[Notice] Recruiting Startups for the 3rd 'ASCEND' Program Cohort

Next Elevation, CNT Tech, and Draper Join Forces to Support Startups
Outstanding Teams to Receive Investments of 100 to 200 Million Won
Stronger Support for TIPS Program, Global Expansion, and Media PR

The Asia Business Daily’s subsidiary, Next Elevation, is recruiting startups to participate in the third cohort of the 'ASCEND' accelerating program, in partnership with CNT Tech and Draper Startup House Korea. Eligible applicants are startups from any field that have been established for seven years or less. The selection process includes document screening and in-person evaluation to choose the final participating startups. The application period is open until 9:00 PM on July 19, 2026.

This accelerating program will run for a total of 15 weeks from August to November 2026. During this period, startups will receive one-on-one, hands-on mentoring from experts at Next Elevation, CNT Tech, and Draper Startup House Korea, based on detailed analysis tailored to each startup, including KPI setting, initial strategy development and product strategy, branding, marketing, and global expansion.

This third cohort program, in particular, offers significantly enhanced benefits to participating companies compared to previous rounds. Startups selected as outstanding teams during the program will each receive an investment of 100 million to 200 million won. In addition, CNT Tech will provide support connecting teams to the TIPS program. Beyond traditional TIPS linkages, the program now also offers pre-assessment and training for the TIPS application process, allowing participating startups to prepare more systematically and increase their chances of selection.

Support for global expansion will also be strengthened. Through a partnership with the global startup network led by Tim Draper, a leading investor based in Silicon Valley, Draper Startup House Korea plans to actively support participating companies’ overseas expansion. Outstanding companies will be selected during the program and given the opportunity to join a local program in the United States, as well as opportunities to connect with key overseas potential customers and strategic partners. In addition, teams will have a chance to advance to the Korean preliminaries of the startup investment survival program, 'Meet the Drapers.'

Next Elevation’s media PR support will be further enhanced. The Asia Business Daily will produce articles and video content to promote the growth stories of startups, supporting public relations and communication efforts. The program will also assist in creating PR videos that can be used for pitching to global investors and partners.

All participating teams will have the opportunity to secure follow-up investments through Demo Day. In addition, a wide range of partnership benefits will be provided through partners such as AWS, Business Canvas, and ZUZU. Startups wishing to participate can apply through the application section on the Next Elevation website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.