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"KiSTART" Investment Briefing Led by Government-Funded Research Institutes Held (December 8, 2022)
- Date : 2022-12-13
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International Cooperation Team
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"KiSTART" Investment Briefing Led by Government-Funded Research Institutes Held
On December 8, 2022, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST; President: Seok-Jin Yoon) held KiSTART, an investment briefing specializing in startup technologies, at its headquarters in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Fifteen leading domestic investment institutions, including Aju IB Investment and Actner Lab, along with 12 KIST start-ups in deep-tech fields (bio, materials), participated in the event.
Since 2014, KIST has been making efforts to establish a start-up ecosystem by reorganizing the start-up system to encourage technology start-ups and leading the designation of a special zone in Hongneung. As a result, the number of start-ups has increased sharply over the past three years, with more than 20 new start-ups established, and more than 30 billion won in cumulative annual investments being secured. In order to help these start-ups take off, KiSTART, a specialized investment briefing for KIST start-ups, was planned and held for the first time this year.
KiSTART is a combination of the terms KIST, Investment, and Startup. The briefing was divided into three sessions by field (bio and materials fields), with a networking tea meeting also held between sessions to allow start-ups and investment institutions a chance to freely share their opinions. Even if the tea meeting did not lead to an investment being secured, it nevertheless still provided participants with opportunities to hear advice on future business expansion and corporate growth.
The President of KIST, Seok-Jin Yoon, stated, "KIST has been making continuous efforts to establish a technology start-up ecosystem in Hongneung. We hope that KiSTART can continue to expand and grow into a representative cluster-based event, and serve as the foundation for the growth of start-ups."
Going forward, KIST will hold regular investment briefing sessions to support the initial investment performance of start-ups. KIST also announced that it would actively utilize KiSTART as a stepping stone for leading large-scale investments such as Series A and B funding.
Meanwhile, KIST has installed an IR Room with a max capacity of 50 people at its headquarters for running start-up-related events such as investment briefing sessions and start-up seminars. The IR Room will function as a customized space for start-up revitalization and growth support.