Ministry of SMEs and Startups Recruiting Universities for 'Korea Graduate Student Venture Investment Competition'

Until July 18

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 22nd that, together with the Korea Venture Capital Association (VC Association), it is recruiting universities to participate in the 'Korea Graduate Student Venture Investment Competition'.

The Korea Graduate Student Venture Investment Competition, newly established last year to foster prospective venture investment professionals, is being held for the second time this year. Unlike simple theoretical education, this is a hands-on competition for graduate students, allowing them to simulate the actual venture capital investment process. Participating teams can learn and experience the company analysis and investment process of real venture capitalists through a systematic curriculum reflecting both domestic and international venture investment ecosystems, as well as mentoring from active professionals.

Through this recruitment, a total of around 10 universities will be selected. Each university will form a venture investment team of 5 to 6 graduate students to participate in the competition. The VC Association and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) will provide special education for venture investors to these teams. Afterwards, through a mock competition in October, six teams will be selected to advance to the national competition, and the 'Korea Graduate Student Venture Investment Competition' will be held for them in January 2026.

The first-place winning team will be granted special global venture investment training and an internship opportunity at a venture capital firm. They will also be eligible to participate in the International Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) scheduled for April next year. Through this, participants will have the opportunity to build networks with young investors from around the world and experience the global venture investment market. The application period is open until 4:00 p.m. on July 18.

Kim Bongdeok, Director of Venture Policy, stated, "As the technological capabilities of startups are becoming more advanced, a higher level of expertise is required for venture investment professionals," and added, "We will spare no effort to support the influx of talent with expertise in various fields into the venture investment market and to broaden the foundation of the venture ecosystem."