“Let’s help people change the world”
This is Pacemakers’ vision. Pacemakers contributes to society based on good values and passion, and cooperates with overseas networks to help startups grow and interact. In particular, it is focusing on investing in the ICT and cultural content sectors.
Pacemakers places the greatest importance on the personality and capabilities of the founder and co-founder. They review investments based on their differentiation points and future value in the market, and are focusing on deep-tech companies or content companies with high growth potential. They are particularly focused on AI convergence industries, ICT, semiconductors, mobility, and energy, and are investing 70-80% in these areas.
The founder of Pacemakers, CEO Kyung-Rak Kim, has been interested in research on early-stage companies and startups based on his experience at Samsung SDI and Shinhan Financial Group. CEO Kim founded an angel club 10 years ago, and through that experience, he felt the need for an accelerator, which led him to establish Pacemakers.
Training mentors and fostering global technology-based startups
The criteria for measuring the success of a startup are IPO and sales. Startups must develop a business model that can survive in the market. To this end, Pacemakers operates the GSMP program that supports mentoring and networking, and is training more than 200 mentors.
Pacemakers is fostering global technology-based startups through the EDGE program, and selects 8 to 10 teams every year to support scale-up within 6 months. It is actively operating in the US, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, etc., and is achieving startups’ success through its overseas network. Pacemakers also supports startups’ entry into Japan through the Japan Entry Forum. It operates a program for global entry through cooperation with Draper Startup House, and is actually creating successful cases in Saudi Arabia and Japan.
Pacemakers is expanding the GSMP process to the Yeongnam and Honam regions, as well as Seoul, and is expanding startup participation opportunities through global expansion programs. In addition, it is preparing a fund of over 10 billion won with leading securities firms and VCs.
Rapid investment execution through private investment associations and frontier investment associations
Pacemakers is conducting rapid investments of up to 2 billion won through a private investment association for early-stage startups. Meanwhile, Frontier Investment Association is operating a venture fund of 10 billion won targeting companies just before the Series A stage.
In order for startups to receive investment from Pacemakers, they need team building and differentiated technology. Rather than proceeding with the business alone, they need to build a team and develop the ability to persuade customers and investors. In addition, the possibility of receiving investment increases if they establish a good market definition and scale-up strategy.
Promoting globalization, securing new growth engines, expanding mentor training courses, and establishing unicorn funds
Pacemakers is pursuing globalization and securing new growth engines based on AI data, expanding mentor training courses, and establishing a unicorn fund. It is preparing to advance into the US, Japan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, etc., and plans to support the growth of startups through a mentor group.
Pacemakers values communication with startups and shares progress through regular contact and meetings. They want to create a positive corporate culture and contribute to the growth of startups. CEO Kim said, “We want to create a free and fun work atmosphere and grow together through communication with startups.”
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