From Growth to Sustainability: Strengthening Asia’s Social Impact Ecosystem

Asia has focused on advanced market growth over the past few decades and has now established itself with a significant economic scale. However, behind this rapid growth lie pressing challenges such as social inequality and environmental issues, which are increasingly recognized as difficult to address sustainably through conventional market approaches alone.

The problem is not the lack of capital or willingness to solve social issues, but rather the weakness of a professional ecosystem foundation to execute such solutions. Addressing these issues requires more than just funds or financial support; it demands an integrated system of education to strengthen the capacity of social ventures—the key problem-solvers—along with opportunities for collaboration, social capital (networks), and institutional support.

Global corporations have also adopted sustainability (ESG) as a core management value, yet there remains a gap in effectively connecting their vast pools of responsible capital to the complex task of building such ecosystems. ISQ has therefore defined its challenge as leveraging corporate resources at this pivotal moment, when Asian markets are shifting from “growth” to “sustainability,” to enhance the capabilities of social ventures and lay a solid ecosystem foundation for solving social problems.

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.

1. Impact Startup Acceleration

• - Number of startups accelerated: 700+ impact startups

• - Number of companies invested in: 70+

• - Key highlight: Continuous acceleration programs have scaled innovative social ventures, turning corporate and government capital into growth engines for impact startups.

2. Social Issue Agenda Leadership

• - Expanded membership: 154

• - Engagement approach: Tackles social issues by connecting diverse stakeholders and providing direct support to target beneficiaries.

• - Key highlight: ISQ drives collaborative frameworks that bring together corporations, startups, experts, and institutions to solve complex social problems.

3. Infrastructure Support

• - Impact Circle: Online Learning platform for social entrepreneurs

• - AGMS(Acceleration and Growth Management System): AI

• - Impactology AI Beta: Impact measurement management system

• - Physical hub impact: Social Venture Valley in Seongsu-dong

• - Key highlight: By combining education, tech, and physical infrastructure, ISQ strengthens the foundations of a sustainable social venture ecosystem.