The Seoul AI Hub residency notice on K-Startup is aimed at AI startups and founders preparing AI businesses in Korea. The official K-Startup page lists the application window as July 22, 2026 at 09:00 through August 11, 2026 at 23:59 KST, with online submission through Startup Plus.
For readers outside Korea, this is best understood as a Korea-based public startup workspace and scale-up program, not a remote grant. The attached Seoul AI Hub guide says up to 21 companies will be selected. Residents receive office infrastructure for an initial one-year term, with annual extension review up to four years, and access to Seoul AI Hub programs such as AX projects, open innovation, global expansion, demand-side and investor matching, and GPU cloud programs. The official Korean source is the K-Startup notice and the attached recruitment guide; applications are submitted through Startup Plus.
Program snapshot: workspace plus AI ecosystem access
This is not simply a cheap office listing. The value is the combination of workspace, meeting rooms, shared infrastructure, and eligibility to participate in Seoul AI Hub programs. A Korea-based AI company that needs customer introductions, investor access, high-performance computing programs, global-market preparation, or structured startup support may find it more relevant than a pure rent comparison.
| Item | Official notice summary |
|---|---|
| Program | 2026 second Seoul AI Hub new resident company recruitment |
| Application period | July 22, 2026 09:00 ~ August 11, 2026 23:59 KST |
| Selection scale | Up to 21 companies |
| Target | AI startups and prospective founders with AI technology or service plans |
| Residency term | Basic one year, extendable up to four years through review |
| Application route | Online submission through Startup Plus |
| Contact | 02-2135-6814, gone@seoulaihub.kr |
For English-language search, the K-Startup AI hub program is best framed as a Seoul startup workspace for Korea-based AI teams rather than a global remote accelerator.
Applicants must be able to register their address at Seoul AI Hub within 30 days after selection. Prospective founders also need to establish the business and register the address within that window.
Eligibility: AI focus, company age, and address transfer
The recruitment guide gives three main eligibility gates. The applicant must have, or be preparing, AI technology or an AI service. The company should have been established in October 2018 or later, or the applicant should be a prospective founder. The selected team must also be able to transfer its registered address to Seoul AI Hub within 30 days after selection.
A team considering a Korea AI startup office should also check the exclusion list before applying. The guide names tax delinquency, debt-default restrictions, suspended or closed businesses, past removal from Seoul startup facilities, prior Seoul AI Hub withdrawal or graduation history, and some overlapping Seoul public workspace support as risk factors. Some exceptions exist, such as ending or giving up another workspace benefit before the new residency contract, so applicants need to read the official guide carefully.
Costs and selection: office type, team size, and AI fit
The guide lists 21 available offices across types A through D. The K-Startup page summarizes independent office cost as KRW 6,020 per square meter, VAT excluded. The attached guide breaks that into monthly rent of KRW 4,080 per square meter plus monthly management cost of KRW 1,940 per square meter. Applicants should calculate the preferred office type, resident headcount, six-month prepayment or mid-payment conditions, and VAT before treating the space as inexpensive.
Selection runs through document review and an interview-style presentation. The guide assigns weight to support impact, execution capability, technology, and business potential. A strong application should not stop at model performance. It should connect AI specialization, market size, customer validation, financial stability, and a concrete plan for using Seoul AI Hub's programs.
Pre-submission checklist
- Register and apply through Startup Plus, using the
Applysupport-program application flow described in the guide. - Prepare the resident application and business plan, privacy consent, eligibility confirmation form, and company introduction deck first.
- Add required documents such as business registration, corporate registry, recent financial statements, social-insurance certificate, and national and local tax certificates where applicable.
- Confirm whether the company can transfer its registered address and whether the planned resident headcount matches the requested office type.
- Prepare a short pitch: the guide indicates a five-minute presentation and five-minute Q&A for the interview round.
The best-fit applicant is a Korea-based AI team that can explain why being inside Seoul AI Hub changes its growth trajectory. The application should tie the technology, market, team, and use of hub programs into one practical plan.
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