The Korea Venture Business Association (KOVA) held its 6th Impact Star Demo Day on November 5, 2025, at IT Square in Samsung-dong, Seoul. The event connected social ventures with investors to foster funding opportunities and strengthen Korea’s social entrepreneurship ecosystem.
he demo day was organized as part of the 2025 Pre-Startup Package Specialized Social Venture Program, supported by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) and the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED). The program aims to discover and nurture early-stage social ventures while promoting collaboration between entrepreneurs, venture capital firms, and accelerators.
A total of ten social venture startups showcased their innovative solutions addressing various social and environmental challenges.
- GosiRock – A meal delivery and brokerage platform that partners with local restaurants and small businesses.
- Local Nuri Market – A mobile distribution service tackling food deserts in regions facing population decline.
- Shelby – A platform connecting specialists with parents of slow learners for personalized coaching.
- Soyoyu – A marketing analytics platform that visualizes customer purchase journeys through keyword tracking.
- Seniorvibe – Developer of Afternoon Health, a self-care solution for shoulder pain prevention tailored to pre-seniors.
- ABCDEdu – Provider of AI-based education services for middle and high schools.
- EcoLoop – A digital transformation solution for the floral and plant market.
- Tovmate – A one-stop recruitment platform helping companies hire global talent.
- TogetherHigh – Operator of KidsTogether, a family experience navigator connecting families with interactive activities.
- RibbonKorea – An upcycling solution that repurposes unused cosmetic inventory into sustainable products.
Hong Seok-jae, head of the startup support division at KOVA, emphasized the resilience of Korea’s social ventures despite a challenging investment climate. “Even in a difficult funding environment, social ventures continue to take on the challenge of solving social problems through sustainable business models. KOVA will continue to provide strong support for their growth,” he said. Since 2020, KOVA has discovered and supported 541 prospective social venture founders, contributing to the expansion of Korea’s social venture ecosystem.
