Designing Holistic Ecosystems for Social Impact

Under the mission of “getting more consumers to engage with impact businesses,” ISQ prides itself on its unique capability to transform corporate and government capital into the most effective driver of social innovation. The company designs tailored innovation portfolios around three core pillars: impact startup acceleration, social issue agenda leadership, and infrastructure support for the impact sector.

A. Scale-up Partnerships through Impact Startup Acceleration

ISQ designs continuous acceleration programs that discover and grow social ventures aligned with the strategic goals of corporations and government. Beyond KIA and Hyundai Insurance, ISQ has run long-term initiatives with major corporations such as SK, KT&G, and LOTTE, as well as government-led startup growth projects. These programs are not one-off efforts but ongoing partnerships that convert corporate capital into the scaling engine for the most innovative social ventures.

B. Leading Social Issue Agendas and Building Collaborative Frameworks

Since the early days of Korea’s impact sector in 2010, ISQ has led impact agendas and designed collaborative frameworks that connect diverse stakeholders to solve complex social problems.

KIA Partnership: Beyond simple support, ISQ led a comprehensive project integrating top domestic institutions to address issues facing multicultural youth, thereby strengthening future human capital.
Hyundai Insurance Partnership: To provide solutions for children with developmental delays or disabilities, ISQ designed collaborative links connecting startups, specialized hospitals, universities, and development centers, maximizing the effectiveness and accessibility of innovative solutions.

C. Strengthening Ecosystem Foundations through Impact Infrastructure Support

ISQ enhances the competitiveness of the ecosystem by providing education and technical infrastructure that enable social ventures to grow sustainably.

Google.org Partnership: ISQ established “Impact Circle Lectures” and communities that provide social entrepreneurs with knowledge and networks, bridging gaps in educational and social capital.
Technology-Based Support: By integrating acceleration and impact measurement with AI technologies, ISQ provides innovative infrastructure that allows social ventures to grow efficiently based on data.
Physical Hubs: Since 2014, ISQ has built the Impact Startup Social Venture Valley in Seoul, creating a physical hub for the social venture ecosystem. By combining hardware (physical infrastructure) and software (education, technology, and networks), ISQ stands out as a unique ecosystem builder.

Through its structural design capabilities across these three pillars, ISQ successfully creates holistic impact ecosystems where the capital of global leaders like KIA, Hyundai, and Google.org is transformed into sustainable value creation drivers.

Designing Asia’s Sustainable Future: ISQ’s Impact Ecosystem Approach

Designing Asia’s Sustainable Future: ISQ’s Impact Ecosystem Approach