"Connecting University Technology to Ventures"... UNIST Technology Holdings Holds KRW 12 Billion Fund Launch Ceremony

UNIST (President Jongrae Park) announced that its affiliate, UNIST Technology Holdings, held a ceremony on the morning of August 22 at the university headquarters to launch a public technology commercialization fund worth 12 billion KRW.

From the left, Taegyu Han, Head of UNIST Technology Holdings, Taehan Kim, President of BNK Gyeongnam Bank, Junho Lee, Honorary Chairman of Duksan Group, Jongrae Park, President of UNIST, Hyodae An, Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs of Ulsan City, Cheoljun Kim, Director of Ulsan Economic and Job Promotion Agency. Provided by UNIST

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The event was attended by President Jongrae Park, Ulsan City Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs Hyodae An, Cheoljun Kim, Director of the Ulsan Economic and Job Promotion Agency, Junho Lee, Honorary Chairman of Duksan Group, Taehan Kim, President of BNK Gyeongnam Bank, and other regional corporate investors.

This fund is a case in which a science and technology-focused university has led the combination of regional capital and public resources, marking the starting point for building a deep-tech startup ecosystem centered on Ulsan.

The fund consists of 6 billion KRW from the government’s parent fund and 6 billion KRW from regional institutions and corporate investors.

UNIST Technology Holdings has been selected for the first time as the sole general partner (GP) to operate a parent fund investment partnership. The company plans to focus on supporting startups where entrepreneurs and researchers collaborate to commercialize public technologies.

This fund will serve as practical capital to connect technologies previously confined to laboratories with the market. Instead of a one-time investment, a 'follow-on' strategy has been adopted, enabling continuous funding according to each stage of growth.

Ulsan City provided multifaceted support during the fund formation process, including investment attraction and administrative coordination. In particular, local business leaders also contributed capital, laying the groundwork for a startup ecosystem jointly built by the public and private sectors.

President Jongrae Park emphasized, "UNIST will be reborn as a national startup hub," adding, "We will spread our wings from Ulsan Station to the end of the Eurasian continent in London, and across the Pacific Ocean to the Americas, following Banguchon and the Taehwa River, reaching out to a broader world." He further stated, "To ensure that Ulsan beats as the heart of Korea’s technological innovation, UNIST will move forward together with the region and the market."

Taegyu Han, Head of UNIST Technology Holdings, stated, "We will connect UNIST’s research capabilities with startups across the country to innovate regional industries," adding, "Our goal is to create unprecedented regional startup success stories through a phased investment strategy."

This launch ceremony marks the beginning of UNIST’s efforts to establish a comprehensive technology commercialization ecosystem based on the university’s technological capabilities to drive industrial innovation. It is expected to foster the growth of venture companies based on regional public technology and develop into a nationwide model that encompasses the entire process of startup expansion.

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