South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups has taken a major step toward strengthening economic ties with Japan by hosting the Korea-Japan Venture Startup Investment Summit 2025 in Tokyo. The summit, aimed at fostering cross-border investment and collaboration, saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the Korea-Japan Cooperation Global Fund, valued at 29 billion won.
The newly formed bilateral venture fund will receive contributions from investors in both South Korea and Japan, including South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ parent fund. This initiative aligns with the Ministry’s broader goal of rapidly forming global funds exceeding 1 trillion won annually to support startup growth and international expansion.
Management of the fund will be a collaborative effort between leading venture capital firms from both nations. Shinhan Venture Investment from South Korea and Global Brain from Japan will jointly oversee the allocation and deployment of capital, ensuring that promising startups receive the necessary financial backing to scale their operations.
The summit also provided a platform for Korean startups to showcase their innovations and seek investment opportunities in the Japanese market. A diverse range of companies participated in the startup presentations (IR), including EverEX, Tcubeit, Bionoxx, Txinnno, Scalar Data, Soteria, Alicon, Switch One, Shapel & Company, and Purplus. These companies represent a variety of industries, from biotechnology to data analytics, highlighting South Korea’s dynamic startup ecosystem.
