Naver D2SF (D2 Startup Factory) announced on Friday the opening of its "18th Campus Tech Startup Competition," a specialized incubation program designed to accelerate the journey of student-led technology startups from product development to commercialization.

As the barriers to software development continue to fall with the rise of AI-assisted coding, Naver D2SF is doubling down on its efforts to provide a sandbox for student entrepreneurs to iterate quickly. The program, which started in 2016, has successfully nurtured 56 teams. Notably, eight of these teams, including industry rising stars like Flask, Pozalabs, and Muvin, have successfully secured direct investment from Naver.

The competition is open to any team comprised of university or graduate students, regardless of whether they have officially incorporated or what stage their prototype is currently in. Applications are being accepted through the official D2SF website until May 10.

Finalists, to be announced on June 23, will undergo a rigorous six-month incubation period starting in July. Each selected team will receive 10 million KRW in equity-free grants, 5 million KRW in GPU and cloud infrastructure support, and dedicated office space at Naver’s prime locations, including the D2SF Gangnam office.

Furthermore, the program offers invaluable networking opportunities, including 1-on-1 feedback sessions with Naver’s top-tier technology leaders and mentorship from successful alumni entrepreneurs. Outstanding teams will also be considered for direct investment and potential business collaborations with Naver.

"Our goal at Naver D2SF is to provide a comprehensive support system—ranging from capital and space to technology and networks—so that these teams can focus entirely on growth despite the inevitable trials and errors of startup life," said Sang-hwan Yang, Head of Naver D2SF.