Bluepoint Partners continued to serve as a focal point for the early-stage startup ecosystem last year through strategic investment and active startup investment and support.
Last year, Bluepoint executed new investments averaging approximately KRW 390 million in 22 startups, bringing the total number of invested startups to 392. The industry breakdown of its new investment portfolio was as follows: AI (27%), clean energy (23%), quantum computing (9%), cybersecurity (9%), bio and healthcare (9%), brand and commerce (9%), robotics (5%), advanced manufacturing (5%), and space and aviation (5%).
Bluepoint has focused its investments on future core industries such as AI and clean energy based on its deep tech expertise, and a total of 15 teams were selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' technology startup support program TIPS in the general, deep tech, and global fields.
The performance of Bluepoint's portfolio companies was also remarkable. The total amount of follow-up investment raised by all portfolio companies last year was 221.7 billion won, bringing the total value of the portfolio to approximately 8 trillion won. Last year, four companies—S2W, Nota AI, Acryl, and Quad Medicine—successfully went public, bringing the cumulative number of IPOs for Bluepoint-invested companies to seven.
Bluepoint has invested approximately KRW 40 billion in its main account, expanding its total fund assets under management (AUM) to approximately KRW 120 billion. Late last year, the company secured a KRW 10 billion strategic investment from Jet Venture Capital (ZVC) and InBody, laying the foundation for collaboration in global and new business areas.
Collaboration between large corporations and startups has also been achieved through the open innovation integrated platform "Studio b." POSCO Holdings and the company established and invested in the high-temperature water electrolysis startup Enphorus through a deep-tech venture. The scope of collaboration has expanded through various projects, including HD Hyundai Electric's "PowerUp HDE," LG Uplus' "SHIFT," and LG Electronics' second in-house venture, "Studio 341."
Specialized technology commercialization programs have also been strengthened. Through "Deep Science" in nuclear fusion and "Quantum Jump" in quantum computing, we supported the commercialization of early-stage technologies. In the second year of Quantum Jump, we collaborated with the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science and the Daejeon Metropolitan City to establish a specialized quantum fund and implement a public-private partnership model that leads to linked investments.
The pipeline for discovering prospective and early-stage entrepreneurs also achieved remarkable results. Through the "Geeks School," a network of labs at KAIST and government-funded research institutes, more than 142 prospective deep-tech startup teams were discovered across 12 national strategic technology fields. The startup community "Starting Point" has secured a cumulative membership of 800, including 624 key technical talents. Meanwhile, "Clima Salon" has established a climate tech ecosystem, recruiting over 900 alumni over three years.
Driven by these achievements, Bluepoint ranked first in the Startup Alliance AC preference survey for two consecutive years. Bluepoint CEO Lee Yong-kwan stated, "Despite challenging domestic and international conditions, we have strived to increase the efficiency and density of our investments." He added, "Together with our new strategic partners, we will explore and support various roles to foster the growth of deep-tech startups."
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