Leaders Selected for Forbes "30 Under 30 Asia" from Gyeonggi-do, Korea

Two CEOs in Gyeonggi-do have made it to the Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia 2020 list. They are supported by the Gyeonggi-do College Student Convergence Technology Start-up Support Project.

Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia 2020 List

On April 2, Song Je-yoon, CEO of Dr. Diary, and Seo Dong-eun, CEO of Reborn, were selected by Forbes, an American economic magazine, as being among Asia’s mostinfluential 300 leaders under 30 years of age. They are CEOs of 2 start-upsthat benefited from Gyeonggi-do College Students Convergence TechnologyStart-up Support offered by the Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology.

Forbes is a business magazine focused on business news and  financial information
ⓒ Forbes, Inc.

Forbes was founded in the United States in 1917 and publishes every other week. One of the three oldest and most credible economic magazines in the United States, Forbes launched its “30 Under 30” lists in 2011 and has since expanded the lists to different regions around the world. Of 300 influential figures selected annually for inclusion in the “30 Under 30 Asia” list, thirty young leaders under the age of 30 are chosen as representatives of a range of different industries (arts, finance, sports, healthcare, consumer technology, corporate technology, etc.).

This year, only 28 Koreans were selected; among the 28, two are recipients of Gyeonggi-do College Students Convergence Technology Start-up Support, which is particularly significant. 

Dr. Diary : mobile solution for diabetics

Dr. Diary is a startup that offers mobile solutions for diabetics
ⓒ Dr.Diary

Song Je-yoon’s Dr. Diary is a start-up that provides diabetic healthcare services. In 2016, it was selected as a beneficiary of Gyeonggi-do College Student Convergence Technology Support Project, and in November it launched its Diabetes Management Service. Dr. Diary was established as a corporation in 2018.

Dr. Diary continues to receive favorable reviews from its users. Recognized for its contributions to healthcare, Dr. Diary is supported by continuous investments from venture capital firms at home as well as abroad.

Reborn : helping recycling companies

REBORN aims to help recycling companies generate higher purity of recycled plastic through its plastic-eating bacteria bioreactor
ⓒ 2019 GBSA

Seo Dong-eun’s Reborn is developing a biotank that improves the purity of materials through the use of microorganisms in the recycling of plastics. Selected as a beneficiary of Gyeonggi-do College Student Convergence Technology Support in 2019, it was also designated as an excellent start-up company and is a recipient of the IR Pitching Excellence Award.

Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology

AICT plays a key role as Gyeonggi Province's innovative platform that supports
high value-added tech startups. 
ⓒADVANCED INSTITUTES OF CONVERGENCE TECHNOLOGY

Based on technology developed with the support of the Advanced Institute ofConvergence Technology (AICT), Reborn is recognized as a young start-up company with high growth potential as demonstrated by its exceptional performance in various start-up competitions such as the S.M.A.R.T Start-up Competition and the Jung Ju-young Start-up Competition.

The AICT was founded in March 2008 based on the recognition that convergence drives the advancement of science and industry through creativity and innovation. It aims to become a leading research institute that contributes to the realization of a convenient and safe world through convergence technologies.

The AICT is the first and foremost R&D convergence technology research institute in Korea. It was established through the cooperation with science and technology stakeholders, and all members are striving to secure the AICT’s position as a world-leading convergence research institute where regions and R&D become one.

The AICT was constructed within the Industry and Academic Consortium R&D site located in Suwon City of Gyeonggi Province. Apart from collaborative research initiatives in the application of the latest technologies, the AICT also operates a start-up support project referred to as Gyeonggi-do College Student Convergence Technology Start-up Support.

Gyeonggi-do College Student Convergence Technology Start-up Support

Gyeonggi-do has been committed to educating college students in cutting edge technology  

Gyeonggi-doCollege Student Convergence Technology Start-up Support aims to nurture college student convergence technology start-ups through the utilization of  resources from the AICT and Seoul National University’s founding infrastructure so as to foster leaders of the 4th Industrial Revolution. The focus is on intelligent healthcare, future urban design and next-generation transportation systems.

To receive this support, applicants must be an undergraduate or graduate student in Gyeonggi-do as well as a prospective entrepreneur seeking to start a business in the province. In the event your business is already in operation, it should not have passed the three-year mark from its launch date.

Every year, 35 teams (25 new teams, and 10 follow-up support teams) are selected to be part of this program; they receive a range of benefits to help them realize their goals. They are provided with infrastructure as well as funds up to KRW 30 million to support the commercialization of their products, a space to conduct research and business operations, and a conducive working environment with individual rooms.

They also receive mentoring and guidance from a pool of mentors who are experts in the convergence technology industry including the renowned researcher Jung Ki-won and professors of Seoul National University. There is also a 2-track mentoring operation by stage and field that will guide them along the development path.

They also receive education through an entrepreneurship school, lectures and camps. This provides them with opportunities to network with others in their fields and to attend seminars and venture capitalists networking sessions with industry experts. This gives them the impetus and support necessary to enter their chosen markets.

From the years of 2016 to 2019, the Gyeonggi College Student Convergence Technology Start-up Support has funded 171 different start-ups and 619 beneficiaries, disbursing a total of KRW 74.3 billion, creating new jobs for 77 people, realizing KRW 51.3 billion in sales, and helping businesses secure 304 patents.