The '2025 GovTech Startup Competition' is recruiting participants to discover promising entrepreneurs in the 'GovTech' field who innovate public services using artificial intelligence (AI) and data technology. A new opportunity has opened for prospective entrepreneurs and early-stage startups that will lead digital public innovation.
GovTech (Government + Technology) is a concept combining government and technology, aiming to realize ▲integrated public services for citizens, ▲solutions to social and regional problems, and ▲advancement of public infrastructure using advanced digital technologies such as AI, data, and IoT.
In particular, it is gaining attention as a new field receiving spotlight as a core technology cluster for building the Digital Platform Government, creating a meeting point between public policy and technology entrepreneurship.
The '2025 GovTech Startup Competition' is an event hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and organized by the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), seeking to discover prospective and early-stage entrepreneurs with promising ideas and technologies in the GovTech field.
ㅁ Recruitment Period: July 11 (Fri) – August 18 (Mon), 2025, 10:00 AM
ㅁ Target Applicants: Prospective entrepreneurs or early-stage startup companies within 3 years of founding
ㅁ Recruitment Areas
① Idea Planning Division
② Product and Service Development Division
- Application site: Official homepage
- Total prize money: KRW 80 million
- Themes by public innovation field: Digital + Social Issues + Infrastructure
Applicants can participate by selecting one of the following three fields.
ㅁ Field Descriptions
① Digital Convergence Services for Citizens — Digitalization of public services targeting the entire population, including education, healthcare, transportation, and public health
② Solving Social and Regional Problems — Problem-solving measures for regional and socially vulnerable groups such as aging, youth issues, and rural decline
③ Public Infrastructure Innovation — Technologies that enhance the safety and efficiency of public infrastructure such as electricity, water, and roads
The 2024 award-winning works demonstrated the actual potential of GovTech by focusing on solving social problems based on AI and data.
ㅁ Key Award Winners in the Idea Planning Division
ㅇ Grand Prize: AI Platform for Pine Mushroom Grade Assessment
ㅇ Excellence Prize: AI-Based ABA Solution for Treating Children with Developmental Disabilities
ㅇ Merit Prize: Youth Drug Rehabilitation Curation Service 'Onsaemiro'
ㅇ Encouragement Prize: Big Data Platform for Farmers 'Younglab Farming'
ㅁ Key Award Winners in the Product/Service Development Division
ㅇ Grand Prize: LiDAR Image-Based Smart Livestock Ecological Monitoring System
ㅇ Excellence Prize: Big Data-Based Remote Process Inspection Solution
ㅇ Merit Prize: AI Import Logistics Automated Management Solution 'TWS'
ㅇ Encouragement Prize: AI-Based Confectionery Packaging Optimization System / Unattended Physical Fitness Recovery Machine 'Ssusam'
This year's award winners will receive commercialization support funds, expert mentoring, and opportunities to participate in follow-up linked programs.
ㅇ Application Deadline: August 18 (Mon), 2025, 10:00 AM
ㅇ Applications and detailed information: https://k-govtech.kr
