The government will foster 1,000 advanced startups that will lead new industries. It plans to create a so-called 'K-Startup Silicon Valley Town' in the United States as a global startup and venture hub.
On the 8th, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups stated this during the '2025 Ministry of SMEs and Startups Major Issues Solution Meeting'.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will initially cultivate 1,000 advanced startups that will lead the new industry sector. It will strategically support deep-tech startups with global competitiveness in fields such as system semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI), from discovery to commercialization and listing.
Additionally, specialized programs will be established to focus on the commercialization and product verification of startups in five high-growth sectors: artificial intelligence (AI) fabless, healthcare, manufacturing, small language models (sLLM), and culture and content based on their technological characteristics.
A new 'Deep Tech Value-Up Program' will also be established to discover promising startups and support matching and collaboration based on the demand of large corporations. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has previously pilot-operated related projects in partnership with Hyundai Motor last year. This year, the number of participating large corporations will be expanded to eight. A new 'Value-Up Fund' will also be created, where the mother fund matches investments one-to-one with investments made by large corporations.
By expanding the investment incentives for large and mid-sized companies along with mother fund investments, a domestic venture investment market worth 13 trillion won will be created, and an additional 1 trillion won will be raised for global funds.
To create an environment conducive for overseas talent to start a business in Korea, the requirements for the issuance of the 'Startup Korea Special Visa' will also be improved. The evaluation will focus on business performance and innovation rather than formal requirements such as degrees or investment attraction results to promote the influx of foreign talent.
It aims to establish 'K-Startup Silicon Valley Town' to enhance the global startup and venture hub's sophistication and network. The aim is to create an environment conducive for Korean entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, serving as a public-private global startup and venture hub.
Support will be provided for the digitalization of 13,000 innovative small businesses. A new 'TOPS Growth Ladder Project' will be established, allowing the government and online platform companies to build a step-by-step support system considering the level of digital transformation of small businesses.
Along with this, the distribution of subscription-based service software (SW) that enables sales management and data analysis will be promoted to enhance store management efficiency, and the dissemination of kiosks that can be easily used by the disabled and the elderly will also help with the digital transformation of small businesses.
A small business export support program utilizing global online distribution networks will also be established. A new 'Icon Project' (Amazon X Icon) will be created, where global distribution giant Amazon closely supports strategic consulting, product development, and export in a package.
Through automation, intelligence, and autonomy of processes, such as introducing manufacturing robots, smart factories based on manufacturing data, and applying digital twin technologies, digital transformation tailored to the site will be promoted for over 1,700 small and medium-sized manufacturing companies.
The enactment of the '(tentative) Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises AI Dissemination Act' and the '(tentative) Smart Manufacturing Industry Promotion Act' will promote the use of AI in small and medium-sized enterprises and establish a legal basis for nurturing specialized smart manufacturing companies. Additionally, three more AI solution centers will be built to expand the dissemination of AI solutions.
Policy financing will be arranged at each stage of growth to assist small businesses in transitioning to medium-sized enterprises and medium-sized businesses into large businesses. Furthermore, new scope criteria for small and medium-sized enterprises will be prepared, considering recent inflation and industrial changes, to ensure the growth ladder system operates smoothly.