ITCEN Global is set to engage in strategic investments and collaborations with promising domestic startups based on its key subsidiaries, aiming to accelerate its entry into the global market.
On June 9, ITCEN Global announced the launch of its open innovation program, "2026 ITCEN Open Innovation," which seeks to discover and nurture promising startups in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and Web3.
The program is co-hosted with the Draper Startup House Korea Center, a global accelerator network led by Silicon Valley venture investor Tim Draper.
This initiative involves five core subsidiaries of ITCEN Group: ITCEN N Tech, ITCEN CTS, ITCEN Cloit, ITCEN PNS, and Credder.
ITCEN Global plans to organically connect the business capabilities and infrastructure of its subsidiaries to collaborate on joint ventures with selected startups. It will also serve as a control tower to drive global expansion.
Recently, ITCEN Group has been restructuring its business portfolio, moving away from a focus on system integration (SI) to developing its own solutions and services based on AI and Software as a Service (SaaS).
By leveraging the innovative technology screening capabilities of Draper Startup House, ITCEN aims to quickly integrate external technologies into its operations and enhance its technological competitiveness in the global market.
The final selection will include around ten startups, which will receive tailored investment reviews from ITCEN Global, along with opportunities for club deal investments through Draper Startup House. Additionally, they will benefit from a customized acceleration program designed to help them establish a foothold in the global market, as well as step-by-step proof of concept (PoC) projects with ITCEN Group subsidiaries to validate practical business opportunities.
With this program, ITCEN Global aims to enhance its open innovation framework and accelerate the growth of the domestic startup ecosystem while building a global new business portfolio.
An ITCEN Global representative stated, "ITCEN Global is the central axis driving the group's global expansion, providing a platform for domestic startups to leap onto the global stage in partnership with Draper Startup House's venture network. We will focus on creating technological and business synergies that resonate in the global market, beyond mere financial support, to deliver tangible results."
Meanwhile, ITCEN Global has also been working with the Gyeonggi Creative Economy Innovation Center to discover startups in next-generation technology fields such as AI, SaaS, and Web3. The TIPS public discovery program, "2026 Unicorn Bridge with ITCEN," received applications from 222 companies, an increase of about 18% compared to the previous year.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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