Korea Growth Investment Corporation, South Korea’s leading fund-of-funds manager, announced on the 27th that it is recruiting companies to participate in one-on-one investment matchmaking sessions with specialized investors to support fintech startups in raising capital.
The event will take place on November 26 at Exhibition Hall 2 of the aT Center in Yangjae-dong, Seoul. It is organized as a key side program of “Korea Fintech Week 2026,” which is being held under the theme “The Next Era of Finance Has Already Begun.” Fintech startups and companies interested in fintech can apply from August 24 through October 26.
The core of the investment matchmaking is pre-matching. Participating startups are paired with specialized investors whose areas of interest align, based on factors such as business model, growth stage, and funding needs, followed by individually tailored consultations on the day of the event. The format is designed to enable more substantive investment discussions than traditional networking approaches where entrepreneurs meet investors randomly at the venue.
Korea Growth Investment Corporation manages numerous sub-funds through South Korea’s flagship fund-of-funds vehicles, including the Growth Ladder Fund, the Fintech Innovation Fund, and the IBK Innovation Solution Fund. A distinguishing feature is the use of the Fintech Innovation Fund—capitalized with policy funding—and its network of private venture capital (VC) investors as a funding channel for early-stage fintech companies.
Last year’s investment matchmaking drew 25 specialized investment firms, including the delegated managers of the 708.8 billion won (approximately $513.4 million) Fintech Innovation Fund. A total of 99 investment consultations were conducted. This year, the pre-matching process will be further strengthened to assign investors aligned with each company’s areas of interest and provide more in-depth, individually tailored consulting.
Venture capital industry observers note that in an environment where investment sentiment is highly selective, precisely connecting fundable companies with asset managers has become more important than simply increasing the number of touchpoints between investors and startups.
A VC industry source said, “From a startup’s perspective, this reduces the time and cost of contacting multiple investors individually, while investors also benefit from being able to selectively meet companies that fit their investment strategy. The key question is not the event itself, but how many consultations lead to actual investment reviews and follow-up meetings.”
This investment matchmaking moves beyond simple investor relations (IR) presentations or one-off networking, focusing instead on pre-aligning startups’ business areas with investors’ interests to increase the likelihood of actual fundraising. Korea Growth Investment Corporation plans to conduct one-on-one consultations between investors and companies on the event day following the pre-matching process.
