As South Korean accelerator Futureplay celebrates its 10th anniversary, it has invested approximately KRW 128 billion in 215 companies since its founding in 2013.
A staggering 90.2% of these investments are in early-stage startups, and 65.4% are in deep-tech startups, contributing to the virtuous cycle of the startup ecosystem.
With a focus on futuristic sectors such as robotics, healthcare, and AI, Futureplay's top five investment areas include robotics and autonomous driving (16.7%), healthcare (12.5%), IT infrastructure and big data (10.7%), food tech (8.3%), and artificial intelligence (AI) (7.4%).
The accelerator was the first investor in space launch company Innospace, which recently completed a successful test launch of the Hanbit TLV.
Futureplay's approach includes nurturing and supporting portfolio companies through company building, PMF (product market fit), and pivots.
Success stories include Huinno, a developer of a wearable ECG device, which is now on its way to an IPO.
Futureplay has also actively invested in global startups and supported the globalization of domestic startups, including Bear Robotics, Allganize, and Seoul Robotics.
With a survival rate of 91.6%, the enterprise value of Futureplay's portfolio companies has increased 20.5 times, with three companies completing IPOs, eight companies conducting M&A, and 11 companies planning to go public.
In addition, on April 20, the accelerator launched the Futureplay Pioneer Fund No. 1, focusing on investing in early-stage deep-tech startups that will change the future.
The co-founders of Futureplay also participated as investors in this early-stage fund to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
In addition to its investment activities, Futureplay has contributed to the virtuous cycle of the startup ecosystem by undertaking various first-of-its-kind initiatives as an accelerator.
In 2016, it became the first domestic investment company to launch the SAFE investment program, paving the way for overseas investment.
Since 2018, it has been running TechUp+, Korea's first and largest open innovation program, in partnership with Amore Pacific.
