UNIST Holdings Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as UNIST Holdings), wholly owned by UNIST, has been officially designated as the final general partner (GP) for the Regional Future Industry Transformation Deep Tech Pioneer Venture Fund I under the Korea Fund of Funds (KFoF). This milestone marks a significant step in fostering regional innovation and advancing Ulsan’s technological startup ecosystem.
The fund, totaling 12 billion KRW, will be managed with 6 billion KRW contributed by the KFoF, complemented by an additional 6 billion KRW from committed private investors, including prominent regional corporations. This is the first occasion on which UNIST Holdings has been appointed as the sole GP for the KFoF dedicated to public technology commercialization.
Targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and venture companies that utilize public technologies, the fund adopts a ‘Market to Tech’ strategy. UNIST Holdings plans to collaborate with major regional companies to identify promising public technology resources and facilitate their commercialization, thereby fostering a vibrant innovation ecosystem in Ulsan.
A key feature of this initiative is its focus on supporting startups and researchers in joint efforts to commercialize public technologies. The fund aims to catalyze innovative startups rooted in publicly developed technological assets, contributing to regional economic growth.
The successful formation of this fund was made possible through robust support from Ulsan City and local entrepreneurs. Ulsan City provided comprehensive assistance in securing investment resources and engaging with central government agencies. Regional corporate leaders, including BNK Kyungnam Bank and Honorary Chairman Junho Lee of Duksan Group, participated as investors, underscoring a collective commitment to building Ulsan’s technology startup ecosystem.
UNIST President Chong Rae Park emphasized, “Technology commercialization and startup support are essential responsibilities of universities,” and he highlighted that “[T]his achievement was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Ulsan City and the regional industrial sector.” He further stated, “We will focus on realizing the social and economic value of technology centered in Ulsan and aim to establish a virtuous cycle of public technology commercialization.”
This initiative aligns with President Park’s vision of fostering regional growth through university-led technological development. To enhance the university’s investment capabilities, UNIST Holdings has actively recruited experts, including the recent appointment of Director Tae-kyu Han.
Director Han expressed his commitment, stating, “Through this fund, we aim to connect UNIST research resources with startups nationwide to create a model for public technology commercialization that will transform regional industry.” He added, “We will develop differentiated fund management strategies to ensure successful outcomes.”
As a wholly owned subsidiary of UNIST, UNIST Holdings is positioned to facilitate close collaboration between academia and industry, establishing a large-scale, regionally integrated investment ecosystem based on public technologies. This initiative is expected to catalyze innovation, create new business opportunities, and strengthen Ulsan’s position as a hub of technological advancement.
