K-Ground Ventures Hosts IR Day to Support Global Expansion of Deep Tech Startups
K-Ground Ventures, a deep tech commercialization-specialized VC and the first operator of the Scale-Up TIPS program, announced on June 2nd that it held an IR Day event on May 27 in collaboration with Incheon Technopark. The event hosted Scale-Up TIPS operators and supported startups aiming for overseas expansion. Selected companies will undergo due diligence, followed by investment to drive global achievements. Cho Nam-hoon, CEO of K-Ground Ventures and Vice President of the Scale-Up TIPS Association, who served as the chief judge of the IR event, stated, “This IR Day was organized for the first time by bringing together Scale-Up TIPS operator judges to help outstanding startups fostered by Incheon Technopark expand overseas. While R&D capabilities are important, startups aiming for global markets must also focus on solving customer pain points and building market-centered commercialization strategies.” He also noted that before the evaluations, a diagnostics and advisory program (covering business management, global IP acquisition, and investment attraction) was conducted to prepare the companies, and it received positive feedback from the judges. K-Ground Ventures is expected to invest in multiple companies from the event, not just the top-ranked one, following due diligence and further discussions. “Cooperation between globally competitive mid-sized companies and startups is a necessary opportunity in this changing era.” On the morning of the 27th, K-Ground Ventures also created opportunities for IR and open innovation by inviting selected Scale-Up TIPS companies and promising startups to a networking event hosted by the World Class Companies Association (Chairman: Lee Jun-hyuk). Cho Nam-hoon commented, “In this era of rapid change and the AI revolution, mid-sized companies with global scale-up experience and a need for growth engines and collaborative technologies are more open to partnering with startups because of their ability to make quick decisions. Startups should not only seek collaboration with large corporations but also create global scale-up success and build new industrial ecosystems in deep tech by partnering with mid-sized companies.” K-Ground Ventures is currently operating the Hongneung Advanced Science and Technology Commercialization Funds and the Innovation IP Fund. As the first Scale-Up TIPS operator, it leverages CEO Cho Nam-hoon’s Silicon Valley experience and his previous role as the founding CEO of Korea Science and Technology Holdings (KST), along with a national network of government-funded research institutes, to produce specialized results in deep tech commercialization. K-Ground’s differentiated value-up strategy focuses on creating new value through open innovation with mid-sized companies and collaboration among portfolio companies, contributing directly to the scale-up of its investees. To execute this strategy, various mid-sized companies are already participating as LPs (limited partners) in its funds to explore new business opportunities and investments, and global expert advisory groups from diverse fields are supporting convergence technology collaborations between startups and portfolio companies to deliver global outcomes. A notable case was during the 2023 Investor Family Day event, where K-Ground Ventures proposed the Mobility Healthcare Alliance, a convergence commercialization model connecting deep tech startups with regional innovation hubs across Korea. This initiative encouraged the development of globally competitive, breakthrough technologies. Notably, NF, an oxygen supply system company, and Yellowknife, an SDV (Software Defined Vehicle) company founded by former Hyundai Motor employees, joined the alliance and are now engaged in joint development with global mobility firms—making this a leading example of deep tech commercialization and global industry ecosystem building through K-Ground Ventures' collaborative investment model. Looking ahead, K-Ground Ventures plans to establish a global fund exceeding USD 25 million with U.S.-based KRS Ventures by the end of 2025. As a Scale-Up TIPS operator, it will continue to nurture startups with unicorn potential through the Scale-Up TIPS Global Track and Global Star Fund connections. 최지원 기자expansion ventures ground ventures startups aiming deep tech
