FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                  
April 9, 2025                               
                                              
Ministry of SMEs and Startups Announces 2024 Venture Investment Trends in 10 Deep Tech Sectors

SEJONG – The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS, Minister OH Youngju) has announced the 2024 venture investment trends in 10 deep tech sectors. These trends are based on an analysis of companies that have received investments from venture investment firms and associations in accordance with the Venture Investment Promotion Act. The 10 deep tech sectors include ➊ AI and Big Data ➋ System Semiconductors ➌ Robotics ➍ Mobility ➎ Cloud and Network ➏ Aerospace ➐ Eco-friendly Technologies ➑ Quantum Technologies ➒ Bio/healthcare ➓ Next-generation Nuclear Power

In 2024, the total venture investment in these 10 deep tech sectors is expected to reach KRW 3.6 trillion, reflecting a 34% increase compared to 2023. This marks the largest investment scale in the past five years, signaling a growing interest from investors in deep tech.

< Recent 5-Year Venture Investment Status in Deep Tech Sectors (Unit: KRW 100 million) >

 
By sector, investments in ‘Bio/Healthcare’ and ‘AI’ represented the largest shares of 33% and 26.7% of the total deep tech investments, respectively. Notably, the ‘AI’ sector experienced the most significant increase, with an investment boost of KRW 415.8 billion, the highest among all deep tech sectors.

When breaking down the AI sector into three categories, investment in ‘AI Software Development and Supply’ was the largest. However, the growth rates for ‘AI Construction, Management, and Related Information Services’ and ‘Manufacturing and Design of AI Computing and Processing Components/Devices’ were particularly high, at 113.9% and 290.9%, respectively.

< Detailed Status of Venture Investment in the AI Sector (Unit: KRW 100 million, Count) >


* The detailed classifications of the AI sector are based on the 2023 Survey of the Artificial Intelligence Industry (Ministry of Science and ICT, Software Policy & Research Institute).

Among the deep tech companies that secured venture investment in 2024, 722 companies, or 75.1% of the total, have a history of receiving investments from feeder funds of the master fund or participating in startup support programs. Specifically, 682 companies received investments totaling KRW 8.807 trillion through the master fund's feeder funds, while 353 companies benefited from KRW 222.6 billion in funding and special guarantees through startup support programs.

Minister Oh Youngju stated, "The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has consistently driven investments in the deep tech sector through the master fund." She further added, "Moving forward, MSS will increase venture investments in promising deep tech sectors and strengthen policy support to nurture globally competitive deep tech startups. This will be achieved through the systematic implementation of plans such as the Bio Venture Innovation Ecosystem Creation Plan (January 2025) and the Measures for Expanding AI Utilization (February 2025)."