– Expanding the discovery of local brands… Plans to select small business owners outside the Seoul metropolitan area for more than half of the participating companies
– Supporting successful funding through tangible benefits such as free advertising, special promotions, coupons, and training
– “Our Neighborhood Crowdfunding” has supported the growth of approximately 1,300 small businesses over four years and attracted 270,000 supporters
Wadiz(CEO Shin Hye-seong, www.wadiz.kr) is launching the second round of applications for the “2026 Local Crowdfunding Support Program.” The initiative aims to help products and brands originating in local communities reach a wider market and customer base through crowdfunding.
The “Our Neighborhood Crowdfunding Support Program” is a joint initiative with the Korea Small Business Corporation designed to help local small businesses grow their sales. Wadizhas been running this program for four years since 2023 and announced that, to date, approximately 270,000 supporters have participated in projects launched by about 1,300 local small businesses, raising a total of approximately 20.7 billion won.
Through this second round of recruitment, Wadizplans to select more than 250 additional companies, bringing the total number of local small businesses supported this year to over 530. In particular, more than 50% of the companies selected for the second round will be from regions outside the Seoul metropolitan area, thereby expanding growth opportunities for locally-based brands.
Selected companies will receive the following benefits: △free app push notifications, △participation in the “Sobok Market” showcase for local small brands, △exclusive coupons for Sobok Market, and △training on practical crowdfunding strategies. Wadizwill cover the full cost of the Sobok Market coupons, and the training will be conducted online.
Small business owners who are currently running a crowdfunding project Wadizor who can complete their project by September 20 are eligible to apply, and aspiring makers who have not yet launched a project may also participate. The application deadline is 3:00 PM on June 22. Wadizwill select participating companies based on a comprehensive review of their suitability for crowdfunding, product appeal, and growth potential, and will notify applicants individually of the results on June 29.
Choi Dong-cheol, CEO Wadiz, stated, “For the past four years, Wadizhas been expanding growth opportunities through crowdfunding to help excellent local products and brands reach customers in a broader market beyond the limitations of sales channels centered on the Seoul metropolitan area.” He added, “We will continue to identify local small business owners and strengthen our practical support to help them progress from product validation and securing initial customers to generating actual sales and expanding their businesses.”
Meanwhile, Wadizhas been expanding its engagement with local communities, most recently by hosting a “Crowdfunding Seminar for the Southeast Region” at the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry for approximately 200 aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs from the Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang regions. Starting with the Southeast region, the company plans to expand regional cooperation to establish a foundation that enables local small business owners to validate their ideas through crowdfunding and enter the market.
For more information and to apply for the program, visit the Wadiz Maker Center Support Program tab (https://makercenter.wadiz.kr/).
