8.87 trillion KRW, South Korea's H1 venture capital investment hits record high, financial institution contributions up 54.9%
2026-08-19 05:48
Odaily News: South Korea's venture capital investment reached 8.87 trillion KRW in the first half of this year, setting a new all-time high. Policy financing contributions increased 58.3% year-on-year, while the private sector grew 28.1%, with private funds accounting for over 80% of total venture capital fund commitments.
Among them, private financial institutions such as banks contributed 2.61 trillion KRW, up 54.9% year-on-year. The risk weight (RW) for policy-oriented venture capital funds has been reduced from 400% to 100%, thereby lowering the capital burden on financial companies.
AI solutions, AI chips, memory chips, and humanoid robots have emerged as new investment destinations, with ICT manufacturing investment surging 143.3% year-on-year and electrical, machinery, and equipment investment rising 90.4%. Companies established within the last three years received 1.83 trillion KRW in investments, up 56.4% year-on-year, while non-capital region investments increased 104.7%.
The gaming sector was the only industry to see a decline in investment, with a reduction in large-scale projects and a drop in new business formations cited as the main reasons. The VC industry noted that the KOSDAQ IPO market has not sufficiently absorbed investment exits, and South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to expand support for M&A and secondary share funds. (ETNews Electronics)
Among them, private financial institutions such as banks contributed 2.61 trillion KRW, up 54.9% year-on-year. The risk weight (RW) for policy-oriented venture capital funds has been reduced from 400% to 100%, thereby lowering the capital burden on financial companies.
AI solutions, AI chips, memory chips, and humanoid robots have emerged as new investment destinations, with ICT manufacturing investment surging 143.3% year-on-year and electrical, machinery, and equipment investment rising 90.4%. Companies established within the last three years received 1.83 trillion KRW in investments, up 56.4% year-on-year, while non-capital region investments increased 104.7%.
The gaming sector was the only industry to see a decline in investment, with a reduction in large-scale projects and a drop in new business formations cited as the main reasons. The VC industry noted that the KOSDAQ IPO market has not sufficiently absorbed investment exits, and South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to expand support for M&A and secondary share funds. (ETNews Electronics)
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