KITIA

What KITIA does

KITIA (Korea Core Industrial Technology Investment Association / 한국소재부품장비투자기관협회) is a private association of investment institutions founded in 2001 under Article 21 of the Special Measures Act for Parts and Materials Industries and operating under the oversight of South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). The organization serves as the statutory intermediary connecting the Korean materials, components, and equipment (소재·부품·장비) sector with private capital, evaluating companies applying for government R&D programs for commercialization potential and facilitating investment from its 170+ member institutions, which include venture capital firms, new technology finance companies, banks, securities firms, and insurance companies. KITIA also supports inbound foreign direct investment into the sector through FDI caravans, the annual MPE GIC (Materials/Parts/Equipment Global Investment Conference), and tailored support for foreign companies considering Korean market entry.

The association's core product portfolio comprises six government-linked programs — Investment-Linked R&D, Materials/Components/Equipment Investment Attraction Support, Investment-Linked Technology Assurance, Global Technology Introduction (X&D), Investment Cooperation, and the Specialized Investment Fund — underpinned by two technology platforms: OASIS (a domestic/foreign investor matching platform launched in 2018 with 193 member companies) and Tech-Finder (an overseas technology-holder discovery tool). The platform architecture is a centralized database system storing company information, IR archives, and FDI target data, with a 2024 automated notification feature added. Program-level pricing is government-subsidized rather than market-priced: IR consulting covers 80% of costs up to 4 million KRW per company, technology asset evaluation supports up to 40 million KRW, and supply chain stabilization supports up to 150 million KRW.

KITIA's revenue model is a hybrid of tiered membership fees (Regular members pay fixed annual dues; Special and General members pay per-investment fees; membership restricted to licensed financial institutions) and government program subsidies. The association does not operate a traditional SaaS or transaction-based revenue model. Cumulative outcomes reported include 130 materials/parts/equipment companies achieving successful investment attraction totaling 3,679.1 billion KRW through KITIA-supported programs from 2014 to 2025, with 1,192 companies identified for investment attraction support over the same period and five KITIA-registered investment partnerships totaling 129.5 billion KRW in formation amount.

Name

KITIA

Legal name

한국소재부품장비투자기관협회(KITIA)

Website

https://kitia.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

KITIA is a South Korean private association founded in 2001 under the Special Measures Act for Parts and Materials Industries, serving as a government-linked intermediary connecting materials, components, and equipment SMEs with its 170+ member investment institutions and foreign investors through the OASIS matching platform and six subsidized support programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Facilitation Services for Materials/Components/Equipment Industry

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Investment Promotion & FDI Facilitation (BPADAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type) (BPADACAJ), Technical Assistance, Policy Lending & Capacity Building Programs (BPADACAN)

Keywords

• Investment facilitation services
• R&D commercialization support
• Venture capital matchmaking
• Technology transfer services
• Foreign direct investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeoksamdong

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: KITIA charges membership fees to its investment institution members. Three membership tiers exist: Regular members (정회원) pay fixed annual fees; Special members (특별회원) pay entry fees and per-investment fees; General members (일반회원) pay per-investment fees. Membership is restricted to licensed financial institutions including venture capital firms, new technology finance companies, banks, securities firms, and insurance companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KITIA operates as an investment association intermediating between Korean government R&D programs and a consortium of 170+ licensed investment institutions, evaluating commercialization potential of materials/components/equipment (소재·부품·장비) SMEs seeking investment. Core offerings span investment-linked R&D program management, IR consulting and investment attraction support, overseas technology acquisition (X&D), foreign direct investment attraction support, and management of the OASIS investment-matching platform for the materials/parts/equipment sector.

Product overview

KITIA offers a comprehensive suite of investment and technology-related services for materials, components, and equipment (소재·부품·장비) companies in Korea. The core portfolio includes the Investment-Linked R&D Program connecting government R&D with private investment, Investment Attraction Support with IR consulting services, Technology Assurance Support for overseas technology acquisition, Global Technology Introduction (X&D) for M&A and partnerships, Investment Cooperation for foreign companies entering Korea, and a Specialized Investment Fund. Supporting these services is the OASIS platform, an investment information network system providing company databases, IR archives, and matching services, along with Tech-Finder for overseas technology partner identification. The portfolio is complemented by IR consulting support modules and the annual MPE GIC international investment conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OASIS: Materials, Components and Equipment Investment Information Network System - an online platform providing investment information and matching services for Korean materials/parts/equipment companies and foreign investors.

Products and services

• Investment-Linked R&D Program (투자연계형 R&D사업) Government R&D project application program for materials/components/equipment companies, where KITIA member investment institutions evaluate applicants' commercialization potential and growth prospects and provide commercialization funding. Targeted at Korean materials/parts/equipment SMEs and mid-tier companies seeking R&D commercialization support.
• Materials/Components/Equipment Investment Attraction Support (소재부품장비 투자유치 지원사업) Program that resolves information asymmetry between materials/parts/equipment companies and investors through a permanent IR system, identifying investment-attracting companies and providing IR consulting, technical evaluation, and supporting investment attraction activities. Targeted at Korean materials/parts/equipment SMEs and mid-tier companies.
• Investment-Linked Technology Assurance Support (투자연계형 기술확보지원사업) Program that identifies overseas target companies possessing core technologies in materials/components/equipment sectors and provides the information to domestic companies; also supports technical evaluation and expert due diligence costs incurred during technology acquisition. Targeted at Korean companies seeking overseas technology acquisition.
• Global Technology Introduction Support (X&D) (글로벌기술도입지원사업) Program supporting Korean companies in global technology partnerships including M&A, equity investment, IP acquisition, exclusive licensing, and JV establishment. Linked with government R&D for technology internalization support after acquisition. Targeted at Korean materials/parts/equipment companies seeking overseas technology partnerships.
• Materials/Components/Equipment Investment Cooperation (소재부품장비투자협력사업) Program providing customized 1:1 support for foreign companies (from Japan, Germany, USA, and other countries) considering entry into Korea, including information provision and procedural assistance. Targeted at foreign companies and investors interested in Korea's materials/parts/equipment sector.
• Materials/Components/Equipment Specialized Investment Fund (소재부품장비전문 투자조합) Dedicated investment fund promoting investment in specialized leading companies, professional companies, and strong/startup companies in materials/components/equipment sectors with a 51% minimum investment obligation ratio. Targeted at KITIA member investment institutions seeking specialized sector exposure.
• OASIS Investment Information Network System (소재부품장비투자정보망 시스템) One-stop online platform providing Korean materials/parts/equipment companies with investment attraction information and foreign investment company needs, enabling investment matching between domestic and international investors. Manages company information, IR archives, and FDI target databases. Used by member investment institutions and target companies in the materials/parts/equipment sector.
• Tech-Finder Online platform for identifying overseas technology-holding companies, providing company information and matching support for Korean enterprises seeking technology partnerships in materials/components/equipment sectors. Targeted at Korean companies seeking foreign technology acquisition.
• MPE GIC (Materials/Parts/Equipment Global Investment Conference) (소재부품장비 국제투자 컨퍼런스) Annual international investment conference program that facilitates matching between Korean materials/components/equipment companies and foreign investors, supporting international cooperation and investment attraction in the sector. Targeted at Korean materials/parts/equipment companies and international investors.
• IR Consulting Support (IR 컨설팅 지원사업) Consulting service providing 80% government cost support (up to 4 million KRW, VAT included) for investment attraction consulting, including industry analysis, IR plan preparation, investment negotiation support, and post-investment management. Targeted at Korean materials/parts/equipment SMEs and mid-tier companies.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEIT serves as the implementing agency for investment-linked R&D programs in the materials/parts/equipment sector, working with KITIA on technology development project evaluation and selection.
• Korea Institute for Advancement of Industrial Technology (KIAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIAT is the implementing agency for scale-up technology commercialization programs and is involved in KITIA's investment-linked technology development initiatives.
• Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (산업통상자원부)coreOthersMOTIE is the supervising ministry that oversees KITIA's programs and provides policy direction for materials/parts/equipment industry development and investment promotion.
• Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKOTRA collaborates with KITIA on the OASIS platform, particularly in promoting foreign investment in materials/parts/equipment companies and managing the list of foreign-investment-desired companies.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startup Korea): Government-backed startup incubator program operated by MOTIE. TIPS shares KITIA's investment-linked R&D model for technology startups, though focused on earlier-stage companies across tech sectors rather than materials/components/equipment SMEs.

Direct peers

• KOTEC (Korea Technology Finance Corporation): Government-affiliated technology financing institution for SMEs. KOTEC operates a similar model of bridging technology SMEs with capital, and is one of KITIA's new technology finance company members, making it both a peer and a stakeholder.
• KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency): Government-affiliated trade and investment promotion agency. KOTRA collaborates directly with KITIA on the OASIS platform and FDI promotion for materials/components/equipment companies, sharing a similar mandate of connecting Korean companies with foreign investors.
• KVCA (Korean Venture Capital Association): Industry association representing Korean venture capital and private equity firms. KVCA overlaps with KITIA in representing and coordinating with Korean VC/PE members, and serves a similar network-aggregation role in the Korean investment ecosystem.
• KEIT (Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology): Implementing agency for R&D programs in industrial technology. KEIT collaborates with KITIA on technology development project evaluation and selection for materials/components/equipment, sharing a complementary role in Korea's industrial R&D ecosystem.
• KIAT (Korea Institute for Advancement of Industrial Technology): Government implementing agency for industrial technology development and commercialization programs. KIAT partners with KITIA on investment-linked R&D programs and scale-up technology commercialization, operating in adjacent roles in the same value chain.

Regional players

• Bpifrance: French public investment bank supporting SMEs and mid-cap companies with financing, investment, and innovation support. Bpifrance is structurally comparable to KITIA's blended investment promotion role but focused on the French market and broader sectors.

Others

• Korea Development Bank (KDB): Korea's state-owned policy bank and a founding member of KITIA. KDB participates in KITIA's investment partnerships (e.g., 750 billion KRW KoFC-KDB partnership) and serves on KITIA's board, functioning as both a member investor and a related institutional peer.

Broad incumbents

• JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization): Japanese government-affiliated trade and investment promotion agency. JETRO operates a comparable FDI attraction and SME support mandate to KITIA, but at a larger national scale and broader sector scope.
• KOSME (Korea SMEs and Startups Agency): Government agency supporting Korean SMEs with financing, market access, and capability development. KOSME has an overlapping mandate with KITIA in supporting SMEs, though broader in scope across industries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about KITIA