Provide collaboration opportunities with companies in the Silicon Forest, including Intel and Lam Research.
This content was translated by AI for the Amously homepage.
The Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy & Innovation (hereafter 'Gyeonggi Innovation Center') announced on the 22nd that it has finalized the selection of nine Korean semiconductor startups to participate in the '2026 U.S. Portland Expansion Program' and will begin full-scale operations. The program was officially launched earlier on the 10th with an orientation session.
The 'U.S. Portland Expansion Program' is designed to support Korean startups in establishing a local presence through collaboration with Greater Portland Inc. (GPI), a regional economic development organization. Unlike simple overseas visits, the program focuses on generating tangible business outcomes through tailored one-on-one meetups with key local companies, institutions, and investors.
It is evaluated as a differentiated program, offering not only local office space but also expert consulting support.
The program previously operated its first cohort in 2025 targeting cleantech startups, achieving concrete collaboration outcomes such as MOA and NDA agreements with Portland-based companies.
The second cohort recorded a competition ratio of approximately 3:1, with nine companies ultimately selected through document screening and English interviews. The selected companies are ▲MakinaRocks (industrial AI solutions for process intelligence, CEO Yoon Sung-ho) ▲VSL (semiconductor vacuum systems, CEO Kang Tae-wook) ▲SemiAI (semiconductor AI analytics solutions, CEO Ji Tae-kwon) ▲SolverX (AI-aided engineering for xEV component design optimization, CEO Choi Yoon-young) ▲Amously (AI agents for semiconductor manufacturing automation, CEO Choi Seung-cheon) ▲Genolab (nano-ceramic coating solutions for semiconductors and EV batteries, CEO Yoon Jin-ho) ▲KOPA (flip-chip bonding HBM packaging, CEO Park Ki-nam) ▲Cuprum Materials (platinum and copper plating solutions for semiconductor glass TGV, CEO Seo Jong-hyun) ▲Korea Nano OHT (industrial materials based on underwater plasma synthesis, CEO Kim Woo-sik), totaling nine companies.
The second cohort has been expanded by 80% compared to the original plan of selecting five companies. This expansion reflects GPI's strong evaluation of the first cohort's outcomes and the technological capabilities of Korean semiconductor startups.
This year, the program will be operated based on a three-way collaboration between Business Oregon, GPI, and the Silicon Forest Partnership—an industry consortium that includes local semiconductor companies such as Intel and Lam Research. A key differentiator of this cohort is the direct connection it provides between participating startups and global semiconductor leaders through verified channels involving state governments and public institutions.
Portland, known as the 'Silicon Forest,' is a major semiconductor industry cluster in the western United States, home to global companies including Intel. It is also considered an ideal strategic entry point for Korean startups due to its relatively lower cost structure compared to other major U.S. cities.
The Gyeonggi Innovation Center plans to strengthen participants' readiness for global expansion through an online bootcamp from April to May. This will be followed by the main on-site program in Portland from May 11 to 15.
Participating companies will engage in meetups with global semiconductor companies, institutions, and investors, as well as take part in major events in Oregon such as the Oregon Innovation Showcase.
Kim Won-kyung, CEO of the Gyeonggi Innovation Center, stated, 'The most notable feature of this second cohort is the newly established collaboration with the Silicon Forest Partnership, strengthening public-private cooperation to support semiconductor startups entering the U.S. market.' He added, 'With the selection size expanded by 80%, we will actively support Korean semiconductor startups in establishing a foothold in the U.S. market through direct connections with global semiconductor companies.'
Meanwhile, the Gyeonggi Innovation Center, designated as a 'Global Strategy Hub' among Korea's nationwide Centers for Creative Economy & Innovation by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, continues to expand its network with overseas innovation hubs and comprehensively supports the global scale-up of promising Korean companies.
[ Gyeonggi Newspaper = Reporter Yoon Sang-yeon ]
[Source] Gyeonggi Newspaper (https://www.kgnews.co.kr/news/article.html?no=892802)