Woori Financial Group will fully launch a continuous venture capital supply system that connects the entire growth cycle, from discovering innovative corporations to follow-on investment and initial public offerings (IPO). Woori Financial Group will supply 7 trillion won to this "future co-growth project" over the next five years.
On July 7, at the Woori Bank headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, Woori Financial Group held a conference hosted by its Woori Finance Research Institute under the theme "The future of innovation envisioned by productive finance," presenting its startup support system, results, and vision.
Woori Financial Group unveiled a productive and inclusive finance plan totaling 90 trillion won over the next five years and said it would use 7 trillion won of that for productive investment. Woori Financial Group is supporting early-stage corporations by creating a Dinolab fund of less than 50 billion won. For growth-stage corporations, it is investing through a corporate venture capital (CVC) vehicle of less than 100 billion won. Unlike general venture capital (VC) funds, CVC funds are strategic investment funds operated directly by the group.
Woori Financial Group said that as of June, over the past seven years, a total of 231 startups have been discovered and nurtured through Dinolab, with cumulative investment reaching 470 billion won. This year as well, it plans to create the third Dinolab fund and support 20 companies with a total of 20 billion won. It is also operating Dinolab centers in four regions—Gyeongnam, North Chungcheong, Busan, and North Jeolla—while working to discover regional innovative corporations and link investment and business collaborations. Woori Financial Group said that since 2024, 66% of the corporations it has discovered are outside the greater Seoul area. Woori Financial Group is currently pushing to create a second CVC fund of 70 billion won.
At the scale-up and IPO stages of corporations, it supports follow-on investment, IPO underwriting, and capital market linkages through affiliates such as Woori Venture Partners and Woori Investment & Securities. Woori Financial Group plans to further advance its "continuous venture capital supply system," which connects Dinolab funds, CVC funds, VC investment, and IPOs, to promote productive finance across all affiliates.
Yim Jong-ryong, chairman of Woori Financial Group, said, "Finance must evolve into 'investment-type productive finance' that invests in future potential," adding, "Woori Financial Group is also striving to nurture regional startups for balanced growth. We believe that creating an environment in which innovative startups and young corporations can grow even in the provinces is the starting point of balanced regional development."