Amid growing interest in the senior creator economy, South Korea’s TIPS program is backing The New Grey to advance AI-driven content development in senior content commerce.

The New Grey Wins MSS TIPS Backing for AI-Driven Senior Creator Economy

The New Grey, a Korean startup specializing in senior-focused content and commerce, has been selected for the TIPS program Korea (Tech Incubator Program for Startup) by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS).

The selection follows a recommendation from its seed investor, Bluepoint Partners, and grants the company up to ₩500 million KRW (approx. $367,000 USD) in research and development funding over two years.

TIPS is the MSS’s flagship tech-startup support initiative, designed to identify and accelerate promising early-stage companies by matching private investment with government-backed R&D support. It is widely regarded as one of the most competitive programs in Korea for startups seeking scale technology innovation.

AI in Content Commerce for the Senior Economy

The New Grey is building an integrated content–academy–community–commerce value chain powered by AI, targeting the growing Silver Economy. Its business model focuses on developing intellectual property (IP) centered on senior influencers, then extending these assets into high-trust commerce channels.

With TIPS support, the startup plans to:

• Advance its AI-powered academy for training senior creators.
• Expand collaborations with global brands to diversify revenue streams.
• Refine customized IP commerce frameworks for higher engagement and conversion rates.

Co-CEO Yoo Dae Young emphasized the company’s strategic approach:

“We will connect education, content, advertising, and commerce into a single value chain and use AI to refine senior creators’ content planning and performance.Our goal is to open a new market for the ‘senior creator economy.’”

The New Grey: From Viral Campaign to Senior Lifestyle Influence

The New Grey gained public recognition with its viral “Change My Dad’s Profile Picture” project, which restyled ordinary men in their 50s and 60s and photographed them like professional models. The initiative attracted nearly 1 million social media followers, boosting the company’s brand visibility and community engagement.

Since then, the startup has trained over 200 senior creators annually and collaborated with more than 70 domestic and international brands on advertising campaigns.

This track record has strengthened The New Grey’s role in shaping Korea’s active senior and ageless lifestyle trends.

Silver Economy: A Growing Opportunity

According to Statistics Korea and related industry reports, the domestic Silver Economy is projected to reach ₩168 trillion KRW (~$123 billion USD) by 2030, driven by demographic shifts and increased consumer spending by older generations.

This aligns with The New Grey’s vision of combining AI innovation with cultural and commercial opportunities in the senior market.

Lee In Seong, Senior Investment Officer at Bluepoint Partners, noted:

“The New Grey connects the identity and potential of seniors with new forms of content and commerce. We expect this TIPS selection will help them grow into an even more robust business model.”

How TIPS Supports Korean Startups and the Global Senior Economy

Since its inception, the TIPS program in South Korea has acted as a launchpad for early-stage companies with scalable technology ambitions, pairing private venture capital with targeted R&D funding.

Industry observers note that this model could further energize the Korean startup ecosystem by enabling founders to accelerate innovation, strengthen technological capabilities, and pursue international partnerships earlier in their growth cycle.

For The New Grey, participation in TIPS sets the stage for advancing AI capabilities, expanding collaborations with global brands, and exploring opportunities in the fast-growing global senior economy, a sector attracting increasing interest from investors, brands, and policymakers worldwide.

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