Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Hope Jeonbuk POST-BI resident company Allwell Co., Ltd. won the Grand Prize (Jeonbuk Regional Director of the Small and Medium Venture Business Administration Award) at the regional startup discovery program '2026 Challenge! J-Startup Contest.'

This award is regarded as external recognition of the innovation and growth potential of startups in the Jeonbuk region.

'2026 Challenge! J-Startup Contest' is an entrepreneurship support program jointly hosted by the JBNU Startup Incubation Center, the Jeonbuk Bio-Convergence Industry Promotion Agency, the ECO Convergence Textile Research Institute, and Jeonbuk Science College. It was organized to identify and nurture companies with excellent startup ideas and innovative capabilities, focusing on Jeonbuk's key industries of agro-life and bio, and carbon composite materials.

The contest selected the final awardees through document review and presentation evaluation. Allwell Co., Ltd. received the Grand Prize in recognition of the business performance and growth strategy of its pillow mist brand 'AROM1980,' designed to improve the sleep environment.

Allwell develops and sells premium fragrance products using agro-life materials such as lavender, Artemisia (mugwort), and phytoncide, and has established a product lineup applicable to various living environments including pillows, bedding, and spaces. In particular, it received high praise for concretizing its overseas market entry plans, including upgrading its global brand, launching on Amazon US, and building D2C (Direct to Consumer) sales channels.

The company's performance also shows notable growth. As of 2025, Allwell recorded approximately KRW 297 million in sales and about KRW 241 million in exports.

With this award, Allwell will receive various follow-up support, including commercialization support, corporate innovation mentoring, domestic and international market development, and investment attraction programs. Through the 2026 Specialized Capability BI Support Project, the company plans to accelerate strengthening its brand competitiveness and expanding its global market.

Meanwhile, successes among Hope Jeonbuk POST-BI resident companies continue. Modi Co., Ltd. was selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ '2026 Startup-Centered University Startup Company Support Project.' Modi is developing a logistics and production management solution that combines modular smart racks with an automatic picking notification system, aiming to build a smart operational environment integrating WMS (Warehouse Management System) and MES (Manufacturing Execution System).

Guk Kyung-su, Director of the Hope Jeonbuk POST-BI Center, said, “We congratulate Allwell Co., Ltd. on winning the Grand Prize as the only POST-BI in Jeonbuk entrusted to JBNU. This achievement is a meaningful example demonstrating the technological capability and growth potential of regional startups.” He added, “We will continue to provide systematic support so resident companies can grow steadily and secure global competitiveness.”