EEastStartup

KIBO and KODIT: technology and credit guarantees, and which one a startup meets

기술보증기금(KIBO)과 신용보증기금(KODIT)

3 min read4 primary sources

KIBO assesses technology and KODIT assesses general creditworthiness, but both are credit guarantee funds, not lenders: they guarantee a portion of a bank loan so a company without collateral can still borrow. Their own pages describe an AI-based technology rating for KIBO and a four-stage startup guarantee line for KODIT.

A desk with financial planning documents and a calculator, evoking a loan-guarantee application
On this page
  1. KIBO guarantees against a technology assessment
  2. KIBO's rating system decides who qualifies
  3. KODIT runs a staged guarantee line for startups
  4. Choosing between them is about your story, not your size

A Korean bank loan for a company without collateral usually runs through one of two public guarantee funds. Their pages describe different assessment logic. They are not different sizes of the same product.

KIBO guarantees against a technology assessment

KIBO's institutional name is KOTEC (기술보증기금). Its page states the guarantee decision is "made on the basis of the technology assessment," not collateral. The stated purpose: help companies "overcome the problem of collateral deficiency" and fund both R&D and operations.

KIBO's page names its target group. That group includes technology-driven SMEs, venture businesses, technology startups with job-creation potential, R&D enterprises pursuing commercialisation, Inno-Biz enterprises and new-growth-engine industries.

KIBO's rating system decides who qualifies

KIBO's page describes AIRATE, also called KTRS. It is an AI-based system rating technological competency and commercial viability. A rating of B or above qualifies for guarantee support, per the page.

Government budget and financial-institution contributions capitalise the fund.

KODIT runs a staged guarantee line for startups

KODIT publishes itself as the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (신용보증기금). Its page lists Start-up Support as a core business line. Other lines include Credit Guarantee, Credit Insurance, P-CBO Guarantee, Infrastructure Guarantee, and Management Consulting.

KODIT names its startup line the "Promising Startups Growth Support Program." Four guarantees make it up: Pre-Stage Startup, New Startup, Early Stage Startup and Growth Stage Startup. KODIT's page states it provided an estimated USD 2.6 billion under this programme in 2024.

KIBO (KOTEC)KODIT
Assessment basisTechnology assessment (AIRATE/KTRS rating)General creditworthiness across a staged startup line
Named targetTechnology-driven SMEs, venture businesses, R&D enterprisesStartups at four defined stages, pre-stage through growth
ProductSingle technology guarantee schemeFour-stage "Promising Startups Growth Support Program"
2024 scale statedNot published on the page fetchedUSD 2.6 billion under the startup programme

Choosing between them is about your story, not your size

A company with a specific technology, a patent, or an R&D roadmap fits KIBO's model. A company earlier in its life, without that separate technology story, fits KODIT's staged startup line better.

Neither page states that a company must pick only one fund. Ask each fund directly whether holding a guarantee from the other changes a new application.

KIBO assesses technology; KODIT runs a four-stage startup guarantee line. Neither lends directly.

The right question is not "which guarantee fund is bigger?" It is "does my case rest on a technology assessment, or on my company's stage?"

See the ecosystem guide for where these guarantee funds sit among Korea's other national financing bodies.

Frequently asked questions

Do KIBO and KODIT lend money directly?
No. Both guarantee a portion of a bank loan so a company without sufficient collateral can still borrow, according to their own pages.
What is KIBO's guarantee based on?
KIBO's own page states its guarantee decision is made on the basis of a technology assessment, using an AI-based rating system called AIRATE or KTRS.
What rating does a company need for KIBO?
KIBO's page states applicants rated B or above under its technology rating system qualify for guarantee support.
What is KODIT's startup guarantee line called?
KODIT's page names it the Promising Startups Growth Support Program, made up of four guarantees: Pre-Stage, New, Early Stage and Growth Stage Startup.
Can a foreign-invested company apply to KIBO or KODIT?
Neither fund's page fetched for this post states eligibility for foreign-invested or foreign-owned companies. Confirm this directly with the fund.

Sources

Everything above is the rule as published. See how it applies to your case.

Read next