Alpha Lab announced on the 6th that it had been selected as a private operator for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' (hereinafter referred to as the MSS) private investment and government funding matching support program 'LIPS'.
Lips is a program that applies TIPS, which encourages technology startups, to the small business sector. It is a business where private operators designated by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Business Market Promotion Agency first invest in small businesses with high growth potential and then recommend them, and then support them to grow as entrepreneurs by matching private investment and government funding.
'Private Investment-Linked Matching Loans (LIPSⅠ)' matches policy funds up to 5 times the investment amount, up to a limit of 500 million won, for small businesses discovered and invested in by private operators, and the budget for 2025 is 40 billion won.
The 'Innovative Small Business Investment Linkage Support (LIPS II)' newly established this year will provide additional commercialization funds to 300 companies, up to three times the investment amount, with a limit of 200 million won.
Alpha Lab is Korea's first Humilac industry accelerator, which discovers and supports investment in early-stage companies with growth potential. The term 'Humilac industry' refers to all business sectors related to lifestyle, and means 'an industry of rest, eating, and enjoyment.'
Over the past six years, Alpha Lab has held more than 20 incubation programs for entrepreneurs, including the community-based action learning program 'Life Business School' and the overseas program 'Amazing Race', and has produced more than 650 graduates who are prospective or actual entrepreneurs.
In addition, in 2023, a private investment association specializing in restaurant ventures was formed and successfully completed the first investment in the wine and liquor F&B brand 'Tap Shop Bar'. Following this, a private investment association was formed targeting companies within the Humilac industry, such as 'Space Road', a specialized accommodation solution company, and 'Gamja Market', an offline group purchasing platform, and it has successfully attracted a total of 2.4 billion won in investment to date.
Including direct investment, the company has attracted a total of 3.8 billion won in investment in just one year since it began full-scale investment.
In addition, Alpha Lab published 'Invest in the God of Business' last year, which forecasted the 'small business investment' market, and delivered the message that rather than jumping directly into the competitive self-employed market, one should invest in small business owners who are good at business.
Alpha Lab CEO Bang Soo-jun said, “With the selection of Lips as a private operator, I am delighted that as a professional investment firm, I can discover and invest in small business owners with growth potential and contribute to supporting their growth as entrepreneurs.”
He also stated, “We will actively support small business owners to achieve sustainable growth and create meaningful changes through Lips,” and “Alpha Lab’s ultimate vision is to become a management company that comprehensively supports the growth of small business owners through investment, nurturing, and professional planning.”
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