The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it will be recruiting approximately 50 new general-type scale-up tips operators from December 29 to January 30, 2026, to support the growth and global expansion of promising technology companies.
TIPS is a private-sector-led technology innovation program. The government recommends technology companies that have been pre-invested in by private investors after verifying their market potential, and provides support through R&D grants and commercialization funds. Currently, there are 149 TIPS operators and 24 scale-up TIPS operators.
According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, since its introduction in 2013, TIPS has supported approximately 5,000 innovative companies and, backed by 2.2 trillion won in government R&D funding, has attracted approximately 21.3 trillion won in private investment. It has also been reported that 48 companies have successfully gone public.
Starting in 2026, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to upgrade TIPS into a full-cycle support system encompassing startups, growth, and global expansion, and significantly expand the scope of support. Accordingly, the number of companies receiving support through Scale-Up TIPS will increase from 152 to 300, and a new Global TIPS program will be introduced for 100 companies.
As the role of private investors becomes increasingly important with the strengthening of the full-cycle support system, the number of operators focused on discovering companies in the post-scale-up stage will also gradually expand. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to divide Scale-Up TIPS operators into two categories: general operators (investors) and specialized operators (consortiums). This announcement is for general operators. Recruitment for specialized operators will be announced in a separate announcement at a later date.
Selection is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the investment company's investment performance, financial resources, organizational structure, human resources, and network, as well as its corporate support capabilities. To identify innovative local companies, preference will be given to operators who actively invest in the region, and additional points will be awarded to investment companies headquartered in the region. Through this, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to prioritize allocating half of the 2026 Scale-Up TIPS funding to local companies.
Selected operators will be able to participate in the Scale-Up Tips and Global Tips projects for up to six years, and will receive financial and administrative support necessary for corporate support activities such as establishing commercialization strategies, patent analysis, and market research.
Hwang Young-ho, Director General of Technology Innovation Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, “TIPS is a representative policy in which the government has trusted and supported the private sector’s investment decisions,” and added, “We look forward to the active participation of capable investment companies so that innovative companies in various technologies, industries, and regions can grow and advance into the global market.”
Applications for this recruitment can be made through the Small and Medium Business Technology Development Comprehensive Management System, and a business briefing session for investors will be held on January 6 and 14, 2026, at Yeoksam Tipstown S1 and online.
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