The Invention Lab has completed investments in Petbom and Modern through a Individual Investment Association(IIA) jointly created with the Hiseoul Biz Company Association(HBCA). The HBCA, a major organization under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, includes over 10,000 small and medium-sized enterprises as members, making it one of the largest groups of its kind in Seoul. The Invention Lab has formed IIA with the HBCA to establish a platform for participation among affiliated companies.

Petbom, one of the startups that received investment, offers a pet-sitting service that matches pet owners with local caregivers. It excels with the highest matching success rate and growth among competing pet-sitting services, consistently increasing its revenue.

Meanwhile, Modern is an agricultural company driving the cultivation and processing of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) tomatoes, which have secured a patent as Korea’s first with a high GABA content. GABA is a neurotransmitter widely used in the central nervous system to calm the brain during excitement and is particularly effective in treating hypertension by lowering blood pressure. Unlike conventional genetic editing techniques, Modern’s proprietary cultivation methods ensure these GABA tomatoes contain over ten times more GABA than regular tomatoes.

Kim Jin-young, CEO of The Invention Lab leading this investment, emphasized that “through this fund, startups receiving investments are invited as associate or full members of the HBCA, providing opportunities for business partnerships and collaborations with existing association-affiliated companies.” He underscored that “beyond initial investment, the fund aims to foster new open collaborations between established companies and emerging startups.”