"Korea Venture Investment will continue to support the growth of ventures and startups as a single investment platform," CEO Lee Dae-hee said on the 28th.
Speaking at a briefing to mark one year in the job, Lee reviewed the past year and outlined operating strategy and a longer-term vision for the government-backed fund of funds, known as the Motae Fund. He said the organization will expand its role beyond serving contributing institutions, aiming to connect capital with markets and link regions with global opportunities, building on the fund’s 20-year track record.
Lee said he moved quickly to address what he had highlighted upon taking office: the issue of the Motae Fund’s duration. Launched in 2005, the fund of funds has been formed at a cumulative 43.9 trillion won over 20 years, and a law revision passed by the National Assembly last year made it possible to extend the fund in 10-year increments.
"It must play a practical role in supporting the growth of ventures and startups, beyond supplying money to the venture investment market," he said.
Lee said the centerpiece of the strategy is expanding private investment. To raise the share of private pensions and overseas capital, he proposed upgrading the framework for an "LP (limited partner) growth fund." He said the goal is a virtuous cycle in which private capital becomes a core driver of the venture market.
Korea Venture Investment has also set up incentive structures to encourage industrial capital, including large companies, to participate in the venture market, widening channels for private money. It has regularized a policy forum for the Motae Fund and, through a venture investment research center, strengthened the management of market indicators and related data to better explain policy to the National Assembly and the government.
Based on those efforts, it committed 2.2195 trillion won last year, helping form venture funds totaling 4.4751 trillion won, and a total of 3.0995 trillion won was invested, the company said.
As of February, the number of global funds had expanded to 84. The company said it is also broadening the foundation for Korean ventures and startups to expand overseas through efforts including the Jeju Startup Fund, formed with Korean and Japanese contributors including overseas Koreans, and the opening of a Silicon Valley Startup Venture Campus (SVC).
On regional investment, it said it formed four regional parent funds totaling 400 billion won in 2025. For 2026, it plans five regional growth funds totaling 450 billion won, as it accelerates efforts to expand investment outside the Seoul metropolitan area.
"If the past year was a time to set the direction, the next year will be a time to prove that direction with real results," Lee said. "Korea Venture Investment will strengthen its role as a venture investment platform that connects capital, connects markets, and connects regions with the world."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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