Ministry of SMEs and Startups to Foster 50 Global Unicorns by 2030… First 50 Companies Selected for 'Unicorn Bridge'
Date
Jun 25, 2026
Classification
- Startups
#
- Policy/Regulation
Author
On June 23, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups held the 'Global Unicorn Vision Proclamation Ceremony' and officially announced its goal to foster 50 unicorns by 2030. Fifty potential unicorn companies will be selected for the newly established 'Unicorn Bridge' program, which links up to 1.6 billion won in government funding with special guarantees of up to 20 billion won from the Korea Technology Finance Corporation (Kibo) over two years. The average valuation of the 50 selected companies is approximately 180.1 billion won, with an average revenue of 24 billion won.
The government has selected 50 potential unicorn companies capable of competing in the global market for the first time and set a goal to foster 50 unicorns by 2030.
1.6 billion won in government subsidies and 20 billion won in special guarantees from Kibo over two years… Phased support for pioneering funds
On June 23, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups held the 'Global Unicorn Vision Proclamation Ceremony' at the Startup Venture Campus Seoul (SVC Seoul) and announced plans to foster 50 unicorns by 2030. At the event, certificates were presented to the first 50 companies selected for the Unicorn Bridge program, which was newly established this year. Unicorn Bridge is a program designed to nurture potential unicorns, whose innovation and growth potential have been verified, into globally competitive enterprises. Selected companies receive up to 1.6 billion won in government funding and up to 20 billion won in special guarantees from the Korea Technology Guarantee Fund over a two-year period. The structure involves providing 600 million won in funds for global market expansion and up to 10 billion won in special guarantees as a base in the first year, with additional support continuing in the second year.
Average enterprise value of the 50 selected companies: 180.1 billion KRW, employment: 106 people
The average corporate value of the 50 companies selected this year was approximately 180.1 billion won, with an average revenue of 24 billion won and an average employment of 106 people. Noh Yong-seok, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated that attracting global investment is essential for startups and venture companies to grow into unicorns, and pledged to actively support potential unicorns so that they can gain competitiveness and make a leap forward in overseas markets.
Linking to global investment attraction is key… IR capabilities are the next variable.
As government subsidies and guarantees serve primarily as a catalyst, actual leaps toward becoming unicorns depend on whether they lead to attracting subsequent private and overseas investment. For companies with an average valuation of around 180.1 billion won to reach 1 trillion won (the standard for unicorns), verifying their IR capabilities and traction to persuade global VCs remains a key challenge.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Unicorn Bridge is a program designed to directly target global expansion by bundling funds and guarantees with verified potential unicorns. However, policy support is merely a starting point, and whether the selected companies can raise their corporate value by attracting foreign capital is expected to be the real gateway to achieving the 2030 goal.
#MSIT #UnicornBridge #GlobalUnicorn #StartupPolicy #InvestmentAttraction
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