The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced trends in new venture investments and venture fund formation for the third quarter of 2025, revealing significant growth across multiple indicators.
New venture investments for the first three quarters of 2025 reached KRW 9.8 trillion, marking a 13.1 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The third quarter performance was particularly notable, recording KRW 4 trillion—a 32 percent increase from the second quarter of 2025 and a 28 percent rise from the same period the previous year. This milestone represents the first time a single quarter has surpassed KRW 4 trillion since the pandemic.
Investment growth was evenly distributed across different business stages. Companies within seven years of establishment and late-stage companies both saw investment increases of 13.1 percent, demonstrating that capital expansion is occurring throughout all phases of the corporate growth cycle.
Venture fund formation also showed promising signs of recovery. New venture fund formation for the first three quarters totaled KRW 9.7 trillion, representing a 17.3 percent increase year-over-year. This marks the first rebound in fund formation since 2022, reversing a three-year declining trend. The private sector led this upward momentum, accounting for 83 percent of total contributions. Notably, investments from pension funds and mutual aid associations reached a record high of KRW 837 billion.
Regional development also gained traction during this period. Analysis of investments by venture capital firms and partnerships revealed that 13 companies outside the Seoul metropolitan area secured large-scale investments exceeding KRW 10 billion each. These companies included five biotechnology firms such as Cellark Bio, Trioar, and Sovargen, along with five electrical, mechanical, and equipment companies including Lion Robotics and Nexsensor. Industry analysts attribute these substantial investments to the companies’ advanced technological capabilities and strong growth potential.
