Sparklab announced on the 20th that eventually it selected 12 teams and will launch its 13th batch of Accelerating Program.
In the 13th batch, more than 240 companies applied. The competition rate reached to 20 to 1. Overseas start-up candidates came from over 20 countries, while the US, India, China, the UK, Germany, Australia, and Russia accounted for about 25% of the total applicants. Candidate companies vary across all sectors including mobility, entertainment, SaaS(Software as a Service), blockchains, healthcare, and SW, especially the companies in industries such as mobility, creator in an entertainment area, HR(fitness tracker), and elderly care were highly interested in this program.
In the SW field, IT startup Spiceware which on cloud and security expertise joined this time. Spiceware aims to provide a security platform that encrypts data efficiently by applying a password filter method that improves the disadvantages of existing DB encryption solution as well as protects customers’ system and data in multi cloud environment.
Three companies finally were on board in the bio-healthcare sector. CurioChips is a bio start-up that develops a technology of Organ-on-a-Chip that evaluates drug reaction through blood vessels by 3D micropatterning for the blood vessels and organ tissues of the human body and applying the technology to personalized medical care as well as new medicine development.
Standing Toll adopts 3D printer and 3D modeling system to manufacture and sell mobility aids & equipment customized suitably for each user. Smart Jack develops LAB Manager, a web app, to provide a solution for the laboratory’s integrated management of equipment and supplies, safety as well as administration to approve the existing inefficient management for reagents and documents in labs.
In the commerce industry, the Middle East focused e-commerce platform AbuHakim got a chance. AbuHakim works between Korean manufacturers and local consumers in the Middle East to introduce various products such as cosmetics and boost sales with ease, following the recent flow of K-beauty trend there.
Welph provides customer support for omnichannel and a commercial platform. The company, a US corporation founded by a member from Azerbaijan, developed a platform to integrate and manage all customer communication channels such as telephone, text, e-mail, and SNS. Albawatch is a one-stop HR(Human Resource)service platform based on blockchain technology, which provides recruitments and contracts for hourly employees, commute check management, real-time payroll settlement, and payment.
Some companies have targeted potential demanders in the domestic market. Caredoc establishes a platform to quickly and easily provide proven assessments and services related to elderly care facilities and assistants, whose demand has been soaring in today’s aging society.
Featuring and Bitbyte, targeting 1020 trends at home and abroad, also became members of this Accelerating Program. As the marketing activities with SNS Influencer sharply increases, Featuring provides a marketing platform that enables dynamic events as a point of contact for a brand, influencers, and fans. Bitbyte is also the name of an app that allows you to customize your smartphone keyboard with your favorite characters and celebrities. Live theme feature of the app that characters react according to the keyword input is getting popular, recording 500 thousand downloads in 204 countries in 14 months.
Exink, an application service for interactive events, is a service designed to integrate events for efficiency. AIMPACT developed and arrange a big data-based Artificial Intelligence(AI) direct deal platform. The platform automatically analyzes and edits order messages, which are unstructured data, to automate direct order management.
Twelve companies selected as the 13th term will be offered specific mentoring for over the next three months by more than 130 SparkLabs global mentor group, including founders, investors, and experts. In addition, more than 125 Alumni companies such as Memebox, Wanted, Blocko, and Sentbe will provide a wide range of support based on their community.
Besides, the initial investment of up to KRW 50 million, space for office and lab in the start-up support center MARU180 operated by the Asan Nanum Foundation, hosting, legal, and software services, as well as benefits of more than USD 100,000 as a GAN(Global Accelerator Network) member.
Completing the intensive program offered by SparkLabs for three months, the companies have the chance to participate in the SparkLabs Demo Day for the 13th batch on June 26th.
“Since the launch of our SparkLabs Accelerator Program in 2012, lots of various companies that have demonstrated their potential to global market have gained a foothold with it,” said Kim Yoo-jin, Co-CEO of SparkLabs. “Especially in case of 13th batch, Sparklabs global mentor group, partner companies, and alumni companies will all get together from the global startup community for stronger accelerating experience.”
