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Seoul's bio startup hub 'Seoul Bio Hub' and global pharmaceutical leader 'Celltrion' have joined forces to launch the '2025 Seoul Bio Hub-Celltrion Global Open Innovation (GOI)' programme.
This programme goes beyond a simple competition, serving as a platform designed to help US startups successfully establish themselves in the Asian market.
This GOI targets US-based bio and medical startups, with companies established within the past 7 years eligible to apply. The recruitment areas encompass all technologies suitable for collaboration with Celltrion, including antibodies, peptides, small molecules, formulations, and cell and gene therapies.
The application deadline is September 30, 2025. The selection process will proceed in the following order:
The two finally selected companies will receive customised follow-up support and gain opportunities to expand into global markets through collaboration with Celltrion, leveraging South Korea's innovative ecosystem and global capabilities.
South Korea has established itself as a bio hub leading the global market with clear numerical evidence. According to global consulting firm Intralink, South Korea's biopharmaceutical market is valued at approximately $22 billion, ranking 13th globally.
South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare has set 'Achieving Global 3rd Place in Clinical Trials' as a policy objective through the '3rd Five-Year Plan for the Pharmaceutical and Bio Industry (2023-2027)'. Furthermore, in 2025, it raised a total of over 386.6 billion KRW through the 'Bio Health Mega Fund' and is actively supporting innovative companies' clinical trials and commercialisation through the national integrated bio big data construction project and AI, bio health regulatory regulatory sandboxes.
