Ministry of SMEs and Startups to Hold National Graduate Student Venture Investment Competition

Simulating the Entire Venture Investment Process

On January 15, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it will hold the "National Graduate Student Venture Investment Competition" at the KAIST Daejeon Munji Campus to nurture prospective talent in venture investment.

This competition aims to enhance the professionalism of the venture investment market and encourage the entry of young talent. It is hosted by the Korea Venture Capital Association and organized by the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

Unlike traditional theory-based education, the National Graduate Student Venture Investment Competition is a hands-on program in which graduate students take on the role of venture capital investment officers and simulate the entire process of actual venture investment.

Participants will have the opportunity to experience the investment process just like professional venture investors, including business and technology analysis, company due diligence, review of investment terms, investment decisions, and result presentations, all targeting real startups. They will also engage in Q&A sessions and receive feedback.

The universities participating in this competition, where venture investment education is actively conducted, are Korea University, Kookmin University, Sogang University, Soongsil University, KAIST, and Pohang University of Science and Technology, totaling six universities.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to discover and nurture professional investment talent early through this competition and to broaden the human resource base of the venture investment market. The winning team will receive the Minister's Award and the opportunity to represent Korea at the "Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC)" to be held in the United States in April, allowing them to build a global network. In addition, opportunities for employment at venture investment firms through internships and other means will also be provided.

Kim Bongdeok, Director of Venture Policy, stated, "Through this competition, we aim to increase youth interest in venture investment, attract outstanding talent to the venture investment market, and foster capable investment professionals with international competition experience by working together with the industry."