Korea Aims to Build 50 Global Unicorns by 2030 with Unicorn Bridge Program

South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) unveiled an ambitious plan to cultivate 50 globally competitive unicorns by 2030, launching the Unicorn Bridge program at a ceremony held June 23 at SVC Seoul.

The program targets companies with proven innovation and growth potential, offering comprehensive support to help them attract global investment, enter public markets, and establish overseas operations. Selected companies will receive up to KRW 1.6 billion (approximately $1.2 million) in government funding over two years, along with up to KRW 20 billion (roughly $14.8 million) in special guarantees from the Korea Technology Finance Corporation.

The 50 companies selected for this year’s program have an average enterprise value of around KRW 180.1 billion (approximately $133 million), having raised an average of KRW 38.4 billion ($28 million) in private investment. These companies report average revenues of KRW 24 billion ($18 million) and employ an average of 106 people.

Beyond funding, MSS plans to connect selected companies with global investors through international investor relations sessions and help them join what the ministry calls the “1 Trillion Club”—companies valued at KRW 1 trillion ($740 million) or more.

“Attracting global investment is essential for startups and venture companies to grow into unicorns,” said Vice Minister Roh Yong-Seok at the ceremony, which drew around 100 attendees from government agencies, venture associations, and selected companies. “To build 50 global unicorns by 2030, we will actively support potential unicorns so they can compete and take off in global markets.”

The initiative reflects Korea’s push to strengthen its startup ecosystem, which ranked ninth globally for ecosystem value earlier this year—a growth of over $100 billion in seven years.