Company K Partners invests in various fields, but thanks to my passion for space and several others at the firm, we were able to invest in the new space sector ahead of other investors. I am realizing my dream as a space enthusiast thanks to the representatives of the space corporations present here.
On 5th at 3 p.m., Lee Kang-soo, the representative of Company K Partners, introduced himself as a space enthusiast at a startup investment relations meeting held at Korea Development Bank in Yeouido, Seoul. Company K Partners is known as a company that actively invests in the space sector among domestic venture capital firms.
The representative stated, "Since starting with Lumir in 2018, we have invested in 12 space corporations," and noted, "We are interested in all aspects of space transportation and utilization, exploration, and the satellite institutional sector." The company acted as the general partner for the new space fund promoted by the Korea Aerospace Administration last October, forming a fund worth 10.5 billion won. The representative majored in mechanical engineering, closely related to the space sector. After studying mechanical engineering at Korea University, he earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
The event was organized to introduce three space corporations that Company K Partners has invested in to investors in Yeouido. Representatives from Step Lab, which creates vibration reduction devices for space, Space Lintech, which aims to develop new drugs in microgravity, and Intergravity Technologies, the first in the country to enter the orbital transport vessel development, participated in the IR. About 50 venture capital officials from Yeouido attended the event, showing great interest in the space sector.
During the event, John Lee, the Deputy Minister of the Korea Aerospace Administration, unexpectedly caught attention by appearing. Deputy Minister Lee attended the meeting of the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee at the National Assembly earlier that day, and made time to participate in the IR event in the afternoon. The headquarters of the bank is a 10-minute walk from the National Assembly.
Deputy Minister Lee said, "It is important for investors to play a role in establishing new space, which is a privately led space development in the country," and, "I attended the event to see what kinds of projects space corporations are preparing and, especially, what aspects investors focus on when investing."
The event, which started at 3 p.m., exceeded the scheduled hour and a half, ending after 5 p.m. Deputy Minister Lee stayed in the front row, taking notes on the presentations of the corporate representatives and the questions from the investors until the event concluded. He remarked, "If we don't hurry to invest in space from now on, we will not be able to catch up with the leading countries in technology," and added, "The role of the Korea Aerospace Administration is to assist small and medium-sized enterprises and startups in achieving performance."
A venture capital official attending the event noted, "The government's role is important to link startups with technology and VCs that move funds," and remarked, "It's common for high-ranking government officials to only briefly show up and leave early. I find it commendable that Deputy Minister Lee attended the event until the end and listened to the industry's discussions."