Gwangju to Expand Startup Investment Fund to 1 Trillion Won... From Early Stage to G-Unicorns

Expanding Investment, Technology Validation, and Overseas Expansion
Building a Growth Ladder from Pre-Startup to Early-Stage, Growth, and G-Unicorn

Gwangju Metropolitan City is expanding its investments in startup companies. The city plans to gradually increase its startup and investment fund, which is currently managed at 690 billion won, to a total of 1 trillion won. This will further advance the startup growth system, supporting businesses from the pre-startup stage all the way to becoming global unicorns.

Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall. Photo by Song Bohyun

On January 12, Gwangju City announced that, based on the achievements of establishing the "Startup Triangle Belt"-centered around facilities such as Stage, Startup Growth Support Center, and Startup Complex Hub Center-it will strengthen investment activation, technology validation, and support for overseas expansion.

The startup and investment fund currently in operation amounts to 690 billion won. Gwangju plans to expand this to 1 trillion won in stages, creating an environment where startups can pursue technology development and new industries without the burden of capital constraints. This year, two new funds will be established for early-stage and growth-stage startups: a market entry support fund for early-stage companies and a growth investment fund for technology advancement and business expansion.

Gwangju will also systematize the startup growth ladder according to the startup lifecycle, progressing through the stages of pre-startup, early-stage, growth, and G-unicorn. The city will provide stage-specific support to 50 pre-startup entrepreneurs, 30 early-stage startups, 33 growth-stage companies, and 5 G-unicorns. For G-unicorn companies, an intensive support program will be implemented, focusing on technology advancement, overseas expansion, and attracting large-scale investment. Additionally, 20 new startups in the artificial intelligence (AI) and deep tech sectors will be selected.

The city will also strengthen the technology validation ecosystem. Through autonomous, citizen-experience, and solution-based validation programs, startup technologies will be tested in real-world environments and connected to commercialization. Validation projects in collaboration with public institutions, hospitals, universities, and public enterprises will be expanded, and the survey on demand for public institution innovation technology validation will be completed within this month.

This year, Gwangju will operate a total of 313 billion won in SME development funds, including 270 billion won for business stabilization, 40 billion won for structural advancement, and 3 billion won for export promotion. Efforts to support overseas market entry, such as dispatching overseas market development teams and supporting participation in exhibitions and fairs, will also be carried out in parallel.

Oh Younggeol, Director of the Economic and Startup Bureau of Gwangju City, stated, "We will create a virtuous startup ecosystem where promising startups are born in Gwangju, undergo validation and growth, and then leap into the global market."