KT&G, 'Coco Challenge' Cosmetics Startup Competition Awards Ceremony

*This content was translated by AI.

KT&G Sangsangmadang held the '2026 Coco Challenge' awards ceremony on the 29th at KT&G Sangsang Planet, a dedicated startup space for youth located in Seongsu-dong, Seoul.

Coco Challenge is an eco-friendly cosmetics startup idea competition that KT&G has been holding annually since 2021 to support entrepreneurship in the beauty sector.

This year's competition, themed "Leisure," ran from March to May, attracting a total of 463 teams and achieving a record-high competition ratio of 154-to-1. Additionally, 18 teams that advanced to the finals were provided opportunities to strengthen their business capabilities through a "Mentoring Camp" featuring experts from various fields.

According to the final judging results, two teams in the Beginner category, which presented startup ideas, and one team in the Challenger category, targeting small businesses founded within seven years, were selected. In the Beginner category, the 'Nuhui' team, which presented a cream mist for body care utilizing Jeju minerals and mugwort, and the 'Forest Lab' team, which introduced eco-friendly cleansing products that reduce both skin burden and environmental pollution, were chosen. In the Challenger category, the 'Lotea' team was selected for proposing a ritual hand cream product that allows for hand care even after dishwashing in the kitchen.

A Cosmo Cos representative, speaking to this newspaper by phone, stated, "The three teams ultimately selected will be given the opportunity to collaborate with the cosmetics specialist company 'Cosmo Cos' to turn their ideas into actual products and launch them."

A KT&G representative, speaking to this newspaper by phone, stated, "We will spare no effort to support talented individuals who actively challenge entrepreneurship based on innovative ideas and grow their businesses."

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*This content was translated by AI.