Korea Social Investment Selected as TIPS Operator: "Supporting Impact Startups"

"Focused Investment in ESG Technology Companies"

Korea Social Investment announced on November 3 that it has been selected as the final operator for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ private-led technology startup support program, TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startup).

TIPS is a flagship technology startup program in which private investors and the government collaborate to identify and support promising tech startups. Venture capital firms (VCs) and accelerators (ACs), as operators, first invest 100 million to 200 million won in a startup and recommend it to the program. The government then conducts an evaluation and matches funds for research and development (R&D) and business commercialization.

Korea Social Investment has formed a consortium to discover and nurture tech-based ESG (environmental, social, and governance) innovation startups, leveraging its “3-Side Partner Infrastructure,” which connects local universities, global partners, and large corporate collaboration networks. The goal is to foster technology-driven impact startups that address global social and environmental challenges through innovative technologies.

For the discovery and development of innovative companies in local regions, seven organizations-including KAIST, POSTECH, Kwangwoon University, and regional Centers for Creative Economy and Innovation (Daejeon, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, and Busan)-will participate. To support scaling up, six organizations including SK Telecom, Woowa Brothers, and eCredible will provide resources ranging from incubation space and value assessment to partnership connections. For global investment and overseas expansion, Shimsan Ventures (UK Cross Border) and VectorMars (Vietnam) will collaborate.

Founded in 2012 as a public interest impact investment firm, Korea Social Investment provides investment, acceleration, and ESG consulting to startups working to solve social problems. To date, it has executed a total of 71.9 billion won in impact investment funds.

Korea Social Investment plans to identify companies with innovative technologies in climate tech, impact AI, and global sectors, and recommend them for the TIPS program. The strategy is to maximize corporate scaling up through funding, networking, and customized growth support programs. The organization also plans to actively link overseas investment and acceleration programs by leveraging its global network.

Lee Sunyeol, CEO of Korea Social Investment, said, “We will focus our investments on ESG technology companies with strong capabilities to address social and environmental issues and high growth potential, which have not received much attention from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups or previous TIPS operators.”