Kibo Establishes Corporate Succession-Type M&A Guarantee

Focusing Policy Capabilities on Fostering Innovative Growth of Small and Medium Venture Enterprises

The Korea Technology Finance Corporation (Kibo) announced that it held an expanded executive meeting on the 12th at its headquarters in Busan, attended by all executives and department heads, to review the progress of the innovation growth policy tasks for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) announced in the first half of the year and to focus policy capabilities for the second half.

Kibo has expanded its technology guarantee support plan this year to 28.5 trillion KRW, an increase of 2.5 trillion KRW compared to last year, to alleviate the financial difficulties faced by SMEs due to complex crises such as high interest rates. At this meeting, key policy tasks presented in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ ‘SME Leap Strategy’ and the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s ‘Corporate Growth Ladder Establishment Plan,’ including ▲the establishment of an open technology evaluation platform ▲activation of business succession-type M&A ▲and the establishment of a loan-based R&D support system, were intensively discussed with a focus on systematic implementation plans.

First, Kibo plans to open its corporate and technology evaluation services to companies and financial institutions in the second half of the year through the ‘Open Technology Evaluation Platform (K-TOP),’ developed based on an artificial intelligence (AI) and big data-based technology evaluation system. It will provide companies with a self-diagnosis service to check their technology level and capabilities independently, and offer customized services to support institutions such as financial organizations to utilize for investment, loans, and policy support projects through company selection.

Additionally, to support new industry transformation and stable business succession through mergers and acquisitions (M&A), Kibo will establish an M&A dedicated center and brokerage platform and create related special guarantee programs. Furthermore, it plans to revamp the existing uniform subsidy support method and activate ‘loan-based R&D’ support that links research and development (R&D) performance with loan conditions.

Moreover, Kibo intends to actively promote policy tasks to foster export companies, including building a global technology transfer base, expanding overseas expansion guarantee support, and preparing exclusive agreement guarantee products for the development of defense industry companies to revitalize the global advancement of SMEs and startups.

Kim Jong-ho, Chairman of Kibo, stated, “Over the past 35 years, Kibo has grown into a platform supporting the innovation and growth of ventures and startups beyond guarantees, based on its unique technology evaluation system, including direct investment, technology protection, technology transactions, and commercialization.” He added, “Going forward, we will devote our policy capabilities to help SMEs and startups grow as key players in the future global era based on our expertise in technology evaluation.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.