape. This is proudly supported by Hanwha Life exclusively.
The “Startup Scene: Emerging Design Competition” is designed to encourage innovative thinking, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit among Korean-American and Korean students enrolled in colleges, universities, and graduate schools across the United States. This year, the participants are challenged to pitch an innovative startup concept that leverages emerging technologies to address pressing challenges and issues.
Application Period: Monday, December 15, 2025 to Monday, March 30, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
Q&A Webinar: January 2026
Final 5 teams announcement: Friday, April 17, 2026
Startup Scene Annual Forum: Thursday, May 21, 2026
Final pitch and Award Ceremony: Friday, June 12, 2026
For any questions, please contact us at
How to Apply
Please fill out the following application form here.
Your application should include the following components:
Pitch Video:
| • A brief description of your startup ideas in the most creative way possible | |
| • What problem you are solving, for whom, and the solution addressed | |
| • Any innovative solutions that leverage emerging technologies to address pressing challenges and issues. |
* The pitch video will be reviewed strictly by judges internally.
Executive Summary (850 words)
A concise overview of your startup idea, including the specific emerging technologies and technical methods you plan to leverage (e.g., multimodal AI models, edge computing, synthetic data generation, blockchain-based verification, advanced materials, etc). Please explain the core technological concept empowering your solution avoiding general terms like “AI.”
| • A brief overview of your startup ideas | |
| • Problem Statement: What problems are you trying to solve | |
| • Technology & Product Approach: Explain how your solution works, including the key technology utilized, why it's needed, and what makes it feasible today. | |
| • Market analysis: Identify your target customers, estimation of market size, and marketing strategy | |
| • Revenue Model: Outline how you plan to make money. | |
| • Unique advantage: How is your idea/solution innovative? |
Eligibility
| • Students from all U.S. schools are eligible to apply. | |
| • Individual or team applications (max.3 students per team) will be accepted. | |
| • In alignment with Startup Scene’s mission, each team must include at least one team member of Korean heritage. | |
| • Only currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students taking classes in U.S. schools during the 2025-26 academic school year are eligible to apply. | |
| • We will only accept applications from student email addresses. No personal email addresses will be accepted. | |
| • Teams do not have to comprise students from the same school; students from different schools may be included in one team. |
Prizes and Terms of Participation
Prizes
The top 5 finalists are also expected and will receive a travel stipend to attend the 2026 Startup Scene Annual Forum in NYC (Thursday, May 21, 2026 at Citi Headquarters) and receive coaching sessions with our partner organizations to realize the idea into a working company.
Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026
Venue: Citi Headquarters
388 Greenwich St
New York, NY 10013
The top 3 teams will receive special prizes and recognition, as listed below:
1st place: $3000
2nd place: $2000
3rd place: $1000
Terms of Participation
Please note the following terms of participation:
| • The idea cannot already have been pursued by another company. | |
| • The idea must be developed independently by the participants and must not infringe the rights of third parties. | |
| • Team name and short description may be published on the website and social media of The Korea Society. | |
| • The competitors must be ready to attend the Startup Scene Annual Forum at NYC for their final pitch. | |
| • There is no fee for application or competition. | |
| • The decision of the jury is final, any legal action is precluded. | |
| • The submitted summary and video pitch of any application will be reviewed by the staff and judges preselected by The Korea Society. Finalists must participate in the Startup Scene Annual Forum, where activities and presentations are open to the pre-registered attendees of the forum. |
While the judges will be expected to use discretion with respect to proprietary information, The Korea Society cannot assume any responsibilities or provide any guarantees with respect to confidentiality of contestant team proprietary information. All participants must acknowledge the public nature of the competition and assume all risks associated with any disclosure during the competition.
