Korea Investment Accelerator Signs MOU with Oregon UAS Accelerator in the U.S.

Establishing a Gateway for Global Expansion of K-Defense and Drone Startups

Korea Investment Accelerator (KIA), a subsidiary of Korea Financial Group, announced on the 16th that it had signed a business agreement (MOU) with the Oregon UAS Accelerator in the United States to support domestic defense and drone startups entering the U.S. market.

The signing ceremony, which took place on the 14th at the KIA headquarters in Gangnam, Seoul, was organized to identify promising domestic startups in the rapidly growing fields of defense, drone, robotics, and dual-use (technologies for both civilian and military applications), amid evolving global security conditions and intensifying technological competition. The aim is to help these startups secure opportunities for on-site validation and investment attraction in the United States.

Baek Yuhyun, CEO of Korea Investment Accelerator (left), and Joseph Waino, CEO of Oregon UAS Accelerator, are taking a commemorative photo after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Korea Investment Accelerator headquarters in Gangnam on the 14th. Photo by Korea Investment & Securities

Through this agreement, KIA expects to secure a gateway for its portfolio companies to conduct real-world demonstration projects in the United States. The Oregon UAS Accelerator is an accelerator specializing in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), robotics, autonomous systems, and dual-use technologies, based in Pendleton. Previously, it also signed a business agreement with the Oregon Military Department, connecting defense training and anti-drone demonstration needs with startups. Additionally, the accelerator operates U.S. government non-dilutive R&D funding support programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

Baek Yeo-hyun, CEO of KIA, stated, "Our collaboration with the Oregon UAS Accelerator, which has a strong presence in the U.S. defense and public sectors, will serve as the most reliable milestone for our K-defense and drone startups to break into one of the world's most challenging markets. By combining the proven venture development infrastructure of Korea Investment & Securities Group, we will provide steadfast support so that domestic companies with unique technological capabilities can confidently prove themselves on the global stage and achieve meaningful business results."

Following the MOU signing, the event 'SYNERGY CLUB: OREGON' was also held. Over 50 participants attended, including representatives from Business Oregon, the state’s official economic development agency, Oregon Department of Aviation (ODAV), domestic deep-tech startups, and venture capital (VC) professionals, to build an investment network.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.