Neudive, Selected for the 2nd ‘Innovation Premier 1000’ in 2026

Fourteen government agencies, including the Financial Services Commission, have selected 547 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and middle-market companies as the second cohort of "Innovation Premier 1000" firms for 2026. These selected companies will receive tailored financial and non-financial incentives from policy finance institutions, as well as special benefits through various government support programs, until the end of 2027. "Innovation Premier 1000" is a program designed to support outstanding companies across various industries through collaboration between the financial and industrial sectors. Launched last year, it integrates two existing support schemes: "National Representative Innovative Companies 1000" and the "Preferential Process for Outstanding Companies." Under this system, government agencies select innovative and high-growth SMEs and middle-market companies based on their own criteria (with a selection validity of two years), and policy finance institutions—such as the Korea Development Bank, Industrial Bank of Korea, Export-Import Bank of Korea, Korea Credit Guarantee Fund, Korea Technology Finance Corporation, and Korea Growth Investment Corp.—provide preferential benefits.

This second round of selections was finalized following announcements and evaluations conducted by various government ministries between March and June. By ministry, the Ministry of Science and ICT selected the highest number of companies (108), followed by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (100), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (80), the Ministry of Environment (37), the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (29), and the Public Procurement Service (29). Of the 547 selected companies, 496 were new selections—excluding those chosen by multiple ministries or re-selected from the first round; when combined with the first round (542 companies) and adjusted for overlaps, a total of 1,005 companies are eligible for support. All selected companies operate businesses within the "innovative growth industry" sectors defined by the joint standards for policy finance regarding innovative growth. By theme, the distribution was led by Manufacturing & Mobility (107 companies), followed by AI (95), Environment & Smart Agriculture/Fisheries (85), and ICT & Digital (63). Geographically, companies based in the Seoul metropolitan area (Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon) accounted for more than half (55.8%) of the total, with 290 companies; in terms of size, the group comprised 514 SMEs and 6 mid-sized enterprises. Details regarding the support provided have also been released. Out of the 509 companies selected in the first round (excluding duplicates), 457 received financial support totaling 4.9065 trillion won (across 3,202 cases) by May of this year; this included interest rate and guarantee fee reductions, preferential loan and guarantee limits, and investments from policy funds. In the non-financial sector, 127 companies received support across 246 instances, including investor relations (IR) opportunities, exhibition booth support, and consulting services. The government plans to conduct a third round of applications in the first half of next year to select approximately 500 additional companies. Benefits for companies selected in the first round remain valid until the end of this year, while those for the second round extend to the end of 2027; companies must undergo re-selection before these deadlines to continue receiving benefits. ◇ List of Companies Selected for the 2nd "Innovation Premier" Program by Ministry (Total of 547 selections, including those selected by multiple ministries)