South Korea's Beauty Industry Reaches Record-Breaking Heights in 2024
South Korea’s beauty industry achieved unprecedented success in 2024, with both production and export figures reaching historic highs, according to an analysis conducted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the country’s cosmetics production, export, and import performance....
Motorcycle Platform Baree Raises KRW 10.3 Billion in Series B
Baree corp, operator of the motorcycle finance and commerce platform Reitwagen, has secured 10.3 billion KRW in its Series B funding round. Major investors, including SV Investment, Smilegate Investment, Hyundai Technology Investment, and Strong Ventures, participated in this round. Baricorp...
Korean Virtual Asset Market Expands Sharply in H2 2024
The Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) released the results of its latest survey on the domestic virtual asset market, revealing substantial growth in key market indicators during the second half of 2024. The findings are based on data collected from...
S. Korea's Venture Investment Shows Strong Recovery in Q1 2025
South Korea’s venture investment and venture fund formation both recorded double-digit growth rates in the first quarter of this year, indicating a recovery in the investment ecosystem. According to data released by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, venture investments...
Curestream Raises KRW 11B for Automated Insulin Delivery System
Seoul-based medical device startup Curestream has secured KRW 11 billion in Series A funding to advance its autonomous artificial pancreas system. The investment round attracted a mix of new and existing backers, including We Ventures, Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (KODIT),...
Two Unicorns Emerge from Super Gap Startup 1000+ Project
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) hosted the 2025 Super Gap Startup Renovation Day at the Fairmont Ambassador Hotel in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, gathering over 300 participants including startup founders, executives from global corporations, venture capitalists, and industry experts. The...
Naver D2SF Marks 10 Years of Investing in Korean Tech Startups — What’s Next?
Naver’s in-house corporate venture capital arm, Naver D2SF(D2 Startup Factory), celebrated its 10th anniversary with a roundtable event on May 13. The company reflected on a decade of strategic early-stage investments and revealed its vision for global expansion in the...
S. Korean Proptech Unicorn Zigbang Secures KRW 60 Billion
South Korean proptech unicorn Zigbang has raised a significant new investment of KRW 60 billion through a bond with warrants (BW) agreement with VIG Alternative Credit (VAC), the credit investment arm of VIG Partners. This latest funding injection underscores the...
South Korea Backs Future Unicorns with 2025 Startup Guarantee Program
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) has opened applications for the 2025 Soonicorn Special Guarantee program. This initiative aims to support high-potential startups nearing unicorn status—commonly referred to as soonicorns. Selected companies may receive special guarantees of up to...
Seoul AI Hub Launches Global Internship Program for Foreign Students
The Seoul AI Hub has launched its Global Hiring Program 2025 to help Korean AI startups find talented international students for internship positions. This program is designed for foreign students currently living in Korea who are interested in working with...
KODIT Selects Innovation Icon Startups with Unicorn Potential
The Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (KODIT) has announced the selection of five innovative startups for the 13th round of its flagship Innovation Icon scale-up program. Designed to identify and support high-growth companies with the potential to become unicorns, the program...
April Startup Funding Slumps to 2025 Low in South Korea
April marked a significant slowdown in South Korea’s startup investment scene, with total capital inflow dropping to KRW 255 billion—the lowest monthly figure of 2025 so far. This dip brings the total below the KRW 300 billion mark for the...
14 Korean Robotics Startups Meets Media Press
Startup Alliance held a press day event on 24th to foster connections between the media and burgeoning robotics startups. The event, centered around the theme of robotics startups, commenced at 7 PM with light finger foods, followed by one-minute company...
KVIC, Establishes $200M K-VCC Fund in Singapore
The Korea Venture Investment Corporation (KVIC), under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, has established a subsidiary in Singapore to launch a Variable Capital Company (VCC) fund, marking a significant step in Korea’s efforts to globalize its venture capital ecosystem....
S.Korea Opens Applications for the 'K-Startup Grand Challenge 2025'
Applications are now open for the 2025 K-Startup Grand Challenge, an inbound startup support program hosted by the South Korean government. Since its inception in 2016, the K-Startup Grand Challenge has been dedicated to attracting promising international startups and facilitating...
Korea Startup Fund 2025 Launches to Inject Billions into Startups with Private Sector Drive
The launch ceremony for the Startup Korea Fund 2025 was held in Seoul on Wednesday, April 24, with the participation of key investors and stakeholders. The Startup Korea Fund is a new initiative established through collaboration among large corporations, financial...