[Korean Startup Weekly News #69] South Korea’s Venture Investment Surges 34% in Q1 2025

5/25/2025

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Catch up on last week’s top stories from the startup ecosystem in the Korean Startup Weekly News.

Headline

South Korea’s Venture Investment Surges 34% in Q1 2025, Driven by AI and Biotech Boom
South Korea’s Q1 2025 venture investment surged 34% to $1.9B, driven by AI/biotech startups. Wrtn raised $83B, private funding up 31%.

Check out the latest funding news for Korean startups

Korean Startups Dominate Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2025 with AI and Social Impact Innovations
13 Korean startups made Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2025, spanning AI tech, mental health solutions, and social impact platforms.

Dunamu Invests in U.S. Beverage Automation Startup Botrista’s Series C Round
Dunamu & Partners invests USD 6.57M in Botrista’s Series C to advance beverage automation robots, boosting F&B profitability and expanding in U.S. franchises and beyond.

11C Secures $1.8M Pre-Series A to Standardize Space Operation Automation Platform
Korean startup 11C raised $1.8M to scale its automated B2B SaaS platform ‘Keeper,’ aiming to standardize space operations across lodging, offices, and unmanned stores.

HydroXpand Raises Pre-Series A Funding to Advance Next-Generation Hydrogen Technology
Korean Hydrogen tech startup HydroXpand raises pre-Series A funding to scale its proprietary AEM electrolyzer stack, aiming to lead the global green hydrogen revolution.

Meet startups that are striving for global expansion through exclusive interviews

[Korean Startup Interview] Peptirna Therapeutics Aims for Global siRNA Market with Peptide Delivery Platform
Peptirna Therapeutics develops a peptide platform for siRNA delivery, targeting USD 714.29 million+ biotech market and cosmetics, aiming for global impact with seed funding in 2025.

[Korean Startup Interview] StepHow, Revolutionizing Workplace Efficiency with AI-Powered Manual Automation
StepHow’s AI automates manuals in 30 seconds, serving well known clients and raising USD 435,714. Targets USD 714.29M KMS market with global potential, seeks pre-Series A.

[Korean Startup Interview] Beyondmedicine, Pioneering World’s First Digital Therapeutic for TMJ Disorders
Beyondmedicine’s Clickless, a TMJ digital therapeutic, targets 2M Korean patients, partners with 1,000 clinics, and seeks pre-Series A to lead global dental innovation.

[Korean Startup Interview] Haesin, Revolutionizing Sea Cucumber Industry with Smart Aquaculture and Sustainable Practices
Haesin’s AI-driven aquaculture and upcycling yield USD 62.79M in 2024, targeting China’s USD 7.14B market. Seeks investment for KOSDAQ 2026 listing and sustainable bioindustry growth.