Wadiz Partners Recruiting Ten Social Ventures to Drive Innovation in the East Sea Region

6 Weeks of Tailored Consulting and IR Material Support
Empowering Local Companies to Strengthen Business Competitiveness

Wadiz is stepping up to support the growth of local innovative companies.

On September 29, Wadiz’s investment specialist affiliate, Wadiz Partners, announced that it will run the “2026 East Sea Social Venture Scale-up Round” to discover and nurture promising social ventures in the East Sea region, and is recruiting ten participating companies.

Selected companies will receive tailored consulting over a six-week period, including corporate diagnosis and specialized support in business strategy, market entry, investment attraction, legal affairs, and tax. In addition, assistance will be provided for preparing investor relations (IR) materials. All selected companies will have an opportunity to pitch IR presentations during Demo Day and will be able to participate in networking with investors, distributors, and experts in related fields.

At the upcoming Demo Day in November, awards totaling up to 5 million won will be granted to five outstanding companies. Wadiz Partners will also make an equity investment of at least 100 million won in a minimum of one participating company and will recommend the selected company for “LIPS II,” the entrepreneur-type small business growth support program under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, to facilitate further funding. Through these efforts, the possibilities discovered in the region will be backed to grow into sustainable companies and brands.

The program targets social venture corporations with less than seven years of business history, headquartered or mainly operating in the East Sea region, including Pohang, Gyeongju, Yeongdeok, Uljin, and Ulleung. Even if a company is not currently located in the region at the time of application, it may apply by submitting a “Location Relocation Commitment Letter” if it plans to relocate its headquarters, branch, or main office to the region by the end of the program.

Wadiz Partners CEO Kangsub So said, “There are many companies in local areas that have innovative ideas and strong growth potential which have yet to be discovered by the market. We are committed to proactively uncovering regional potential, linking it to investment and further growth, and working together to help more local companies become competitive in the market.”

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