Student startups from Konkuk University target global markets with innovative solutions

Students gather at Konkuk University’s K-Cube [KONKUK UNIVERSITY]

 
Konkuk University aims to globalize its startup support, assisting student-founded startups to go abroad and international students in establishing their own businesses.
 
Coffeebara, founded by Konkuk University student Kim Kyung-woo, is one of the university’s student startups giving a shot at promoting their business abroad.
 
 
The startup developed NOCO, a device that helps recycle plastic cups. The device separates disposable cups into various parts such as the plastic cup, lid, straw and paper sleeve using AI, and then cleans and sorts them before being recycled.  
 
The startup was chosen to set up a booth at CES 2026’s Seoul Pavilion through the university Start-up Support Foundation’s support program. Airfare, accommodation and participation fees will be provided by the university, as well as Investor Relations (IR) pitching help sessions.  
 
“I didn’t know much about the business side of running a startup since my major is electronic engineering, but I received a lot of help in preparing IR materials and creating business plans from professors and staff at Konkuk University’s Start-up Support Foundation,” said Kim. “We were selected to set up a booth at CES in January next year, and I received so much support from the university that made many things possible.”
 

Coffeebara members pose for a photo with each other after receiving the grand prize at The World Embedded Software Contest 2024. [KONKUK UNIVERSITY]

 
Locally, Coffeebara is set to install NOCO at Lotte Department Store’s Konkuk University Star City branch around next year. But the startup also hopes to go global.  
  
“The market for recycled materials and recycling equipment is growing by over 10 percent each year, and we also plan to target not only the local market, but also overseas,” said Kim.
 
ZOOC is another startup founded by a Konkuk University student, Kim Hyo-jae, who is majoring in industrial engineering.
 
The startup offers a print-on-demand service through SeedOps, which is an automated SaaS platform that allows businesses to design, produce and deliver brand marketing kits.  
 
Kim was also given the opportunity to set up a booth at CES 2024 through the university, introducing ZOOC at the Seoul Pavilion.  
 

Members of ZOOC pose for a photo with Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon during his visit to the Seoul Pavilion at CES 2024 [KONKUK UNIVERSITY]

 
He also aims to expand abroad, with ZOOC selected for the Asan Nanum Foundation’s Maru SF program. The program offers office space in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley and various networking opportunities for startups that wish to enter the U.S. market.  
 
ZOOC is specifically targeting the demand for influencer seeding kits among K-beauty and consumer goods brands in the U.S.
 
“Brands often face significant challenges in their production processes, such as complex and inefficient communication and the difficulty of finding trustworthy manufacturing partners,” said Kim from ZOOC. “SeedOps is designed to fundamentally solve these problems as a global SaaS platform, helping anyone achieve transparent and efficient production.”
 
“Our goal is not simply to act as a production agent, but to redefine the standard of the entire production industry as a platform.”
 
Konkuk University is expanding its startup support through collaborations with overseas institutions. In April, the university signed a partnership agreement with Spain’s Mondragon University and HBM Social Cooperative, which runs the Spanish university’s Leinn entrepreneurship education program in Korea. Through the partnership, the three will work together to create startup education programs for students.
 
Support for international students in Korea who are interested in establishing their own businesses is also provided by Konkuk University.  
 
It hosted the KU Global Start-up Academy between Sept. 2 and Sept. 23, explaining how to create a business outline, offering mentoring and helping find suitable marketing strategies. Operated by the university, the program prioritized Konkuk University’s international students, but also allowed other foreign nationals to join.  
 
More programs will come for the university’s international students, with the Konkuk Global Entrepreneur Camp set to be held between Nov. 4 and Nov. 25.  
 
Sessions explaining how to develop business ideas, writing business plans and IR pitching tips will be offered, as well as a demo day among participants. Those interested can sign up on the university’s Start-up Support Foundation website, with applications accepted until Oct. 31.  

BY LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]