NowIB, Horizon raise 44.4B won for first joint ICT commercialization fund
What's the deal? NowIB and Horizon InvestmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → have finalized the "2025 KIF-Now Horizon Venture Fund," a 44.4 billion won ($37.5 million) blind fund targeting information and communications technology (ICT) startups. It is the first fund the two firms have jointly operated.
Why now? The fund closed roughly one year after the pair were selected as joint general partners in an ICT technology commercialization project run by the Korea Telecommunication Operators Association (KTOA). As AI-driven demand across ICT grows, so does the role of managers with deep industry expertise.
What's the endgame? The fund will back ICT companies in AI hardware and software, AI-based security, 5G/6G communications, quantum technology, IoT, LLMs, robotics, mobility, and digital healthcare. Targets must hold national ICT R&D support with an evaluation rating of "average" or higher.
Who's running it? Lead managers are Kim Jung-kyun, managing director at NowIB, and Ryu Dae-ho, chief executive officer of Horizon Investment. Kim brings experience across policy funds and growth-stage investing; Ryu is an ICT specialist whose deals include Megazone Cloud, Craft TechnologiesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Medical IPDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
The two firms plan to set up a joint screening system to source promising companies and support them through follow-on investments and scaleup. NowIB contributes fund management experience from policy and growth capital; Horizon adds ICT screening capabilities and networks.
The signal: As technology transfer from telecom operators, research institutes, and universities to startups increases, specialized commercialization funds are becoming more prominent — and this deal shows managers pooling complementary strengths to chase that pipeline.
Read more: Infomax
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
