KB Financial Group to Scale Up AI and Semiconductor Unicorns with 150 Billion Won Fund

Expanding Future Value-Based Financial Support for Advanced Strategic Industries
Strengthening Investment and Discovery of Innovative Companies through Nationwide CIB Centers

KB Financial Group is launching the ‘KB Kookmin Growth Unicorn Scale-Up Fund,’ a 150 billion won ($115 million) fund dedicated to investing in unicorn companies in advanced industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors.

The group announced on the 27th that it held the ‘4th KB Financial Group Productive Finance Council’ on the 24th, where it discussed measures to strengthen support for advanced strategic industries, including the creation of this new fund.

During the council meeting, the current status of the group’s productive finance initiatives was reviewed, and discussions were held on enhancing support systems for advanced strategic industries and nurturing unicorn companies. In particular, participants focused on evaluating the direction of financial support for advanced strategic industries in line with the government’s “Korea Grand Leap Three Mega Projects” and the policy to expand the National Growth Fund.

KB Financial Group has leveraged its corporate and investment banking (CIB) capabilities to design financial support plans for companies in the semiconductor, power infrastructure, physical AI sectors, and AI data centers. In addition, by centering its CIB centers located at key hubs nationwide, the group plans to discover innovative regional SMEs and expand comprehensive financial support through loans, investments, and capital market connections, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of local core industries and supporting balanced regional development.

Furthermore, the group discussed transitioning from a traditional corporate evaluation system focused on financial statements and past performance to a future value-based assessment framework that reflects technological capabilities and growth potential.

KB Financial Group has decided to establish the ‘KB Kookmin Growth Unicorn Scale-Up Fund,’ totaling 150 billion won ($115 million), for investment in unicorn companies from advanced industries such as AI, semiconductors, secondary batteries, aerospace, mobility, robotics, and biotechnology. This fund will be fully funded by KB Financial Group affiliates and will be managed by the Private Equity Growth Investment Division at KB Securities, which has strong capabilities in identifying advanced strategic industry companies and scale-up investing.

The group also plans to further strengthen its expertise in advanced strategic industries at the group level. KB Financial Group will establish a ‘Group Advanced Strategic Industry Study Forum’ involving the management research institute, research center, and both business and evaluation divisions. This forum will conduct industry analyses, case studies, and internal and external expert seminars to enhance group synergies.

Sung Hyun Kim, Head of the CIB Market Division at KB Financial Group, stated, “We must expand KB Financial Group’s role as a partner growing together with companies in advanced strategic industries, beyond the traditional focus on loan-based support for traditional industries,” and added, “To achieve this, it is crucial to truly understand industries and companies and to build capabilities for evaluating technological prowess and future growth value.”

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