CCEI Centers
The Centers for Creative Economy & Innovation (CCEI) are regional startup accelerators operated as a joint initiative between local municipal governments and South Korea's leading private conglomerates.
Regional Accelerators & Conglomerate Mentorship
The CCEI network consists of 19 regional centers: one in each of South Korea's 17 metropolitan cities and provinces, plus the privately-operated Pohang and Bitgaram centers. Each CCEI center is uniquely paired with a major Korean conglomerate (Chaebol) to foster startup growth. For example, Gyeonggi CCEI works with KT, Seoul CCEI with CJ Group, and Incheon CCEI with Hanjin. This structure gives early-stage tech startups direct access to corporate pilot programs (PoC), corporate venture capital, and workspaces.
Core Capabilities for Founders
Physical Incubation & Shared Workspaces
Regional CCEIs manage physical incubators in major tech hubs (such as Seoul, Pangyo, and Incheon). Startups accepted into CCEI programs qualify for rent-free or highly subsidized office spaces, high-speed infrastructure, shared meeting rooms, and local server credits.
OASIS-7 Startup Incubation (D-8-4 Visa Points)
Graduating from a government-supported incubation residency — a six-month minimum, which regional CCEIs are among the providers of — is OASIS-7, worth 15 points toward the D-8-4 Startup Visa. OASIS-9 is a separate KISED-run commercialization programme worth 30 points; a CCEI incubation place does not by itself grant it. Confirm current terms with the centre and HiKorea.
Corporate PoC & Investment Matching
CCEIs operate open-innovation programs, matching startups with conglomerate partners for Proof of Concept (PoC) validation. Startups receive government funding to build prototypes that plug directly into the conglomerate's supply chain or service systems, frequently leading to follow-on investments.
CCEI Center Provincial Network
The CCEI network maps specialized technology capabilities to target provinces:
Startup-BuS Program Rolling Funnel
CCEI centers operate the Startup-BuS Program: a continuous, rolling investment funnel that bridges early-stage founders with direct equity and TIPS recommendation.
Series ❶ — no investment record
Target: Open to pre-founders. For companies that have raised no institutional investment.
Standard Investment: ₩10M base commercialisation funding, then follow-on differentiated by a June progress and investability review.
Series ❷ — early investment stage
Target: Cumulative institutional investment between ₩10M and ₩400M.
Standard Investment: Commercialisation funding scaled to the series. Confirm the current ceiling in the centre's own 공고.
Series ❸ — follow-on investment stage
Target: Cumulative institutional investment above ₩400M.
Standard Investment: Commercialisation funding scaled to the series. Confirm the current ceiling in the centre's own 공고.
Source Snapshot
EastStartup Value-Add
CCEI branches function independently, making local workspace applications and PoC grants fragmented. EastStartup tracks CCEI notices across all 17 regions, alerting you to local office space openings and corporate match opportunities.