# Hardware Accelerator N15

> Hardware Accelerator N15 is Korea's first accelerator built specifically for hardware startups. From a 24/7 makerspace inside Seoul's Yongsan Electronics Market, it turns napkin sketches into shippable products - handling prototyping, tooling, injection molding, certification and factory sourcing - then plugs founders into a corporate open-innovation network that includes Samsung, LG, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz.

- **Founded:** 2015
- **Headquarters:** Seoul, South Korea
- **Founders:** Sunjong Ryu (CEO & Co-founder)
- **Team size:** ~12 (US entity; larger operations in Korea)
- **Products:** Hardware Accelerating Program, Manufacturing (one-stop production), Open Innovation Platform, Makerspace & Labs
- **Notable:** Recognized as Korea's first accelerator built specifically for hardware startups (founded 2015)., 96 startups have produced physical products through N15; network of 140 partner factories at home and abroad., 150B+ won in cumulative innovation projects and 350B+ won in cumulative open-innovation initiatives (company figures).

## Products & services

- **Hardware Accelerating Program** — A roughly four-month program giving hardware startups free office and project space, mentoring, investment, prototyping support and access to N15's makerspace and labs.
- **Manufacturing (one-stop production)** — End-to-end product realization: consulting, prototyping, industrial design, circuit and firmware development, tooling, injection molding, assembly, certification and domestic/international factory sourcing.
- **Open Innovation Platform** — Matches large corporations with startups - strategy, startup discovery, proof-of-concept operations, acceleration, demo days and global expansion programs.
- **Makerspace & Labs** — A 24/7 facility inside Yongsan Electronics Market with a hardware tech shop, coworking space, 3D printing lab, H/W lab, makerspace and education space.

## Achievements

- Recognized as Korea's first accelerator built specifically for hardware startups (founded 2015).
- 96 startups have produced physical products through N15; network of 140 partner factories at home and abroad.
- 150B+ won in cumulative innovation projects and 350B+ won in cumulative open-innovation initiatives (company figures).
- Portfolio and program work recognized at CES, the iF Design Award and the Good Design Award.
- Runs corporate open-innovation programs with Samsung, LG, Hyundai, SK, Mercedes-Benz and other major firms.

## Latest updates

- **2020-05** — Reported Series A round, with total funding around $2.52M.
- **2023-01** — Expanded open-innovation programs with major Korean and global corporations, including automotive partners.

## Links

- Website: https://n15.asia
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardware-accelerator-n15
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/n15.asia

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Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-20