South Korea Opens SVC Seoul, the Largest Startup Hub in Korea, Near Hongik University
South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups officially opened Startup Venture Campus Seoul — known as SVC Seoul — on May 20, 2026, near Hongik University Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Modeled after Paris’ Station F, the world’s largest startup campus,...
APEC Startup Alliance Officially Launches in Korea
The APEC Startup Alliance (ASTAA) was officially launched on May 22 at the Startup Venture Campus Seoul (SVC Seoul), establishing a new framework for startup ecosystem cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region. Delegations from all 21 APEC member economies, alongside global...
Hana Bank Acquires 6.55% Stake in Dunamu, Reshaping Korea's Digital Finance Landscape
Dunamu, the operator of South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, has secured a landmark strategic investment of approximately 1 trillion won ($730 million) from Hana Bank, a subsidiary of Hana Financial Group. Through the deal, Hana Bank acquires a 6.55%...
WIRobotics Closes KRW 95 Billion Series B to Accelerate Humanoid Robot Commercialization
WIRobotics, a South Korea-based robotics company, has closed a 95 billion won Series B funding round. This represents a nearly 8x increase from its Series A round of 13 billion won raised in March 2024. JB Investment led the round...
Venture and KOSDAQ Associations Urge Alteogen to Stay on KOSDAQ
The KOSDAQ Association, the Korea Venture Business Association, and the Korea Venture Capital Association (KVCA) have collectively sent an official letter to Alteogen requesting that the biotech firm reconsider its planned transfer to the KOSPI (Korea Stock Exchange main board)....
Korean Startup Investment Surges 407% in April 2026
South Korean startups attracted a total of KRW 185.1 billion in investment during April 2026 — a dramatic 407.6% jump compared to the same month last year (KRW 36 billion), according to the April 2026 Startup Recipe Investment Report. The...
Upstage Acquires Daum to Build Korea's First AI-Native Portal
Korean AI startup Upstage has finalized its acquisition of Daum, one of Korea’s oldest and most recognized web portals, completing the purchase of AXZ — the portal’s operating company and a former wholly owned subsidiary of Kakao. The deal, which...
Korea's Big Five Financial Groups Pledge 1 trillion to Fuel Startup Growth
Korea’s five major financial groups have committed 1 trillion won in combined investment and loan funding to support the country’s venture and startup ecosystem, joining a landmark government-led initiative. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Ministry of SMEs and...
Korea's National Growth Fund Bets KRW 560 Billion on AI Startup Upstage
South Korea’s AI foundation model startup Upstage has secured a 560 billion won investment commitment from the National Growth Fund, marking the fund’s second direct equity investment and the largest single infusion into a domestic AI model company to date. The funding...
Korean SME Exports Hit All-Time Q1 Record at $29.8 Billion
Korean small and medium-sized enterprise exports reached $29.8 billion in the first quarter of 2026, a 9.1% increase from the same period last year and the highest Q1 figure on record. The result comes despite headwinds from the ongoing Middle...
South Korea Opens Applications for K-Startup Grand Challenge 2026
South Korea is calling on the world’s most innovative entrepreneurs to compete for a spot in one of Asia’s most prestigious foreign startup programs. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED)...
Kurly Raises KRW 33 Billion from Naver, Valuation Hits KRW 2.8 trillion
Korean grocery delivery platform Kurly has raised 33 billion won from Naver through a third-party allotment paid-in capital increase, further cementing the strategic partnership between the two companies. Kurly will issue 498,882 new common shares at 66,148 won per share,...
Korea’s New Industry Sectors Capture 76% of All Venture Investment in 2025
Korea’s twelve designated new industry sectors attracted KRW 5.2 trillion (USD 3.47 billion) in venture capital in 2025 — 76% of the country’s total venture investment of KRW 6.8 trillion (USD 4.53 billion). The figures reflect a sustained investor preference...
K-Startup Centers Open Applications Across 5 Countries
Korea’s overseas startup hubs – known as K-Startup Centers (KSC) – are inviting applications from high-potential ventures seeking a practical route into global markets. Since its first launch in Seattle in 2019, the network has expanded across key innovation corridors, including...
Ex-SK Hynix Executive's AI Chip Startup Xcena Raises KRW 150 Billion in Series B
Xcena, a South Korean AI semiconductor startup formerly operating under the name MetisX, has finalized a KRW 150 billion(approximately $103 million) Series B funding round — surpassing its original 100 billion won target after the raise was oversubscribed by investors...
Upstage Becomes Korea’s First Generative AI Unicorn
Upstage, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup, has officially become the first South Korean generative AI company to achieve unicorn status, with its corporate valuation surpassing KRW 1 trillion. Upstage announced the successful closing of its first Series C funding round,...