Kriit Ventures Partners With SNU Engineering on Startup Talent

Kriit Ventures said on the 11th that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Seoul National University’s College of Engineering on the 3rd to nurture what the partners call entrepreneurial innovators in engineering and technology.

The agreement is designed to identify innovators who can lead engineering-based technology startups and to build a cooperation framework between universities and the venture capital industry. Quantum Ventures Korea and K2 Investment Partners are joining Kriit Ventures in the effort, linking startup education with the investment ecosystem and supporting technology-based entrepreneurship.

Under the agreement, the institutions will share networks and infrastructure to expand technology startup and innovation talent programs, provide startup mentoring and consulting for the innovation curriculum, cooperate on investment linkage and fundraising, and build other mutual cooperation systems. In particular, they plan to combine the research and teaching capabilities of SNU’s College of Engineering with the investment and industry networks of venture capital firms to support the growth of promising technology startup teams.

SNU this year launched an entrepreneurial engineering innovation talent program for third- and fourth-year engineering students, offering hands-on training that covers the full startup process from generating ideas to commercialization and fundraising. Students carry out technology startup projects in fields including AI-based software, robotics, manufacturing, education, commerce and content, gaining experience in product development, market validation and raising investment.

The agreement gives the College of Engineering an industry-academia framework in which venture capitalists and successful founders take part directly in the curriculum. The evaluation mentor group includes Kriit Ventures Chief Executive Song Jae-jun, Seoul National University mechanical engineering professor emeritus Park Hee-jae, Kakao (035720) co-founder Lee Je-beom, Naver Webtoon Chief Executive Kim Jun-koo and Sendbird Chief Executive Kim Dong-shin. Kriit Ventures, Quantum Ventures Korea and K2 Investment Partners will handle hands-on mentoring for individual projects, supporting students in product development, market validation and refining business models.

“For excellent technology to grow into an innovative company, researchers need not only research capabilities but also experience understanding customers and markets,” Song said. “We will actively provide hands-on mentoring and investment networks so that students can validate their businesses from the perspective of entrepreneurs and investors and go on to start actual companies.”