LG Uplus to support AI startup creation

South Korea's LG Uplus Corp. said on Wednesday that it launched the startup support program Shift, which aims to discover and nurture startups, including entrepreneurial teams from domestic and international university research institutes with artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

The startups selected for Shift will be provided with equity investment through a dedicated fund, technical support, and a business acceleration program.

LG Uplus will offer the API (application programming interface) of its self-developed AI technology "ixi" and support opportunities and expenses for proof of concept.

The company plans to secure promising future technologies and strengthen its competitiveness in the rapidly growing AI market.

The recruitment field is "innovative future technologies, including AI," and the application period for the program is open until October 28.

Any startup or university research institute entrepreneurial team at the seed or Series A funding stage, with technical personnel holding master's or doctoral degrees, can apply by submitting a business plan to the official Shift website.

The program will be managed by Bluepoint Partners, an investment firm specializing in early-stage technology startups, with fund managers such as Shinhan Venture Investment and Kakao Ventures handling screening and evaluation.

Write to Ju-Hyun Lee at deep@hankyung.com