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[StartupRecipe] Investment in Korean Women-Led Startups Shows Growth, But Challenges Remain

#Weekly Funding Overview

[June. 30~ July. 04]

#FUNDING

CompanyInudustryAmountRoundInvestors
Next AerospaceCivil Aircraft System11.5 billionPre-IPOT Investment, MW&Company, PGS Partners, Reinvestment
JP InnovatioRaw Material Synthesis Equipment12 billionPre-IPOKolon Investment, IBK Venture Investment, Samsung Securities
EportSemiconductor Materials12.8 billionSeries AKiwoom Investment, Komes Investment, WeVentures, KC Investment Partners, STIC Ventures, DTN Investment
ByteamsAI Agent1.4 billionPre-Seed10vc, Mashup Ventures
EttifosV2X Semiconductor15 billionSeries BLB Investment, L&S Venture Capital, Kyobo Securities, KR Ventures
Netform R&DBuilding Maintenance MRO2 billionXplor Investment
SovergenBio23.5 billionAtinum Investment, Premier Partners, DSC Investment, CKD Investment, Dongguk Investment
Quantum UniverseXR Game2.5 billionIBK Industrial Bank of Korea, ID Ventures
Near SolutionIntelligent Logistics Operating System3.5 billionSeries AHyosung Ventures, Union Investment Partners
Smart Bingon TechnologyMeat/Seafood Long-term Aging System300 millionPre Series AEcrux Venture Partners
Dr. BletWellness40 billionCostone Asia
Illimiste TherapeuticsBio58 billionSeries BDSC Investment, Woori Venture Partners, Korea Development Bank, Aju IB Investment, Quad Asset Management, Company K Partners, GS Ventures, Daily Partners, LB Investment, TS Investment, Shinhan Venture Investment, S&S Investment, Komes Investment, Hana Ventures, Maple Investment Partners, Aventures, IMM Investment, Schmidt, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea
HT BeyondIoT Residential Integrated Solution7 billionSeries BPuzzle Investment Korea, KDB Industrial Bank, ES Investor
Wake BunnyIP-based Commerce-Pre Series AKorea Investment Partners
Korea Education PartnersEdtech-GrantDeeptech TIPS
ZerorderAI Hospital Purchasing System-GrantTIPS
LithiwayEnergy-Elixir Solution-GrantDeeptech TIPS
DworksGenerative AI-Pre Series ANew Paradigm Investment
HypernovaEdtech-SeedSpring Camp
GTS &Sports Tech-Infinitum Partners
JejubasaltFood Tech-SeedY&Archer
ItphyDigital Healthcare-GrantTIPS
Flexell SpaceSpace Solar Cell Developer-GrantTIPS
SkyreveAutomation SaaS Framework-GrantTIPS
Foretell My HealthHealthcare-Pre Series ANext Dream Angel Club
FuriosaAIFuriosaAI-Series C BridgeNH Premiere Blue
Tackty & LousySmall Makgeolli Brewery-Painters & Ventures
vibeAIPersonalized AI Service-GrantTIPS
urockDigital Forensics Solution-GrantScaleup TIPS
MediqstarAI Healthcare-Series AHB Investment
Baekkyung DistillersTraditional Liquor-Sejong CCEI, ReVentures

#TREND ANALYSIS

Investment in Korean Women-Led Startups Shows Growth , But Challenges Remain

Investment in Korean women-led startups reached 47.1 billion won in the first half of 2025, an increase from the 41.9 billion won secured in the same period last year.However, a closer look at the data reveals persistent challenges. Despite the numerical increase, the share of total startup investment captured by women-led enterprises remains at a modest 2%, indicating they still represent a very small segment of the market.

A key characteristic of these investments is their concentration in seed or pre-Series A stage companies. Most of the funding is directed towards early-stage ventures, suggesting difficulties in securing later-stage capital.

Only a handful of companies managed to attract substantial investment. Sizzle, a manufacturing firm, led the pack with an investment exceeding 10 billion won. Other notable recipients included CellTa Square (9.2 billion won), Moovin (4 billion won), and Podl (3.5 billion won). The overwhelming majority of the remaining investments were smaller, ranging from hundreds of millions to several billion won, with many amounts undisclosed. There were no mega-investment cases in the first half of 2025, unlike the 2023 deals for companies like Kurly (120 billion won) and MusicCow (60 billion won).

Nearly half of all women-led startups receiving investment are concentrated in consumer technology, encompassing sectors like beauty, fashion, pet care, wellness, and other lifestyle-related services, accounting for 40% of the total. While female entrepreneurship is robust in these consumer-facing areas, expansion into technology-based fields continues to be limited.

Although some women-led companies are venturing into high-growth potential technology and B2B sectors such as software and healthcare, their overall proportion remains low. Furthermore, follow-up investments beyond Series A are rare. With the exception of a few companies like Sizzle (which is pre-IPO), most women-led startups continue to rely on seed investment or government support programs like TIPS.

A positive development in the first half of 2025 was the emergence of two merger and acquisition (M&A) cases. Lifestyle brand Nalna and oral IoT bio-capsule company Ulike Korea achieved investment recovery through M&A, providing crucial exit opportunities for investors.

While the numerical increase in investment for women-led startups is encouraging, the market still faces structural issues. The strong concentration in early-stage funding without significant large-scale investments limits their overall market presence. While initial funding through programs like TIPS is relatively accessible, the transition to sustained private investment and advanced growth stages remains a significant hurdle.

#MORE NEWS

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