[StartupRecipe] Which sectors are growth stage VCs interested in

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#Weekly Funding Overview

[Dec. 4 ~ Dec.8]

The total funds raised by Korean startups of this week is KRW 172.3 Billion.

Company	Inudustry	Amount	Round	Investors
Picopack	Digital x-ray	5 billion	Series A	Shinhan Ventures Investment, Stick Ventures, Withtech, Yuanta Investments
Mold	Manufacturing	-	Seed	Series Ventuers
Printing Box	Content	1 billion	Series A2	Albatross Investment
Gentlefarmers	Foodtech	-	Grant	TIPS
Ordinary Magic	Kids Platform	-	Pre-Series A	Stone Bridge Ventures, Smilegate Investments
Onclev	Blockchain	-	Seed	Crypton
Reset company	Energy	-	Series A	Bluecorner
AGMO	Agritech	-	Pre-Series A	Futureplay, Kyungnong
Okestro	Cloud software	130 billion	Series B	Stick Investments, IMM Investments, Korea Development Bank, Industrial Bank of Korea
Koreaspacedata	Proptech	4 billion	Series B	Smilegate Investments, Hana Ventures
GENA	Gen AI	-	Seed	Mashup angels
The watt	Mobility	-	Grant	TIPS
Paywork	Paycheck management	-	Grant	TIPS
Truck4u	Truck platform	-	Seed	Y&Archer
Hititsoft	Nocode SaaS	-	Grant	TIPS
Autohub sellca	Car dealing	-	M&A	Carmerce
Ascentsports	Sports nuturition	-		Betahausx
Locus	Content	24 billion		Industrial Bank of Korea, 4th Creative Party, SBI, Crit Ventures, Giant Step, Gaia Ventures. Wysiwyg, Mediacan,Roadstone Private Equity, Michigan Venture Capital
Stylemate	Fashion	1 billion	Seed	Altos Ventures
UNA STELLA	Space	-	Grant	Scaleup TIPS
Teamwink	Fintech	-	M&A	KB Capital
Elroilab	AI Solution	-	Grant	TIPS
Diavision	Healthcare	-	Grant	TIPS
G2E	Healthcare	6.2 billion	Series B Bridge	Huons, Kolon Investments, Sema Investments, Daily Partners, SoriSB
Seoul Property Insight	Proptech	1.1 billion	Pre-Series A	Jinwon group
First Monkees	Edutech	-	Seed	Realwesen
DOR	Game	-	Seed	Bass Investments, The Ventures, Primer, Goodwater Capital

#Major Funding

• Okestro has secured KRW 130 billion in funding. The company specializes in delivering integrated cloud services, which encompass cloud consulting, cloud-native conversion and design, and cloud platform operation tailored to customer governance.
• Anime production company Locus raised 24 billion won in funding. Locus is known for producing the 3D animation of Yumi’s Cells and publishing Suzume’s Bunka Bunka, and is planning a full-scale IPO.
• G2E, a diabetes management platform, has secured a funding of KRW 6.2 billion. Specializing in the production and sale of insulin auto-injectors based on its platform, the company intends to utilize the funding to broaden product awareness and propel advancements in clinical trials.

#Trend Analysis

Which sectors are growth stage VCs interested in

While the beginning of 2023 presented a tough investment climate for growth-stage startups, the second half of the year witnessed a significant surge in both the number and value of deals. Data from Startuprecipe reveals a nearly doubled number of Series B investments in the latter half compared to the first, and a 39% increase in investments exceeding Series B.

Bio/healthcare emerged as the most popular sector for Series B investments, experiencing a substantial rise in funding during the second half. Several large investments were made in healthcare startups, with key players including doBrain, CareMed, Meeju, Medipixel, Neurofit, and CareDoc.

Consumer tech and software also remained active in Series B deals. Within consumer tech, fashion and food investments such as GoohaDa, Eastend, Ignis, and Sweetbio continued to attract interest, while legal tech companies like Lo & Good and Elbox gained recognition for their growth potential. However, only fashion platforms like Musinsa, Kream, and Ably stood out at Series C and above.

The software sector saw promising investments in semiconductor companies like Morae and Supergate, as well as generative AI startups like Organize. However, only a handful of companies secured Series C or higher funding. For startups to attract larger investments at Series B and beyond, demonstrating market demand and potential through profitability, beyond just technological recognition, is crucial.

Looking at the overall investment amounts, bio/healthcare, consumer tech, and software received the most funding, indicating a clear focus from investors. Notably, vehicle/mobility, including Drimaes, SOS Labs, and Pablo Air, garnered the highest average investment per company in Series B, highlighting investor confidence in the growth potential of this sector.

Moving onto Series C and beyond, fintech attracted more investment than bio/healthcare despite a lower number of deals. Series C investments represent growth capital, and at this stage, investors have higher expectations regarding company growth, profitability, and exit opportunities. This trend showcases a strong investor belief in the future of fintech.

While headwinds like rising interest rates and a potential economic downturn are anticipated to continue impacting the startup investment market in the future, excitement remains high for innovative companies and the new markets they create. Therefore, startups with the right technology and market potential will continue to be highly sought after by investors.