Korea Investment Accelerator

What Korea Investment Accelerator does

Korea Investment Accelerator (KIAC) is a Seoul-based startup accelerator and early-stage venture investment vehicle established in 2022 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea Investment Holdings (한국투자금융지주), a major South Korean financial conglomerate. The firm operates three primary programs: the 바른동행 (Baro-donghang) startup support program, which recruits and nurtures early-stage companies through direct application (apply.koreainvestment.ac); the SYNERGY Club, an exclusive network convening portfolio companies with strategic technology partners such as Anthropic and Ripple; and the K-Global Accelerator Program, a government-supported initiative that conducts Silicon Valley acceleration activities including the Future Shock Deep Tech Meetup with partners SOSV and Makgeolli Valley. Through these programs, KIAC positions itself as a long-term partner to founders rather than a transactional investor, operating under a "We Climb Together" philosophy.

The firm's portfolio spans 123 companies as of 2026, with cumulative investment deployment of 431억원 (approximately $320M USD) and an investment management scale of 600억원. Portfolio composition shows a deliberate concentration in AI-native and deep-tech categories, including maritime AI (Ocean Smart), AI-driven materials discovery (AstralQ), enterprise AI data integration (Dfinite), AI-driven remote therapeutic monitoring (PhyxUp Health), edge-AI sensors (Softionics), automotive repair AI (DataTium), neuromorphic biosensors (Nanolattice), solid-state battery electrolytes (SOLIVIS), and launch vehicle development (UNASTELLA). Investment metrics indicate 64.35% of capital goes to companies less than three years old, 44.07% of portfolio companies attract follow-on funding, and the firm maintains notable allocation to women-owned (52.72%) and youth-led (78.07%) businesses.

KIAC's revenue model derives from investment returns on equity stakes in portfolio companies and program operations, with co-investment relationships including Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME), Synergy IB Investment, Smilegate Investment, and Bluepoint Partners. Distribution occurs through direct application channels, the SYNERGY platform, and corporate-partner facilitation (notably Microsoft). The firm explicitly markets itself as part of the Korea Investment Group financial ecosystem, providing portfolio companies with access to securities, trust management, capital markets, and private equity capabilities across its parent group's nine subsidiaries.

Name

Korea Investment Accelerator

Legal name

Korea Investment Accelerator

Website

https://koreainvestment.ac/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Korea Investment Accelerator (KIAC) is a Seoul-based startup accelerator and early-stage venture investor established in 2022 as a subsidiary of Korea Investment Holdings. It deploys seed and Series A capital across 123 portfolio companies, primarily in AI and deep-tech verticals, while operating Silicon Valley acceleration and SYNERGY corporate-partner programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator / Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD), Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

Keywords

• Startup accelerator services
• Venture capital investing
• Seed stage funding
• Early stage investment
• Corporate venture capital

Headquarters

HQ city

Daechidong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns: Returns from equity investments in portfolio companies through seed and early-stage funding rounds. The accelerator generates returns through exit events, follow-on investments from other VCs, and portfolio company valuations.
2. Accelerator Program Operations: Manages accelerator programs including K-Global Accelerator, Synergy Club, and 바른동행 support program, potentially generating fees from program participation or corporate partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Korea Investment Accelerator is a startup accelerator and early-stage venture capital firm that invests in seed and Series A rounds and operates structured acceleration programs for portfolio companies. Core offerings include the 바른동행 (Barun Donghang) startup support program for promising early-stage companies, the SYNERGY club connecting portfolio companies with global tech leaders, and the K-Global Accelerator Program providing Silicon Valley-based acceleration and US market entry support. Since 2022, the firm has deployed 431 billion KRW across 123 portfolio companies under a 600 billion KRW investment management mandate.

Product overview

Korea Investment Accelerator is a startup accelerator founded in 2022 that operates investment programs for early-stage companies. The accelerator offers multiple support programs including the '바른동행' (Barun Donghang) startup support program and the SYNERGY club for portfolio companies. It conducts global acceleration activities through the K-Global Accelerator Program in Silicon Valley, providing startups with access to U.S. ecosystem resources, investor relations, and local partnership building opportunities. The accelerator has invested in over 123 companies with a total portfolio value of 10,474 billion KRW.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 바른동행 (Barun Donghang): Support program for promising startups
• SYNERGY

Products and services

• 바른동행 (Barun Donghang) Startup Support Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 44.07% follow-on investment rate - nearly half of portfolio companies raise subsequent funding
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Korea Investment PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026KIAC and Korea Investment Partners co-hosted Synergy Club events featuring Anthropic and Ripple to facilitate connections between portfolio companies and major technology leaders.
• AnthropicminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026Featured guest at Synergy Club event co-hosted by KIAC and Korea Investment Partners, representing potential AI partnership opportunities for portfolio companies.
• Ripple (리플릿)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026Featured guest at Synergy Club event co-hosted by KIAC and Korea Investment Partners, representing potential blockchain/fintech partnership opportunities.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2026Korea Investment Accelerator has a strategic collaboration with Microsoft, which was mentioned in the context of AI transformation in digital finance. This partnership likely provides portfolio companies with access to Microsoft technology, cloud infrastructure, and potentially co-development opportunities.
• SOSVminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 December 2025KIAC co-hosted the Future Shock Deep Tech Meetup with SOSV and Makgeolli Valley as part of the 2025 K-Global Accelerator Program. The event was designed to foster investor relations and identify US tech trends.
• Makgeolli ValleyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 December 2025KIAC co-hosted the Future Shock Deep Tech Meetup with SOSV and Makgeolli Valley to foster investor relations and identify US tech trends while supporting portfolio companies in building local presence.
• K-Global Accelerator ProgramcoreOthers · 2 December 2025Government-supported accelerator program where KIAC conducts active global acceleration programs in Silicon Valley, engaging startups directly in the US ecosystem and supporting portfolio companies in building local presence.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments120 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Korea Investment Accelerator