INVESTMENT
We get to know people — and invest in the value of their dreams.
SINCE
2022
Cumulative Investment Executed
₩36
billion
Total Assets Under Management (AUM)
₩60
billion
Total Portfolio Companies
114
startups
Combined Portfolio Valuation
₩902.1
billion
Follow-on Investment Rate
40.35
%
Early-Stage (Under 3 Years) Investment Ratio
70.51
%
Female-Founder Investment Ratio
54.41
%
Youth-Founder Investment Ratio
81.76
%
SINCE
2025
Annual Investment Executed
₩7.2
billion
Annual Deals
18
Average Investment per Company
₩400
million
Better World, Smarter Future
We invest in startups that harness technology and AI to reshape industries and scale globally.
As the bridge between Korea and the world,
Korea Investment Accelerator empowers visionary founders to turn local innovation into global impact.
ESG for ESG
We believe entrepreneurs and startups make the world a better place, which is why we define the current era as the "Entrepreneur and Startup Generation(ESG)." We aim to enrich this generation through investments that contribute to society, and we are committed to investments that add tangible ESG(Environmental, Social, Governance) value to startups through strategic investment, education, and support.
O to Z
We act as the 'Sherpa' for startups, partnering with them from the "Zero stage" to their final "Z round" (exit). We invest with a full-cycle commitment, leveraging the powerful network of Korea Investment Holdings (KIH) to provide end-to-end support, from initial investment all the way to IPO and M&A.
Barundonghaeng Program (Batch Program)
We select and invest in 10 to 20 teams once a year, while also
accepting applications on a rolling basis.
Ongoing Investment
We make separate investment decisions and execute investments
independently from the Barundonghaeng Program.
Follow-On Investment
We provide follow-on investments to our portfolio companies.
TIPS
We select outstanding tech-based startups from our portfolio and
recommend them for the TIPS program, a government-backed
initiative that supports global expansion for promising
startups.
Barundonghaeng
Investment Process
Hantu Barundonghaeng Sherpa Fund
The Hantu Barundonghaeng Sherpa Fund is established with capital
exclusively from affiliates of Korea Investment Holdings, forming a
fund of 15 billion KRW (approximately USD 11 million) each year —
with a goal of securing a total investment budget of 75 billion KRW
(around USD 55 million) over five years.
The name "Barundonghaeng Sherpa Fund" reflects Korea Investment Holdings' philosophy of being not the owner of a company, but a growth partner that helps guide its journey. It carries a social impact meaning of revitalizing the startup ecosystem — guiding companies on the right path to growth and climbing the journey together with responsibility.
The name "Barundonghaeng Sherpa Fund" reflects Korea Investment Holdings' philosophy of being not the owner of a company, but a growth partner that helps guide its journey. It carries a social impact meaning of revitalizing the startup ecosystem — guiding companies on the right path to growth and climbing the journey together with responsibility.
Barundonghaeng
Key Investment Sectors
AI Commerce / Platform
33 Startups
Materials / Components / Equipment
14 Startups
AI/Saas
13 Startups
AI(DeepTech)
9 Startups
Bio / Healthcare
7 Startups
Agritech
3 Startups
Clean Energy / Green Tech
2 Startups
Mobility
1 Startups
Cybersecurity / Quantum Technology
1 Startups
System Semiconductor
1 Startups
