Innovative Companies Nurtured by the Mother Fund to Scale Up with the National Growth Fund

Financial Services Commission and Ministry of SMEs and Startups Hold 2nd Relay Joint Meet-up
Promising Companies in AI Robotics, Bio, and Defense Join Event

The Financial Services Commission and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups have launched an initiative to connect growth capital from the Mother Fund to the National Growth Fund, supporting the scaling up of innovative companies.

Eokwon Lee, Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, Noh Yongsuk, 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and business leaders attended the relay meeting for the Mother Fund and National Growth Fund held on June 23 at SVC in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and posed for a commemorative photo. 2026.06.23 Photo by Dongjoo Yoon

On October 1, the Financial Services Commission and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that they had held the "2nd Joint Meet-up Relay between the Mother Fund and the National Growth Fund" at Korea Growth Investment Management in Yeouido, Seoul.

This event followed the first meetup held in June. Its purpose is to strengthen the investment link between policy funds, enabling innovative companies discovered and nurtured by the Mother Fund at the early or mid-stage of their business to receive substantial capital from the National Growth Fund for their growth and scaling-up phases.

In particular, this time the channels for selecting participating companies were expanded. Five outstanding technology companies fostered through the Mother Fund by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and two promising companies submitted to the Financial Services Commission's "Growth Enterprise Discovery Council" by government agencies and the private sector participated. These companies presented their plans for attracting investment in AI robotics, bio, defense, and climate tech sectors.

A total of 41 investment institutions participated—33 management companies overseeing indirect investments from the National Growth Fund and eight Mother Fund managers. For managers of the National Growth Fund, the event aimed to provide opportunities to discover promising companies nurtured by the Mother Fund from the outset and to build partnerships with co-investors and networks. For Mother Fund managers, it offered opportunities for large-scale follow-up investments in their growing portfolio companies and enhanced capital recovery and reinvestment.

The participating companies emphasized the need for large-scale scaling-up capital to move beyond the early stages of growth, enter the global market, and expand facility investments. They stressed the importance of a virtuous cycle investment ecosystem, where timely follow-on funding, such as from the National Growth Fund, is provided at critical points in their growth trajectory.

Following the joint roundtable, “one-on-one private meetups” were also held between companies and investment institutions. Core fund managers from the National Growth Fund listened to each company’s capital needs and business plans and discussed the potential for investment. The focus was on practical consultations aimed at securing investments, going beyond simple introductions or traditional investor relations presentations.

Son Youngchae, Head of the National Growth Fund Promotion Team at the Financial Services Commission, stated, “Depending on demand, we will consider organizing themed meetups in sectors such as AI, bio, or regional innovative companies. We are committed to creating an environment in which advanced strategic industry companies are supplied with continuous growth capital, enabling them to become major tech companies.”

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