Pohang, South Korea — September 17, 2026 — A team of students from Woosong University earned third place at the SV WIN 2026 Global Business Plan Challenge, held on September 16, 2026, at Handong Global University in Pohang. The team impressed judges with their AI-powered academic-to-career intelligence platform, Byeol (별) — Korean for "star."

Organized by Silicon Valley WIN (SV WIN) and the New Paradigm Institute (NPI), and hosted by Handong Global University, SV WIN 2026 brought together student teams from leading universities across Korea — including Handong Global University, Woosong University, Kookmin University, Hanyang University, and POSTECH — under the theme "From Local Innovation to Silicon Valley and the World."

The Woosong team — Naomi Eskinder Woudneh, Eadoniy Teferi Goshu, Dezire Maatkabylova, and Hyunjung Lee — developed Byeol to address a persistent challenge in higher education: the gap between what students learn and what their future careers actually require.

A Platform Built to Close the Gap

Byeol identifies the disconnect between a student's coursework, skills, and evidence of learning, and the requirements of their target career. It then builds and continuously updates a personalized pathway to close that gap — connecting courses, skills, and real opportunities so universities can support students from enrollment through career readiness.

The team presented a working prototype alongside a clear validation roadmap: student research, usability testing, an MVP trial, and a planned pilot with Woosong University. The business model targets universities through an annual SaaS license, with future expansion into employers, learning providers, and enterprise workforce development.

Team Byeol (별) — Woosong University

·         Naomi Eskinder Woudneh

·         Eadoniy Teferi Goshu

·         Dezire Maatkabylova

·         Hyunjung Lee

The third-place finish reflects the team's strong technical execution, clear market insight, and compelling vision for connecting education to opportunity. The team presented during the #5–8 competition block at 11:15 AM, following pitches from Handong Global University, Woosong University, Kookmin University, Hanyang University, and POSTECH.

"Every student has a destination. Byeol helps build the path," the team said. "We're grateful for this recognition and excited to keep proving the path forward."

For more information about Byeol, visit: https://byeol-ai-six.vercel.app/