An exterior view of the KB Financial Group headquarters [KB Financial Group]
An exterior view of the KB Financial Group headquarters [KB Financial Group]

KB Financial Group has decided to establish the 150 billion won ($102 million) "KB National Growth Unicorn Scale-Up Fund" to nurture unicorn companies in advanced industries. The group plans to expand funding for innovative companies at each stage of growth by linking policy finance from the National Growth Fund with its own investment capabilities.

KB Financial Group announced Monday that it held its fourth Productive Finance Council on Friday at the KB Kookmin Bank annex in Yeouido, Seoul, reviewing the progress of its productive finance initiatives, including the fund launch.

The council convened for the first time in about four months since its third meeting in March. Chaired by Kim Sung-hyun, head of the CIB Markets division, the session brought together executives from the holding company and major subsidiaries covering investment banking, corporate banking, asset management, strategy, finance, research and ESG.

The council discussed establishing the fund as a measure to foster unicorn companies. The Unicorn Scale-Up Fund will be funded entirely with capital from KB Financial Group subsidiaries and will invest in unicorn companies in AI, semiconductors, secondary batteries, aerospace, mobility, robotics and biotech.

KB Securities' PE Growth Investment division will manage the fund. The group also aims to strengthen its group-wide investment framework for identifying and nurturing unicorn companies.

The council also discussed ways to align its productive finance efforts with the policy direction of the government's recently announced three mega-projects.

Specifically, the group drew up plans to provide financial support for semiconductor and power infrastructure investment, as well as for companies in the physical AI sector and AI data centers. Through its CIB Centers — specialized bank-securities collaborative branches at key locations nationwide — the group plans to identify innovative small and medium-sized enterprises in regional areas and expand comprehensive financial support, including loans, investment and capital market linkages, to strengthen the competitiveness of regional core industries and contribute to balanced national development.

The council also exchanged views on shifting the group's overall sales and credit-review culture away from assessments based on financial statements and past earnings, toward a future-value approach grounded in advanced technological capability and growth potential. KB Kookmin Bank established a dedicated "Advanced Strategic Industry Review Unit" earlier this year and hired outside specialists including patent attorneys, while KB Securities has expanded its review staff by national strategic industry sector, reinforcing differentiated assessment capabilities and the institutional framework to support them.

To deepen the group's understanding of advanced strategic industries, KB Financial Group plans to launch an Advanced Strategic Industry Study Forum bringing together its in-house management research institute, research centers, and sales and review organizations. The forum will run industry analyses, case studies and seminars featuring internal and external experts, with the aim of actively leveraging group-wide synergies.

"Responding to the nation's growth strategy — including the three mega-projects for South Korea's great leap forward and the expansion of the National Growth Fund — is both a social responsibility of finance and a new growth opportunity for KB Financial Group," Kim said. "We will support the growth of advanced strategic industries and innovative companies through proactive and preemptive action."


ehkim@heraldcorp.com