Korea Growth Investment Corporation

What Korea Growth Investment Corporation does

Korea Growth Investment Corporation (K-Growth) is a Seoul-based, government-backed fund-of-funds (FoF) manager established in February 2016 to serve as Korea's Representative Fund of Funds in venture capital and private equity. The company aggregates committed capital from Korean institutional investors — including seven major banks (KDB, IBK, Hana, Shinhan, Woori, Kookmin, NongHyup), regional banks, leading chaebol corporations (Samsung, POSCO, SK hynix, Hyundai/Kia, LG Energy Solution, SK on, Samsung SDI, Hyundai Mobis), securities firms, insurance companies, and government entities (KAMCO, Korea Eximbank, KIAT) — and deploys that capital through 29 sub-funds managed by external General Partners across 221 portfolio companies. The mandate is policy-driven, targeting sectors including semiconductors, secondary batteries, fintech, materials/parts/equipment, and social impact.

K-Growth's product architecture is a multi-strategy FoF platform built around four investment strategies: Blind Fund (sector-flexible GP-determined investments), Project Fund (pre-identified target companies), LP Interest Secondary (LP interest replacement in existing funds), and Direct Investment (joint investment with GP sub-funds). The platform is operationalized through named sub-funds such as the Growth Ladder Fund, Semiconductor Growth Fund, Second Battery Growth Fund, Fintech Innovation Fund, Korea Startup Market Fund, KOSDAQ Scale-up Fund, K-Social Impact Fund, Job Creation Fund, and several co-investment vehicles with strategic partners (IBK Innovation Fund, POSCO New Growth Fund, Hyundai Motor Group Future Car Growth Fund, Hana-New Deal K-Growth Fund). Sub-fund AUM exceeds 1 trillion KRW, with K-Growth's own AUM around 60 billion KRW.

Revenue is generated through FoF management fees and performance-based returns from the fund ecosystem. Distribution is institutional and B2B, relying on direct relationships with GP networks and large Korean institutional investors. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. K-Growth is privately held, with no listed parent company, and in December 2023 became the first Korean asset management company to receive ISO 37001 (Anti-Bribery Management System) and ISO 37301 (Compliance Management System) certifications, reinforcing its governance posture for institutional and government counterparties.

Name

Korea Growth Investment Corporation

Legal name

Korea Growth Investment Corporation

Website

https://eng.kgrowth.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fund of Funds Management

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

akta.pro primary industry

Growth Equity Fund-of-Funds (FSANAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multi-Sector / Generalist Growth Equity (FSANACAO)

Keywords

• Fund of funds management
• Venture capital investment
• Private equity management
• Institutional capital aggregation
• Growth investment funds

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fund of Funds Management: K-Growth generates returns by managing Fund of Funds structures, investing in sub-funds managed by General Partners. The diverse portfolio enables investors to expect higher ROI than the level of risk. Revenue is generated through management fees and performance-based returns from the fund ecosystem.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Korea Growth Investment Corporation (K-Growth) is Korea's Representative Fund of Funds in venture capital and private equity, established by the Korean government in February 2016. The company aggregates dispersed capital from institutional investors—including Korean banks, major industrial conglomerates, securities firms, asset managers, insurance companies, and government entities—and deploys it into a diversified portfolio of GP-managed sub-funds across growth, semiconductor, battery, fintech, social impact, and capital market scale-up strategies. Through 29 sub-funds supporting 221 portfolio companies, K-Growth facilitates the full startup-to-scale-up-to-exit corporate growth lifecycle in Korea.

Product overview

Korea Growth Investment Corporation (K-Growth) operates as Korea's Representative Fund of Funds (FoFs) in venture capital and private equity. The company aggregates capital from institutional investors and financial institutions to establish large-scale FoFs, which are then distributed to sub-funds managed by General Partners (GPs) to support corporate growth across the startup-scaleup-exit lifecycle. The product portfolio consists of multiple specialized sub-funds including Growth Ladder Fund, Semiconductor Growth Fund, Second Battery Growth Fund, and Fintech Innovation Fund, supported by four distinct investment strategies: Blind Fund, Project Fund, LP Interest Secondary, and Direct Investment. K-Growth manages 29 sub-funds with 221 portfolio companies, serving as a facilitator for scale-up support and capital market development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fund of Funds (FoFs)
• Growth Ladder Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• 221 portfolio companies supported through sub-fund ecosystem
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Korea Venture Investment Corporation (KVIC): Korean government-backed venture capital corporation that mobilizes institutional capital and channels it to VC funds, mirroring K-Growth's role as a policy-driven fund-of-funds. Directly comparable as a state-backed FoF mobilizing Korean institutional capital for VC/PE allocation.
• KDB Capital: Investment arm of Korea Development Bank, also a Core LP in K-Growth's ecosystem. Operates as a government-affiliated VC/PE platform deploying policy capital into Korean growth companies, directly comparable in mandate and capital sourcing.
• IBK Venture Investment: Venture capital arm of Industrial Bank of Korea, Core LP in K-Growth's fund ecosystem. Comparable as a Korean policy-bank-affiliated VC investor deploying capital into growth-stage companies and innovative SMEs.
• CDP Venture Capital: Italian government-backed venture capital fund-of-funds operator managing multiple sector-specific funds with policy mandates. Directly comparable structurally as a state-backed FoF aggregating institutional capital for deployment through GP-managed sub-funds.
• BPI France: French government-backed investment bank operating fund-of-funds vehicles that channel state and institutional capital into French VC/PE ecosystems. Comparable as a national champion FoF with policy-aligned sector mandates and direct institutional LP relationships.
• KfW Capital: German government-backed fund-of-funds manager investing in German and European VC funds. Comparable as a state-backed FoF with policy mandate to strengthen the domestic venture capital ecosystem through institutional capital aggregation.

Broad incumbents

• Temasek Holdings: Singapore sovereign wealth fund making direct investments and LP commitments across VC/PE globally. Although broader in scope, comparable in its role as a quasi-sovereign capital aggregator backing strategic growth sectors and Asian fund managers.
• GIC Pte Ltd: Singapore sovereign wealth fund deploying capital across global PE/VC through both direct and fund-of-funds channels. Comparable as a sovereign-backed institutional capital source with policy-aligned sector mandates including technology and growth-stage companies.
• Korea Investment Partners (KIP): Major Korean VC/PE firm operating as a GP across multiple funds, including some co-fund arrangements with Korean policy institutions. Comparable as a Korean VC/PE market participant that interacts with K-Growth's LP ecosystem.
• Mubadala Investment Company: UAE sovereign wealth fund with global VC/PE LP commitments and direct investment activities in technology and growth sectors. Comparable as a sovereign-backed institutional investor deploying capital through fund-of-funds and direct channels in Asian growth markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments27 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Korea Growth Investment Corporation