The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Han Sung-sook, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of SMEs and Startups) announced on Monday the 4th that it had selected 13 management companies for the 2025 Global Fund Management Company selection process and that it plans to create a new fund worth 2.4 trillion won.
The Global Fund is a business in which a mother fund invests in funds operated by excellent overseas venture capital firms, mandating that the amount exceeding the mother fund's investment be invested in Korean companies. Currently, 74 funds are being operated around the world, with a total scale of 12.3 trillion won.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has been operating a global fund since 2013, and 652 Korean venture and startup companies have received investments worth 1.3 trillion won, contributing to the creation of global unicorns such as Toss, Carrot Market, and Rebellion.
This year, the Global Fund increased its investment budget to a record-breaking 170 billion won, expanded its investment scale, and diversified its investment areas by establishing new sectors such as AI, climate tech, and secondary sectors.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups, through Korea Venture Investment, announced the investment in January, accepted applications and received them in April, and ultimately selected 13 global venture capital firms as global fund managers through document screening, on-site inspections (April to June), and an investment review committee (end of July).
When selecting an investment management company, Korea Venture Investment evaluated its fund formation potential, investment expertise, and contribution to the domestic venture investment ecosystem, including Korea Investment.
The selected operators are 10 general, 1 AI, 1 climate tech, and 1 secondary, and by region, venture capitals from 6 countries around the world, including the US, France, the UK, Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan, were selected, including TTCP in the US, Jolt Capital in France, and DCI Partners in Japan.
This year, the global fund will invest 170 billion won from the mother fund, and the fund formation scale will be the largest ever at 2.4 trillion won, including approximately 1 trillion won in the AI fund. The mandatory investment amount for Korean companies is also expected to exceed 270 billion won.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to announce the results of the global fund selection on the Korea Venture Investment website starting Tuesday the 5th. The selected management companies must form a fund within 6 months of the announcement of selection. If the fund is not formed within the period, the formation period can be extended for up to 6 months after review.
Minister of SMEs and Startups Han Seong-sook said, “Global funds can be a great opportunity for Korean startups not only in terms of attracting investment but also in terms of connecting with networks of global investors.” She added, “To help Korea leap forward as one of the top four global venture powerhouses, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will continue to expand global funds and actively support our ventures and startups in attracting overseas investment and expanding into the global market.”
- See more related articles
You must be logged in to post a comment.