Kibo to expand tech finance into business succession M&A, R&D commercialization

The Korea Technology Finance Corporation plans to expand its role in technology finance by moving into business succession mergers and acquisitions and the commercialization of research and development outcomes. The state-backed institution is also accelerating efforts to build a financial support framework that helps small and medium-sized enterprises and venture companies enter growth industries as the government pursues its mega-project agenda.

Kibo held its second management strategy workshop of 2026 at its Busan headquarters Thursday, with executives, division heads and branch managers from across the country in attendance. The workshop was held under the theme "The Age of Mega-Projects: Completing Shared Growth Through Technology Finance." Participants reviewed the progress of key policy projects and discussed the future direction of technology finance support.

Key agenda items included an organizational restructuring to support the "Third Venture Boom," a business succession M&A support project, and an R&D commercialization finance program designed to accelerate the commercial application of government-funded research outcomes. Business succession M&A is a policy tool aimed at reducing closures of small and medium-sized enterprises that cannot find successors, while preserving their technology assets and jobs. Kibo established a dedicated Business Succession M&A Support Team this year and has been strengthening the related support framework.

Kibo is also broadening its R&D support from the development stage to the commercialization stage. In July, it set up a new R&D Finance Division to provide financial backing for the commercialization of R&D outcomes. The initiative aims to ensure that technologies developed with government funding move beyond the research stage and translate into actual sales and investment through technology finance linkages.

At the workshop, National Assembly Budget and Accounts Committee Chairman Lee Kwang-jae delivered a special lecture titled "A Nation That Makes Its People Wealthy." Lee exchanged views with participants on topics including securing AI sovereignty, restoring the growth ladder, technology valuation, M&A and technology transactions, and technology protection.

"This is the moment when we must think hard and give concrete shape to the new projects Kibo will pursue in line with the government's three mega-projects and national policy direction," Korea Technology Finance Corporation Chairman Kwon Hyung-taek said. "It is Kibo's role to carry the recovery momentum of our economy, driven by strong exports, forward into the growth of technology-based small and medium-sized venture companies."