The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 11th that it had completed selecting asset managers for the "2025 Mother Fund second regular commitment." In this round, the Mother Fund committed 310 billion won and selected 15 venture funds totaling 600 billion won. The selected funds are expected to complete formation within three months, within this year, and begin investing.
The core of this second regular commitment is the "NEXT UNICORN Project," which supports global artificial intelligence (AI) and deep-tech startups. The fund will make large-scale, focused investments so that promising ventures and startups can grow from the founding stage through scale-up.
By sector, the "Next Unicorn Project startup fund" was selected as nine funds totaling 260 billion won. This fund supports early investments in promising startups in AI and deep tech founded by professionals with industry and research experience.
Next, the "Next Unicorn Project scale-up fund" was selected as two funds totaling 310 billion won. This fund focuses on corporations among participants in Ministry programs that public institutions recommended as top performers, and it supports scale-up investments averaging more than 10 billion won in corporations in AI and deep tech.
In addition, the "early-stage small fund" was selected as four funds totaling 20.1 billion won. It will also support the supply of investment to general early corporations within three years of founding, as well as AI and deep tech.
Minister Han Seong-suk of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups said, "The selection results for this commitment are significant in that the private sector actively responded to the government's AI and deep-tech unicorn fostering policy," adding, "The Mother Fund will expand support so that promising corporations discovered and supported by the government can grow into global leading corporations that will drive the nation's future growth engines."