Prosperity Stack Fellowship

Total Amount Available: $108,000

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Executive Summary

The U.S. Embassy Seoul Public Diplomacy Section invites proposals to implement the Prosperity Stack Fellowship, a strategic accelerator program designed to promote American AI technology with Korean early-stage entrepreneurs by connecting them with U.S. expertise in artificial intelligence, business development, and innovation. The program will engage young Korean innovators through training, mentorship, regional engagement, and public showcase opportunities linked to the American Spaces network in Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, and Pyeongtaek.

Through a multi-phase fellowship model, selected startup teams will receive training in U.S. AI applications, American business management principles, pitching, and product development. Finalist teams will participate in advanced technical training and mentorship, and top-performing teams may receive project development support to help advance their concepts toward market-readiness.

The program should culminate in a final Demo Day and follow-on engagement that showcases participant outcomes, strengthens the role of American Spaces as regional gateways for innovation, and demonstrates how American AI Stack, U.S. technical platforms, business practices, and professional link to silicon valley experts can support Korean entrepreneurs and advance shared prosperity.

Program Goal

The goal of this program is to strengthen U.S. leadership and U.S.-ROK cooperation in artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship by connecting Korean early-stage innovators with American AI technology, work platforms, business practices, professional networks, and practical startup development support.    

Program Objectives

• Recruit and train Korean startup teams through a structured fellowship curriculum focused on U.S. AI applications, American business management principles, pitching, and project development.
• Connect selected finalist teams with American AI experts and relevant U.S. and Korean mentors through advanced technical training and mentorship.
• Support top-performing teams through project development assistance and follow-on mentorship to help advance their concepts toward viable and scalable models.
• Use American Corners as regional platforms for entrepreneurship, innovation, and U.S.-ROK technology engagement.
• Showcase participant outcomes through a final Demo Day, media outreach, and follow-on regional engagement that demonstrate the economic opportunity the American AI Stack can unleash for Korean entrepreneurs. 

Program Design and Required Activities

Applicants should propose a detailed implementation plan that incorporates the following required program components. Applicants may propose adjustments to the sequence, format, or delivery method where appropriate, but proposals should clearly demonstrate how the overall fellowship model will be implemented.

• Recruitment and selection of up to 20 teams of Korean innovators, ages 18–35, with no more than five members per team, with a focus on American Corner regions in Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, and Pyeongtaek.
• A five-week intensive online workshop that includes lectures and mentorship on American artificial intelligence, business, and pitching, as well as regional in-person meetups for teams at American Corners.
• Pitching sessions at the four American Corner locations, based on each team’s closest region, to select up to 10 teams for the next phase.
• A three-day, two-night AI Camp for the selected 10 teams, featuring hands-on training from American AI experts using the American AI Stack.
• Project development support for up to five top-performing teams, with support of up to $6,000 per team. Project development support may include subscriptions to U.S. AI application programming interfaces or other U.S. AI technology, technology subscriptions including data storage, or other necessary expenses to develop a fully functioning AI-powered prototype product.
• Continued mentorship and support from accelerators and local AI industry leaders for up to six months to help the selected teams develop their projects.
• A final Demo Day at American Diplomacy House to showcase team outcomes.
• Follow-on debriefing sessions at all four American Corner locations, where the five selected teams share their final products or proposals.
• A robust media and outreach plan using the program’s outcomes to highlight the opportunities American AI can unleash for local entrepreneurs. 

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

Applicants should clearly define expected outputs and outcomes and include a plan for monitoring and evaluation. Proposals should identify:

• Performance indicators, such as the number of teams recruited, number of participants trained, number of regional meetups held, number of teams completing the five-week training, number of teams selected for AI Camp, number of mentorship sessions delivered, number of teams receiving project development support, Demo Day attendance, media reach, number of teams launching viable products, increased public awareness of American AI and business culture, and participant feedback.
• Targets and, where appropriate, baseline data
• Data collection methods, such as application records, attendance records, participant surveys, mentor feedback, pitch evaluation forms, project progress reports, event records, interviews, and digital analytics.
• Methods for assessing whether participants improved their understanding of U.S. AI applications, strengthened their business or pitching skills, advanced their project concepts, expanded professional networks, or applied U.S. technical expertise and business practices to their startup ideas.

All application materials must be submitted by email to SeoulPDGrants@state.gov