The Seoul Business Agency (SBA), led by CEO Kim Hyun-woo, announced on June 1 that it will recruit participants for the '2026 Amazon Accelerator Program' until June 28. This strategic initiative aims to support Korean brands that lack experience in penetrating the U.S. market, offering comprehensive assistance from Amazon onboarding to sales and marketing execution.

This program stands out for its integration of market verification and sales performance enhancement, providing targeted education and marketing support. It aims to elevate the competitive edge of brands in the skincare, makeup, beauty devices, and inner beauty sectors by focusing on differentiating factors such as texture, packaging, ingredients, and technical prowess, while prioritizing compliance with U.S. cosmetic regulations (MoCRA) for English labeling.

With a recruitment target of up to 20 companies, the program specifically seeks brands with no prior experience selling on Amazon. This move not only indicates an increased interest in U.S. distribution channels but also reflects a strategic focus on nurturing brands that can demonstrate market potential and robust product differentiation.

The selected companies will benefit from the formal Amazon educational curriculum and networking opportunities through meetup programs. Moreover, brands entering the sales and marketing execution phase will receive targeted advertising support to establish brand recognition and sales foundations in the U.S. market, thus enhancing their competitive positioning.

The initiative will identify three exemplary companies through intermediate evaluations and final pitches, providing further growth opportunities through marketing collaborations with global influencers and one-on-one consulting with Amazon managers. This tiered support strategy underlines the SBA's commitment to fostering a resilient K-beauty ecosystem.

The entire accelerator program will proceed through steps including company recruitment, evaluation for selection, sales preparation, and marketing execution, culminating in ongoing support. Participating brands will gradually validate their product competitiveness and market suitability, offering an analytical framework that benefits potential buyers and distributors by identifying viable products.

User engagement will be enhanced through the creation of content documenting the growth journeys and stories of participating brands, to be shared on Amazon's official YouTube channel. This not only cultivates consumer awareness but also reinforces the participating brands' market presence globally.

Moreover, an online seminar is scheduled for June 17 to facilitate Q&A sessions for interested companies, further demonstrating the program's comprehensive support structure. Kim Hyun-woo stated, 'This initiative is designed to discover promising brands that have yet to enter the U.S. market and link them to actual sales and growth, ensuring rapid market integration and sustainable growth through collaboration with Amazon.'