Kookmin University's Sports Industry Startup Support Center has achieved recognition for its consistent quality and output by being selected as the operating institution for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's sports industry startup support project for a decade. This initiative, hosted by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, aims to discover and cultivate prospective entrepreneurs and early-stage startups in the sports sector. Over the years, the center has supported 142 sports startup companies, yielding significant results, including approximately 22.5 billion won in revenue, the creation of 272 jobs, and securing 8 billion won in investments.

Building upon this successful track record, Kookmin University has once again been selected to operate the sports industry startup support project until 2026. This entails the center receiving an annual budget of around 920 million won to foster the growth of incoming sports startups. The support center selects approximately 15 startups annually, providing them with commercialization funding ranging from an average of 45 million won up to a maximum of 58.5 million won. Besides financial support, the center offers a variety of programs, including startup education, professional mentoring, customer validation, and investment connection assistance to cultivate a solid foundation for growth in the sports industry.

Currently, the startup support center is accepting applications for businesses interested in participating in the 2026 sports industry startup support project. Eligible applicants include prospective entrepreneurs and companies that have been operating for less than three years, with the application deadline set for March 24, 2026. Professor Kim Jong-taek, the project’s overall supervisor, remarked that Kookmin University will continue to leverage its startup infrastructure and expertise to foster innovative sports industry startups and contribute to job creation and expansion in the field of sports.