Youth Up Partners

What Youth Up Partners does

Youth Up Partners (유스업파트너스) is a Seoul-based, privately-held startup accelerator registered with Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups under Article 19-2 of the Small and Medium Enterprise Startup Support Act. The firm forms private investment partnerships (개인투자조합) to deploy capital into Korean SMEs and venture-stage companies, and has raised a cumulative 106.6 billion KRW across 133 partnerships with 4,635 individual investor members since 2019.

The company operates three principal programs: OMI (One-Month Investment), which underwrites B2C consumer goods companies based on monthly sales data sourced from partner e-commerce platform Invemall and disburses capital on a monthly cadence; OAK (One-line Accelerating to KOSDAQ), which provides end-to-end support from acceleration through KONEX listing to KOSDAQ listing via partnerships with Konex Partners and Kofunding; and the TU (Trial) Corporate Growth Program, a cohort-based accelerator offering up to 300 million KRW per startup alongside mentoring and demo days. Marketing support services — including newsletters to 조합원, Invemall storefront placement, and Kofunding crowdfunding promotion — round out the offering.

The business model blends three revenue streams: management fees from the private investment partnerships, equity returns from portfolio investments, and consulting/advisory fees to invested companies for fundraising and listing preparation. Capital formation has been declining year-over-year since a 2021 peak of 23.83 billion KRW (down to 11.04 billion KRW in 2025 and 2.84 billion KRW YTD 2026), and the disclosed portfolio of nine companies spans LED lighting, food and beverage, automotive parts, apparel, furniture, real estate, and manufacturing. The firm is led by Representative Director Choi Seung-won and operates exclusively in the Korean domestic market, with limited portfolio-company export activity into the USA, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Name

Youth Up Partners

Legal name

유스업파트너스 주식회사

Website

https://youthup.co.kr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Youth Up Partners is a Seoul-based Korean accelerator registered with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups that operates private investment partnerships providing rapid monthly investment (OMI), KONEX/KOSDAQ listing support (OAK), and cohort-based acceleration (TU) for SME and venture-stage companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital & Startup Acceleration

NAICS

Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

Keywords

• Venture capital services
• Startup acceleration
• SME investment programs
• Corporate growth advisory
• Investment partnership management

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, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Investment Management Fees: Revenue generated from managing private investment partnerships. Youth Up Partners operates private investment pools (개인투자조합) that invest in venture/small-medium companies, earning management fees from fund operations.
2. Startup Investment Returns: Returns from equity investments in portfolio companies through OMI and OAK programs. Investments made in promising SME/venture companies with exit through listing or other means.
3. Consulting and Advisory Services: Provides consulting services including corporate management support, fundraising assistance, and listing preparation support to invested companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Youth Up Partners is a Korea-based accelerator and venture capital firm that runs investment and growth programs for SMEs and venture companies. Its flagship programs include OMI (One-Month Investment), OAK (One-line Accelerating to KOSDAQ), and the TU (Trial) Corporate Growth Program, supported by marketing services. The firm reports 133 registered investment partnerships with 4,635 investors and 106.6 billion KRW in cumulative venture investment.

Product overview

Youth Up Partners operates as an accelerator registered with Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups, offering two core investment programs: OMI (One-Month Investment) for B2C consumer goods companies providing monthly investment based on sales performance, and OAK (One-Line Accelerating to KOSDAQ) for companies seeking KONEX and KOSDAQ listings. The company also provides marketing support through partner platforms (Invemall and Kofunding) and runs the TU corporate growth program for early-stage startups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OMI (One-Month Investment) A compressed one-month investment program that provides SMEs and early-stage ventures with a fast-track funding pathway through Youth Up Partners' network of registered investors.
• OAK (One-line Accelerating to KOSDAQ) An acceleration program that prepares and guides SMEs toward a KOSDAQ listing, providing advisory and investor-matching support along the listing pathway.
• TU (Trial) Corporate Growth Program A trial-stage corporate growth program that helps participating SMEs and ventures develop operational and commercial capabilities ahead of further investment rounds.
• Marketing Support Services Marketing support services provided alongside the investment and acceleration programs to help portfolio companies with brand building, demand generation, and market entry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1066억 원 cumulative venture investment deployed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Invemall (인베몰)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInvemall is an online shopping mall operated by Invesumer where investors can purchase products from invested companies. It serves as the primary sales data source for the OMI investment program, evaluating companies based on their monthly sales on the platform.
• Korea Venture Management (한국벤처경영원)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKorea Venture Management provides management consulting services including investment, marketing support, and listing support for small and medium ventures. They provide tax deduction calculation services and consulting for private investment partnerships.
• Kofunding (한국크라우드펀딩/코펀딩)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKofunding is a securities-type crowdfunding platform registered with the Financial Services Commission. It supports KONEX special listing for small and medium ventures and serves as an additional distribution and marketing channel for portfolio companies.
• Konex Partners (코넥스파트너스)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKonex Partners is a management support and investment specialist company for KONEX listed companies. Provides listing support services for the OAK program pathway from KONEX to KOSDAQ listing.
• Ministry of SMEs and Startups (중소벤처기업부)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry under which Youth Up Partners is registered as an accelerator (스타트업 기획자/액셀러레이터) pursuant to Article 19-2 of the Small and Medium Enterprise Startup Support Act.
• Korea Venture Capital (한국벤처투자)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment-related investment organization supporting venture ecosystem development. Partner institution for venture investment promotion.
• Korea Institute of Startup & Venture (창업진흥원)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment organization supporting startup ecosystem. Connected partner institution for startup support programs.
• Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (한국산업기술진흥원)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment organization supporting industrial technology development. Connected partner institution for technology-focused companies.
• Korea Angel Investors Association (한국엔젤투자협회)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association for angel investors. Partner institution supporting angel investment ecosystem.
• Initial Investment Accelerator Association (초기투자액셀러레이터협회)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association for early-stage investment accelerators. Connected partner for accelerator ecosystem development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• East Ventures: East Ventures is a broader early-stage VC platform active across Southeast Asia and Korea, offering accelerator-style support and follow-on capital at larger scale than Korean-only accelerators. It is a relevant peer because it overlaps with Youth Up Partners on Korean early-stage SME deals, but operates a wider regional portfolio and is not a registered Korean accelerator.

Direct peers

• Mashup Ventures: Mashup Ventures is a Korean early-stage VC and accelerator that invests in and supports Korean startups with cohort-based programming and follow-on capital. It competes with Youth Up Partners in the early-stage Korean SME investment market and shares a similar focus on registered-accelerator status and structured cohort support.
• SparkLabs Korea: SparkLabs Korea is a domestic Korean accelerator and early-stage investor that runs structured cohort programs targeting Korean startups and SMEs, with global follow-on support. It competes directly with Youth Up Partners for SME founder mindshare, accelerator cohort applicants, and LP capital in the Korean registered-accelerator ecosystem.
• Bon Angels: Bon Angels is a Korean angel investment firm and accelerator that operates registered cohort programs targeting early-stage Korean startups and SMEs. It is a direct peer to Youth Up Partners in the registered Korean accelerator space, competing for both deal flow and LP engagement from individual investors.
• Capstone Partners: Capstone Partners is a Korean early- and growth-stage VC that invests in Korean SMEs and venture companies, with active involvement in acceleration, listing preparation, and follow-on funding. It competes with Youth Up Partners for Korean SME deals and serves a comparable function in the Korean venture ecosystem.
• Primer Sazze (Primer): Primer (Primer Sazze) is a Korean early-stage accelerator that supports Korean startups through cohort programs and follow-on investment. It directly competes with Youth Up Partners for early-stage Korean SME founders and LP capital, sharing a focus on registered-accelerator status and government-aligned support programs.
• D.CAMP: D.CAMP is a major Korean startup accelerator and venture fund backed by Daelim Industrial, operating cohort-based programs for early-stage Korean startups with structured post-program follow-on funding. It is comparable to Youth Up Partners as a domestic registered accelerator competing for SME deal flow, government-aligned status, and LP partnerships.
• Strong Ventures: Strong Ventures is a Korean early-stage VC and accelerator that invests in Korean startups across multiple sectors with cohort-based support and follow-on capital. It is comparable to Youth Up Partners as a domestic registered Korean accelerator targeting SME founders and competing for accelerator cohort applicants and LP capital.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Youth Up Partners