Press

Underdogs, an impact-based startup education company, has begun recruiting key talent for advancing its management system and preparing for an initial public offering (IPO). Underdogs has brought in Jung Je-hyun, former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Review Corporation, as Vice President. Underdogs, a social enterprise certified by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, has focused on fostering execution-oriented entrepreneurs over the past 10 years. During this period, it has contributed to the growth of approximately 20,000 accumulated entrepreneurs and around 2,600 teams. Recently, Underdogs has been expanding its business scope beyond startup education into a comprehensive ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) solutions company. In particular, it is expanding its international influence by implementing global programs that support local youth employment and entrepreneurship, centered on major Asian hubs such as Japan and India. As part of its global expansion strategy, Underdogs acquired F-Lab, a practical developer education platform for nurturing local tech talent. Through this, it is accelerating the creation of a regional talent ecosystem suitable for the AI era. New Vice President Jung Je-hyun is an expert with extensive experience in the financial sector. He spent approximately 15 years at Daewoo Securities and Korea Investment & Securities' IPO division, performing various investment and management operations centered on private equity and M&A. Since joining Review Corporation in 2022, VP Jung achieved a successful IPO in just one year and six months. He also led the acquisition of Shoutz and portfolio adjustments, playing a key role in growing operating profit by 67% from 4.5 billion won in 2022 to 7.5 billion won in 2024. This recruitment suggests that Underdogs' management system advancement and IPO preparation are now on full track. VP Jung is expected to oversee financial strategy formulation, management system advancement, and overall IPO preparation. He also plans to lead the execution of mid-to-long-term strategies including strengthening the ESG sector and expanding into global markets. "Based on Underdogs' leadership in the social impact field, I aim to lead the AI transition of the domestic and international startup ecosystems while advancing into the ESG field and global markets," said Vice President Jung Je-hyun. He added, "I will establish a trusted corporate foundation in the mid-to-long term by organizing financial strategies and management systems." (Source: Platum https://platum.kr/)