Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) announced on the 2nd that its subsidiary, UNIST Technology Holdings, was finally selected as the operator (GP) for the 'Mother Fund Public Technology Commercialization Sector' organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Venture Investment Corporation.
UNIST Technology Holdings is a subsidiary fully funded by UNIST, dedicated to the private transfer of university technology and investment linkage. This is the first time it has been selected as the sole operator of the Mother Fund.
This fund will be established with a total scale of 12 billion won. In addition to the government investment of 6 billion won, the remaining half was filled with contributions from the local industry, including BNK Gyeongnam Bank and Honorary Chairman Lee Jun-ho.
The fund will focus on investing in early startups that utilize public technology for entrepreneurship or commercialization in the local area. Beyond simple funding, it aims to actively discover 'public technology startup model' through collaboration between startups and researchers to practically commercialize technology.
In particular, UNIST Technology Holdings plans to implement differentiated investments by proposing a 'market-to-tech' strategy, identifying public technologies based on local industrial demand, and linking them to actual market potential.
UNIST President Park Jong-rae noted, "The commercialization of technology and support for startups is now a core responsibility of universities," adding, "Thanks to the active cooperation of Ulsan City and the industry, this achievement was made possible." He continued, "We will create a virtuous cycle structure for the commercialization of public technology centered in Ulsan and realize a model that grows with the region through technology."
President Park has also been working hard to strengthen the investment capabilities of the technology holdings by recruiting talent. The newly joined Head of Investment Operations Han Tae-kyu stated, "Through this fund, we will connect UNIST's excellent research resources with startups across the country," adding, "We will actively discover public technology commercialization models that innovate local industries and create successful cases."