The concentration of venture companies in the greater Seoul area is deepening.
According to data submitted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Won-i from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on the 29th, as of Jun. 2025, there are 37,419 venture companies nationwide. Of these, 24,533 (65.6%) are concentrated in the greater Seoul area (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon).
Looking at the trend over the past six years, the concentration in the greater Seoul area is more pronounced. The share of venture companies in the greater Seoul area rose from 59.9% in 2020 to 62.1% in 2021, 64.8% in 2022, and 66.2% in 2023. It then inched down to 65.4% in 2024, before rebounding to 65.6% in 2025.
This is interpreted as stemming from the venture ecosystem being formed around Seoul. Venture capital (VC), which supplies funds to venture companies, and accelerators (AC), which support fast growth in the early stages of startups through mentoring, networking, and education, are concentrated in Seoul. As of Jun. 2025, 211 of 250 VCs (89.6%) are clustered in Seoul. Of all 490 ACs, 262 (53.5%) are located in Seoul.
Investment funds also appear to have been executed mainly in the greater Seoul area. In the first half of this year, 2.5207 trillion won out of the nationwide venture investment total was concentrated in the greater Seoul area alone, at 2.005 trillion won (79.54%). In particular, Seoul accounted for more than half of the national total at 1.3526 trillion won, while Jeonnam, which received the least investment, drew only 2.1 billion won, marking a 644-fold gap with Seoul.
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Won-i said, "To revitalize regional venture ecosystems, we must drastically increase dedicated mother funds that focus investment on regional venture companies," adding, "Beyond capital support, comprehensive measures are needed that also encompass administrative services and talent attraction."
Meanwhile, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to create a "regional era venture fund" together with the Fund of Funds, local governments, and regional banks, and inject 2 trillion won by 2027. The Korea Venture Investment Corporation also plans to expand the share of commitments to non-capital-area venture investments to up to 60% and grow the venture ecosystem through various incentives.