[StartupRecipe] Bio-Healthcare Sector Leads Korean Startup Investment

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#Weekly Funding Overview

#FUNDING

#TREND ANALYSIS

Bio-Healthcare Sector Leads Korean Startup Investment

The Korean startup landscape is seeing a clear leader emerge this year: the bio-healthcare sector. Data from January to July reveals that this field has outperformed all others in terms of funding, large-scale deals, and pre-IPO activity, solidifying its position as a major driver of investment growth.

According to data from StartupRecipe, five of the top 15 most-funded startups this year are from the bio-healthcare industry. This includes impressive mega-investments of over 50 billion KRW for illimis Therapeutics (58 billion KRW) and AIMed Bio (51.1 billion KRW). Mid-to-large-scale deals were also prominent, with Healing Paper (42.8 billion KRW), LivsMed (48.6 billion KRW), and Prazer Therapeutics (29 billion KRW) also securing top spots. This trend is further supported by government data on Q1 venture trends, which shows the bio/medical sector growing by 11% year-over-year, alongside the AI sector.

The concentration of capital in bio-healthcare is particularly striking. The sector accounted for 46% of all companies that raised over 10 billion KRW in funding through July, confirming a high level of investor confidence.

The investment isn’t focused on just one area, but rather a wide range of innovations. Traditional bio R&D companies focused on new drug development and gene editing received significant funding, as did technology-based healthcare companies. This broad investment strategy highlights the depth and breadth of the technological advancements happening within the industry.

The dominance of the bio-healthcare sector is also evident in the pre-IPO market. Six of the 17 companies that secured pre-IPO investment from January to July are from this field, showcasing a strong pipeline of companies poised to go public.

Notable companies in this group include:

• AIMed Bio: An ADC new drug developer
• LivMed: A surgical medical device company
• LiscureBio Sciences: A cell therapy developer
• BeamWorks: A medical AI solution company
• Doctor Diary: A digital health service
• Quad Medicine: An anticancer drug developer

LivsMed is a standout, valued at 830 billion KRW at its pre-IPO stage and is considered a prime candidate for a second-half IPO. In addition, AIMed Bio and Quad Medicine have already applied for their KOSDAQ preliminary listing review, targeting listings later this year. RescureBio Sciences and Doctor Diary are also setting their sights on going public next year.

This robust activity, combined with the successful IPOs of IntoCell, Orum Therapeutics, and Neurophet in the first half of the year, has generated significant enthusiasm for the bio-healthcare IPO market. With a strong pipeline of promising companies and sustained investment interest, the sector is expected to remain a key growth engine for the Korean economy.

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