Deep-Tech TIPS Follow-up
Supports Korean deep-tech startups in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, robotics, and biotech.
Deep-Tech TIPS Follow-up 2026 is a sequential R&D support program operated by South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) for companies that have successfully completed the TIPS General Track. It is not an entry-point program — eligibility is strictly limited to General Track graduates, who must choose between two post-graduation paths: Post-TIPS (commercialization-focused, up to KRW 700 million) or Deep-Tech TIPS (continued R&D, up to KRW 1.5 billion). The two tracks are mutually exclusive. The MSS restructured the legacy Deep-Tech Track into this follow-on model beginning in 2026, following a parliamentary review that identified complexity and administrative overhead in the prior multi-track architecture.
Deep-Tech TIPS provides up to KRW 1.5 billion in R&D funding over a three-year period. The program specifically targets startups conducting advanced research in AI, semiconductors, robotics, and biotech — the four deep-tech priority sectors identified by MSS's 2026 policy framework. All applicants must be registered and operating in South Korea as for-profit entities. There is no direct application path; selection follows performance evaluation during the General Track phase and requires operator recommendation. All documentation and evaluation procedures are conducted in Korean.
The 2026 structural change elevates Deep-Tech TIPS as a sustained R&D pipeline for companies that have demonstrated technical capability at the General Track stage. By tripling the maximum award relative to the General Track ceiling (KRW 800 million), the program enables multi-year, high-risk research programs in sectors where development cycles exceed typical venture timelines. General Track participants anticipating a deep-tech trajectory should engage their TIPS operator early regarding the Deep-Tech pathway, since operator recommendation is a prerequisite for follow-on selection.
Advanced R&D in AI, semiconductors, robotics, and biotech by Korean startups that have successfully graduated from the TIPS General Track program.
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