South Korea is sharpening its unicorn pipeline with the selection of 15 Pre-Unicorn startups for 2025, spanning AI, biotech, fintech, and smart infrastructure. Backed by special guarantees of up to KRW 20 billion each, these ventures are positioned to accelerate growth with support designed to enable international competitiveness. The move reflects how Korea is aligning policy, capital, and innovation to fuel its next wave of high-growth companies.
Korea Selects 15 Pre-Unicorn Startup: The Next Generation of Scale-Ups
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) has finalized the selection of 15 companies as Korea’s 2025 Pre-Unicorns, providing each with access to special guarantees of up to KRW 20 billion (~USD 14.5 million) to accelerate their path toward unicorn status.
This year’s competition saw 79 applicants, yielding a 5.3:1 selection ratio. On average, the selected companies reported KRW 23.3 billion (~USD 16.9 million) in annual revenue, 74 employees, KRW 35.2 billion (~USD 25.5 million) in cumulative funding, and KRW 113.4 billion (~USD 82.2 million) in valuation.
From this year, the government introduced a performance-linked guarantee system, enabling startups that achieve certain milestones in follow-on investment or revenue to secure additional guarantees without a separate screening process.
15 Pre-Unicorn Startups: AI, Biotech, Fintech, Logistics, Advanced Manufacturing
The 15 selected startups span AI, biotech, fintech, logistics, and advanced manufacturing, reflecting Korea’s diversified innovation base.
AI & EdTech
- Liner (라이너): AI-powered search and research platform “LINER,” ranked No. 1 globally in the SimpleQA benchmark for AI model reliability; now expanding across U.S. universities.
- Persona AI (페르소나에이아이): Developer of proprietary AI engine SONA and lightweight language model solutions, already supplied to SK Telecom and Naver.
- Team Sparta (팀스파르타): Originating as a coding bootcamp, now expanding into an AI-driven talent and education platform.
Biotech & Healthcare
- Astrogen (아스트로젠): Developing therapeutics for neurological disorders.
- Illimis Therapeutics (일리미스테라퓨틱스): Focused on fusion protein therapies.
- Kine Science (카인사이언스): Specializing in immunomodulatory drugs.
Fintech & Global Platforms
- Travel Wallet (트래블월렛): Multi-currency wallet and cross-border payments platform, recognized for providing lower fees and faster processing compared to traditional banking services.
Energy & Smart Infrastructure
- Solivis (솔리비스): Developer of sulfide-based solid-state battery materials, a next-generation energy technology.
- Xpanner (스패너): Automating the operation of construction heavy machinery for smart construction.
- Plan M (플랜엠): Builder of eco-friendly modular construction solutions.
Logistics & Consumer Platforms
- Colosseum Corporation (콜로세움코퍼레이션): AI-driven e-commerce logistics management platform.
- Seobuk (서북): Provider of unmanned photo booth services.
- AGL (에이지엘): Golf course reservation and management system.
- HTC (에이치티씨): Advanced heat dissipation materials and high-pressure containers.
- Elleven Corporation – 11corp. (일레븐코퍼레이션): Producer of functional cosmetics.
Program Track Record: Unicorns, IPOs, and Jobs
Launched in 2019, the Pre-Unicorn Special Guarantee Program has become one of Korea’s flagship scale-up policies.
Between 2019 and 2024, the program supported 126 startups with a cumulative KRW 797.2 billion (~USD 578 million) in guarantees. Outcomes measured at the end of 2024 included:
- 174% increase in average revenue and 44.7% increase in employment among selected companies.
- KRW 5.2 trillion (~USD 3.8 billion) in follow-on investment raised by 90 firms.
- 8 unicorns produced, including Zigbang, Tridge, Kurly, Korea Credit Data, IGAWorks, Ridi, Ably, and Pado.
- 13 IPOs on KOSDAQ, featuring companies such as Hanatech, Wanted Lab, Neuromeka, Sensor View, and Jeju Beer.
With this year’s 15 new selections, the total number of Pre-Unicorns supported rises to 141 companies since 2019.
Scaling as Economic Policy
Minister Han Seong-sook of MSS emphasized the role of the program in advancing Korea’s innovation economy:
“The Pre-Unicorn Special Guarantee has driven IPOs and unicorn growth, firmly establishing itself as one of Korea’s representative scale-up programs. We will continue to ensure that Pre-Unicorn companies can become central players in our economic growth.”
Korea’s Maturing Unicorn Ladder on Strategic Alignment with Global Trends
The 2025 cohort reflects strategic alignment with global trends: AI and biotech dominate the list, fintech platforms signal Korea’s growing competitiveness in cross-border services, and energy plus smart infrastructure firms highlight resilience in next-generation industries.
By embedding a performance-linked model, the government is testing a more market-driven approach to startup financing. This evolution suggests that Korea is no longer just subsidizing growth but demanding performance and scalability from its Pre-Unicorn pipeline.
Ultimately, this also signals to global founders and investors that Korea’s unicorn ladder is entering a more mature phase. With policy, capital, and networks aligning to international trends, Korea is positioning itself to support startups not only in achieving domestic growth but in advancing toward regional and global competitiveness.
– Stay Ahead in Korea’s Startup Scene –
Get real-time insights, funding updates, and policy shifts shaping Korea’s innovation ecosystem.
➡️ Follow KoreaTechDesk on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Threads, Bluesky, Telegram, Facebook, and WhatsApp Channel.
