UNIST rallies investors for southeastern Korea's deep tech startups

12 startups and 30 investment reviewers gather for tailored funding consultations

Company representatives and investment reviewers who participated in the 2026 Southeastern Korea Deep Tech Scale-Up Investment Road Show pose for a group photo. [UNIST]

The Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has brought 30 major domestic investment institutions to Ulsan to directly connect regional startups with investors.

UNIST held the 2026 Southeastern Korea Deep Tech Scale-Up Investment Road Show on Thursday at Gyeongdong Hall on its main campus in Ulsan.

The event brought together 12 deep tech and AI startups from Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province alongside 30 investment reviewers from venture capital firms and securities companies. It was designed to let regional companies meet investors face to face without traveling to the Greater Seoul area to have their business viability and technology assessed.

Participating companies pitched their core technologies and business plans through IR presentations, with each firm given nine minutes to present followed by eight minutes of questions and answers.

The participating companies are preparing for follow-on investment ranging from pre-Series A to Series A and beyond. Since October, they completed four rounds of preparatory work, including refining their investment pitches and business plans.

In the AI and software segment, the showcased technologies included Blackbox's AI image vector conversion technology, Numeric Tech's enterprise AI agent, Grineta's industrial 3D data generation technology and ePuWorld's generative AI-based extended reality content.

Investment reviewers attending the 2026 Southeastern Korea Deep Tech Scale-Up Investment Road Show listen to IR presentations and evaluate technologies and business plans. [UNIST]

In the medical segment, Glaud's AI dental prosthetics solution and Vidalsonics' endoscopic technology for early cancer diagnosis were evaluated by investors.

In advanced materials and nuclear power, the showcased offerings included Innoplaztech's carbon nanotube conductive additive for batteries, TwinWiz's liquid antibacterial and antifungal additive, Copa's underfill material for semiconductor packaging, and MUTron's nuclear plant maintenance robot and AI welding technology.

Miratech's smart trailer platform and Viva La Vida's social community business model targeting middle-aged and older users were also introduced.

The investor side comprised 23 venture capital firms and securities companies, three corporate venture capital firms, two policy finance institutions and two technology holding companies. Reviewers filled out investment consideration letters for each company as they assessed the potential for follow-on investment.

Based on those letters, UNIST will arrange one-on-one consultations between companies and investment reviewers through December. It plans to monitor the progress of investment reviews through June next year to help the companies secure actual funding.

The event is particularly significant for addressing the chronic lack of investment access that has long plagued regional startups and for building an investment ecosystem that allows technology ventures to grow without leaving the region.

"Creating an environment where regional deep tech companies do not have to leave for the Greater Seoul area to secure investment is the role of a regional science and technology institute," UNIST President Park Jong-rae said. "We will support companies from startup through growth and exit, centered on Venture Foundry, so that southeastern Korean companies can stay in the region and thrive."

Meanwhile, UNIST restructured its industry-academic cooperation foundation into a startup hub called Venture Foundry in August. Its technology holding company, UNIST Holdings, also registered as a southeastern Korea venture investment firm this year and is pursuing direct investment in promising regional companies.

nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com