On the 11th, the government announced that it is starting a recruitment drive for a support program for fabless startups, which are semiconductor design specialized companies. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups revealed this initiative for nurturing fabless startups, which are crucial in the system semiconductor industry, on the 10th. The initiative is part of the first phase of the newly established “Micro Super Gap” program under the “Super Gap Startup 1000+ Project” announced last month. This effort aims to implement the tailored support requests made by the “Fabless-Foundry Cooperation Council.”
Fabless startups are considered an accessible domain within the semiconductor industry for startups. They are vital for securing technologies that will lead next-generation markets, such as AI and low-power semiconductors, making systematic support essential. The Ministry plans to classify startups into three stages—development, growth, and scale-up—selecting and supporting a total of 30 promising fabless startups based on their business maturity and technology.
The initiative will select six early-stage fabless startups, providing them with 100 million won in commercialization funds, design assets (IP), and opportunities for investment attraction (IR). For 20 companies in the development stage, it will offer 200 million won in commercialization funds and opportunities for prototype production (MPW process) and collaboration with demand companies, including domestic conglomerates. Four companies aiming for international expansion and scale-up will receive 250 million won in commercialization funds, working jointly with large companies possessing testing infrastructure for semiconductor mass production and commercialization to support product verification.
Applications for this initiative will be open from the 11th to the 27th. Startups that demonstrate outstanding results from this support program may be linked to the “Super Gap Startup” project for further support. Minister of SMEs and Startups, Oh Young-joo, emphasized the necessity of nurturing fabless startups for revitalizing the system semiconductor industry, which is crucial for the nation’s future. The ministry also plans to hold the “Fabless-Foundry Cooperation Council” in the first quarter, involving fabless industry stakeholders, domestic foundries, and experts, to discuss support policies for fabless startups and the overall competitiveness of the system semiconductor industry.