# Ministry of SMEs and Startups

> Ministry of SMEs and Startups is a VC fund backing Artificial Intelligence. See 66 investments, check sizes, portfolio and contact details. Updated Aug 2026.

- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Daejeon, South Korea
- Total investments: 66
- Last investment: Jul 2026
- Lead investor: 62%
- Last updated: Aug 2026
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mss1357/
- Website: https://x.com/bizinfo1357
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seoul.mss/

Ministry of SMEs and Startups is a VC fund in Daejeon focused on Artificial Intelligence and Therapeutics. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) is a South Korean government organization that fosters and supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro-enterprises (MEs). Its main objective is to strengthen the competitiveness and promote innovation within these businesses, contributing to the overall national economy.

## Contacts

5 contacts available for Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Shizune tracks 1 team members at Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Sign up free to unlock them: https://app.shizune.co/sign-up/investor-profiles/find-team-emails/ministry-of-smes-and-startups?utm_source=investor_profile

## Investment focus

### Industry

| Industry | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Artificial Intelligence | 9 | 14% |
| Therapeutics | 4 | 6% |
| Biotechnology | 4 | 6% |
| Electronics | 3 | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 5% |

58 industries tracked in total.

### Stage

| Stage | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grant | 28 | 42% |
| Seed | 1 | 2% |
| Pre-Seed | 1 | 2% |
| Non-equity Assistance | 1 | 2% |

### Country

| Country | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| South Korea | 23 | 35% |
| United States | 2 | 3% |
| Iran | 1 | 2% |
| China | 1 | 2% |

## Team

| Name | Title | Investments | Profile |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kang Seong-cheon | Vice Minister | 1 | — |

## Investments

| Company | Description | Amount | Stage | Date | Website |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Testify | Testify provides software quality assurance and testing services that assess and validate applications across platforms such as PC, mobile, smart TV and VR. The company conducts software testing using a range of tools to evaluate performance and functional quality and offers consulting to tailor quality activity frameworks for different softwarecharacteristics. Testify also supports software market management by guiding adaptation to platform-specific policies. Its services are designed to help clients identify defects and improve software behavior before release. |  | Grant | Jul 28, 2026 |  |
| Newen AI | NEWEN AI develops AI and big data solutions for business analytics and automation. Its products include large language models, AI agents, AI search, natural language processing, multimodal AI, and cloud platforms. The company also provides analytics services for brand monitoring, market research, trend analysis, competitor analysis, campaignperformance, and business intelligence. | $1.7M | Grant | Jul 27, 2026 |  |
| Colosseum | Colosseum is a logistics company that provides e-commerce logistics services to various locations. | $1M | Grant | Jun 23, 2026 |  |
| ADEL | The company is a spin-off from Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan University, with a primary objective of developing therapeutic and diagnostic agents for neurological diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease.In 2016, the company took significant steps toward formalizing its presence in the market by completing its incorporation andbusiness registration processes.The year 2017 proved to be a milestone for the company as it obtained certification as a corporate-affiliated research institute, solidifying its position as a reputable research-driven organization. Additionally, it garnered recognition as a leading university start-up by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, further boosting its credibility and potential for growth.The company has collaborated with Oscotech Co., Ltd. and partnered with various investors, including Kite Entrepreneurship Foundation, Stone Bridge Ventures Co., Ltd., Korea Development Bank, and Stick Ventures Co., Ltd., to jointly develop their projects. | $2.4M | Grant | Jun 11, 2026 |  |
| Superb AI | Superb AI is a company that develops computer vision and MLOps solutions designed to support AI deployment across industries such as manufacturing, logistics, physical security, and autonomous systems. Its platform provides tools for data annotation, model training, deployment, monitoring, and dataset management to help organizations manage AIworkflows more efficiently. The company also develops industry-focused Vision AI technologies, including foundation models and video analytics systems that can be applied to industrial and operational environments. Superb AI works with enterprises in sectors including automotive, electronics, energy, and infrastructure, supporting applications such as defect detection, surveillance analysis, and autonomous driving data processing. In addition to its software platform, the company conducts research and development in areas such as data-centric AI, physical AI, and spatial recognition technologies. The company helps enterprises accelerate AI adoption through automated data labeling, model training, and continuous AI performance optimization. | $401.6K | Grant | May 13, 2026 |  |
| Maetel | Maetel is a corporation that identifies customers with specific purchasing intentions in the global market. It provides all-in-one solutions, from consultation to execution and analysis. |  | Grant | Mar 01, 2026 |  |
| Lumos | Lumos provides high quality LED lighting for broadcasting. | $6.9K | Grant | Feb 13, 2026 |  |
| MyMeta | MyMeta is an AI and cloud company. It helps manufacturers prevent downtime, reduce costs, and upskill their workforce with digital twin training. It delivers AI-powered predictive maintenance and XR-based industrial training solutions. The company combines AI, XR, and SaaS to drive scalable industrial operations. | $6.9K | Grant | Feb 13, 2026 |  |
| Clotho | Clotho a Korean tech desk company | $6.9K | Grant | Feb 13, 2026 |  |
| Heum | Heum is an ultra-gap technology that is the foundation for training business accounting, payroll, and tax agents. | $6.9K | Grant | Feb 13, 2026 |  |

10 of 66 investments shown.

## Co-investors
- [TIPS Program](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/tips-program) — VC Fund, 13 deals together
- [D·CAMP](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/banks-foundation-for-young-entrepreneurs) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Incheon Center for Creative Economy and Innovation](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/incheon-center-for-creative-economy-and-innovation) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Kingsley Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/kingsley-ventures) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/korea-institute-of-startup-entrepreneurship-development) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- Scaleup Tips — VC Fund, 1 deal together

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## FAQ

### What does Ministry of SMEs and Startups invest in?

Ministry of SMEs and Startups invests primarily in Artificial Intelligence, Therapeutics and Biotechnology startups, most often at Grant and Seed stage. Most of the 66 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in South Korea. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.

### How do I contact Ministry of SMEs and Startups?

Public channels for Ministry of SMEs and Startups include LinkedIn, the website linked on this profile and Facebook. For a verified work email and phone number, create a free Shizune account — contact data is searched across 20+ sources and validated before delivery, so your outreach lands in the right inbox.

### Who are the partners at Ministry of SMEs and Startups?

The team at Ministry of SMEs and Startups includes Kang Seong-cheon (Vice Minister). The Team section lists each member with their title, investment count and links.

### Is Shizune's investor data accurate?

Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.

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