In accordance with Article 8 of the Student Startup Management Guidelines, you are required to report the establishment of your business to StartUp KAIST within the year of its establishment after participating in a program organized by StartUp KAIST.

In accordance with Article 6 of the Student Startup Management Guidelines, only graduates within five years of graduation are eligible to receive support for starting a business, including participation in entrepreneurship education programs.

Students can launch startups after obtaining approval for extracurricular activities pursuant to Article 4 of Guidelines on Management of Student Startups.

Guidelines on Management of Student Startups (Article 4. Startups While Enrolled)
① Students may launch startups by following procedures to obtain approval for extracurricular activities, provided that there is no disruption of academic activities. However, doctoral students who have transferred under the status of technical research personnel shall be excluded.
② Students intending to launch startups while enrolled shall submit an application for extracurricular activities, together with the necessary documents, to the Student Support Team, pursuant to Article 4 of Guidelines on Extracurricular Activities of Students.
③ Master’s and doctoral students who are recipients of a national/KAIST scholarship and launching a startup during enrollment shall submit an application for extracurricular activities instead of an application for change of student classification pursuant to Article 3 (4) of Guidelines on Change of Student Classification.

 

Students cannot engage in for-profit activities, including startups, without prior approval of the Minister of National Defense pursuant to Article 30 of the Framework Act on Military Status and Service. However, they may participate in educational sessions offered by support programs outside of official working hours.

Framework Act On Military Status And Service (Article 30. Ban on Profit-Seeking and Holding Multiple Positions)
① A soldier shall not engage in any for-profit activity, other than military service, and shall not concurrently engage in other activity without permission from the Minister of National Defense.
 

In addition to having an outstanding idea, you must assess other conditions such as the competencies of personnel, funding sources, value creation based on a specific business model, potential clients, expected costs, and revenue. You should also ensure there are no problems in terms of laws, accounting, intellectual property rights, and certification, and make thorough preparations for product manufacturing and sales. Does it sound complicated and difficult? Startup KAIST offers extensive support in these areas, and runs programs that simulate the startup environment to help students be better prepared.

1. Startup legal consulting service to answer questions on legal aspects of startups※ Opens every Wednesday
2. KAIST Loonshots Start Challenge for students with startup ideas or entrepreneurial interest
3. E*5 KAIST, startup audition program
4. Lab Startup KAIST for commercialization of lab-based research items
5. KEP to support business growth and attract investments for startups in the early stage
 

Some student ideas and inventions may be owned by KAIST depending on the situation. The Intellectual Property & Tech-Transfer Center determines ownership through a comprehensive evaluation of circumstances leading to each invention. For example, students whose inventions fall under any of the following should discuss the details of ownership with KAIST. Please consult the Intellectual Property & Tech-Transfer Center for further details.

1. An invention attained from a research project with research funds provided by KAIST
2. An invention attained by using specialized research equipment installed for a specific purpose
3. An invention attained with KAIST’s research funds, which are clearly distinct from general wages (e.g. TA allowance)