Kibo, Uamco join hands to support restructuring firms with strong technology

The Korea Technology Finance Corporation signed an MOU with United Asset Management Corporation (Uamco) on Tuesday to support the recovery of restructuring companies with strong technology capabilities.

The agreement is designed to supplement traditional restructuring reviews — which have relied primarily on financial statements — with professional technology assessments, enabling a more comprehensive evaluation of a company's normalization prospects. The goal is to help companies with strong technology assets bounce back even when their financial condition has deteriorated.

Under the MOU, Uamco will identify companies under restructuring review or targeted for bond acquisition that require technology assessment, and refer them to Kibo along with relevant information. Kibo will then evaluate each company's technology capabilities and provide expert advisory support on the results.

Kibo will assess growth potential and competitiveness by analyzing technological capability, business viability, intellectual property rights and IP competitiveness. This will allow Uamco to factor in the value of a company's technology — not just its financial profile — when reviewing normalization prospects.

The importance of technology assessment is growing, given that companies facing temporary management crises may still have a path to recovery if they hold competitive technology and a solid business foundation. Financial statements alone can be insufficient to capture the full value of a company's accumulated technology or its future commercialization potential.

Both institutions expect the MOU to improve the objectivity and accuracy of restructuring reviews and to expand opportunities for technology-strong companies to overcome management crises.

"Superior technology is a critical foundation that allows companies experiencing temporary management difficulties to get back on their feet," Kibo Chairman Kwon Hyung-taek said. "We will continue to broaden cooperation with relevant institutions so that restructuring companies with strong technology can overcome their challenges and make a fresh start."