- Global Capital Advisory Council launched
- Financial cooperation tailored to each stage of company growth
South Korean deep tech companies will gain access to the global financial networks of BlackRock and Franklin Templeton.
The Korea Research and Development Special Zone Foundation announced Wednesday that it held the "2026 Deep Tech Capital Partnership Day" at the North Jeolla Province Tech Biz Center and launched the Global Capital Advisory Council, a body bringing together domestic and international financial institutions.
The council includes four financial institutions: BlackRock Asset Management, Franklin Templeton, Shinhan Financial Group and KB Securities. North Jeolla Province also joined as a partner.
Deep tech companies hold proprietary core technologies but require years of development and substantial capital to bring products to market. Many struggle to attract follow-on investment after securing initial startup funding, particularly at the stages of technology validation, business expansion and overseas entry.
The foundation established the cooperative framework to address these financing challenges by connecting global financial institutions with domestic technology companies.
The council plans to collaborate across a range of areas, including sharing global capital market information, advising on fundraising, providing tailored corporate finance support at each stage of company growth, and managing foreign exchange and currency risk.
About 80 people attended Wednesday's event, including representatives from the foundation, North Jeolla Province, domestic and international financial institutions, and deep tech companies.
A global capital market seminar introduced trends in overseas investment markets and fundraising strategies suited to different stages of company growth.
Connie Leung, head of BlackRock BCM Corporate Solutions for Asia-Pacific, presented on the listed equity capital market environment and the communication strategies companies need to adopt from an investor's perspective.
Jeon Yong-bae, auditor at Franklin Templeton, and Jung Go-eun, a division head at the firm, introduced global private equity fund trends and dedicated funds for the biotech and technology sectors, and outlined investment attraction strategies for each stage of company growth.
One-on-one consultations between domestic financial institutions and companies in the special zones were also held.
Shinhan Financial Group discussed open innovation initiatives linked to its subsidiaries, overseas expansion and dedicated fund investment arrangements. KB Securities provided consultations on investment attraction, initial public offerings and corporate finance strategies tailored to each company's growth stage.
Woori Financial Group also held consultations covering initial public offerings, facility financing, and foreign exchange and currency risk management.
The foundation said it plans to expand information exchanges with overseas asset managers on global capital markets and pursue follow-up cooperation with domestic financial institutions aimed at translating discussions into concrete corporate financing and investment deals.
"Staged capital supply and financial partnerships are essential for the sustained growth of deep tech companies," foundation Chairman Jeong Hui-gwon said. "We will expand cooperation with domestic and international financial institutions so that companies in the special zones can secure the funding they need at the right time and advance into global markets."
nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com
