Funding
Korea Forest Welfare Institute opens second call for 30 pre-startup teams
The Korea Forest Welfare Institute is accepting applications until Aug. 25 for the second round of its FOR:SEED pre-startup package, which will select 30 teams for training, mentoring and a demo day.
The Korea Forest Welfare Institute is accepting applications until Aug. 25 for the second round of participants in FOR:SEED, its 2026 private-sector forest welfare startup and growth package, the Daejeon-based institute announced.
The program targets aspiring founders interested in starting a forest welfare service business, as well as companies registered for less than five years that have not yet registered as a forest welfare specialist business. Thirty teams will be selected through a document review, according to the institute, which operates under the Korea Forest Service.
Selected teams receive entrepreneurship training, one-on-one expert mentoring, an IR feedback report and design support for an IR pitch deck, and will get the chance to present their business ideas at a demo day. After the program ends, three outstanding participants will receive an award from the president of the Korea Forest Welfare Institute.
Those top three will also be linked to next year’s forest welfare startup and growth support project and to commercialization support, the institute said. Application details are posted in the notices section of the institute’s website and in the information section of its specialist business support system. The institute is currently led by Acting President Hwang Sung-tae.