BizInfo Database
Administered by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) and operated by the Korea Small Business Institute (KOSBI), BizInfo is South Korea's official database for policy support and corporate subsidies.
National Policy Information Gateway
Unlike K-Startup which focuses purely on early-stage technology startups, BizInfo is the absolute database for all small, medium, and venture businesses (SMEs) operating in South Korea. It aggregates policy incentives, local government benefits, export vouchers, tax certifications, and financial guarantees from over 100 ministries and regional municipalities.
Kibo: Technology Finance & KTRS Appraisal
The Korea Technology Finance Corporation (Kibo / KOTEC) operates a specialized technology appraisal framework designed to help early-stage companies secure debt financing without traditional collateral.
KOTEC Technology Rating System (KTRS / AIRATE)
An AI-driven quantitative appraisal tool scoring projects from AAA to D based on feasibility, viability, and capability.
- Rating B or Higher: Eligible for Kibo credit guarantees, allowing banks to issue loans with 85% to 100% default risk absorbed by the state.
- Rating BB or Higher (under 5 years old): Qualifies for full 100% guarantee coverage and a capped fixed fee of 0.5%.
- Equity-Linked Option: Kibo can convert guaranteed loans into equity prior to maturity or provide direct guarantee-linked investments.
Shinbo: KODIT Credit Guarantee Ladder
The Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (Shinbo / KODIT) is South Korea's largest policy financial institution, offering a sequential growth ladder.
Easy-Start 보증
Features: Limit is the lower of ₩200M, your stated funding need, and your scoreboard score.
뉴본펭귄 보증 (New-Born Penguin)
Features: Sized against R&D funding requirement rather than revenue.
리틀펭귄 보증 (Little Penguin)
Features: Sized at half of projected third-year revenue, set as a 3-year credit line.
퍼스트펭귄 보증 (First Penguin)
Features: The rung most foreign-founded companies aim at once revenue is established.
혁신아이콘 (Innovation Icon)
Features: 2026 was the 15th cohort. Requires either ₩1B+ revenue with 10% average growth over two years, or ₩3B+ cumulative institutional investment. Run by KODIT's Scale-up Finance Centre.
Source Snapshot
EastStartup Value-Add
BizInfo covers all SMEs. We crawl, parse, and filter these policy details specifically for technology startups, saving founders hundreds of hours sorting through unrelated industrial announcements.