Pukyong National University

PKNU Preliminary Startup Team Selected for National Marine and Fisheries Startup Program

- Team ‘Neurim’ selected in nationwide competition with functional feed for ornamental fish

- Embarks on marine bio entrepreneurship with Busan University Consortium Holdings

The preliminary startup team Neurim from the Department of Aquaculture and Applied Life Science at Pukyong National University (advisor: Professor Lee Seung-hyung) has been officially selected as a startup candidate in the 2025 Marine and Fisheries Startup Accelerator Program organized by the Busan University Consortium Holdings, earning recognition as a promising startup team in the marine and fisheries sector.

This program is a startup discovery and incubation initiative focused on innovation in both emerging and traditional marine and fisheries industries. It is overseen by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Korea Institute of Marine Science & Technology Promotion (KIMST), and operated by the Busan University Consortium Holdings.

The ‘Neurim’ team consists of Jeon Hyun-chul, a Ph.D. candidate in Fisheries Biology; Park Sang-min, Moon Jun-hyeok, and Jeong Jin-woo from the Department of Aquaculture and Applied Life Science; Kim Do-hyeok from the Department of Marine Life Sciences; and alumna Jo Eun-chae. Together, they have developed a customized functional feed called ‘NEURIM’ designed specifically for aquatic turtles and ornamental fish.

The Neurim team has steadily built a foundation for commercialization by developing a feed formula based on domestic ingredients, producing the first and second prototypes, and establishing a premium blend ratio. Their goal is to complete ingredient registration for semi-aquatic turtle-specific feed and officially launch sales by the end of this year.

After passing both document screening and presentation evaluation, the team was officially selected as part of the 2025 Marine and Fisheries Startup Accelerator Program. They received 6 million KRW in seed funding and are now receiving full-scale business support. On June 12, they participated in the 2025 Marine and Fisheries Startup Briefing Session hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Korea Institute of Marine Science & Technology Promotion, marking the start of their official activities.

Following the initial funding, the team will receive comprehensive startup support, including entrepreneurship education (from basic to advanced business management), one-on-one mentoring from experts in legal affairs, patents, finance, and labor, as well as intensive IR pitching training, demo days, and connections to TIPS, government funding programs, and potential investors. Up to 15 million KRW in commercialization funds and over 300 million KRW in direct investment opportunities will also be provided.

Additionally, Busan University Consortium Technology Holdings Co., Ltd. will support the team’s market entry and performance expansion through marine-specialized programs such as the B-Wave Open Table technical consultation event, B-Next Wave investment networking, and Blue Wave PR, a promotional campaign focused on startups.

With this selection, ‘Neurim’ is expected to grow beyond simply commercializing academic research into a startup that contributes to the structural improvement and high-value transformation of the aquaculture feed industry. <Pukyong Today>