롤러코스터 증시와 벤처 생태계의 딜레마: 성장을 위한 ‘정교한 엔진’이 필요하다 > K-wave Trends

Even in the tense situation of the stock market going back and forth between hot and cold, the Venture Business Association positively evaluated the direction of government policy and presented tasks that urgently need to be supplemented. In particular, the government's 'KOSDAQ promotion and delisting system', which is scheduled to be introduced in the second half of the year, and strengthening of delisting requirements are the biggest concerns in the industry. It is pointed out that attempts to classify and manage the market based solely on external criteria such as performance or market capitalization, without considering the future value or technological potential of the company, may have the side effect of stigmatizing innovative companies as 'sub-par'. The association strongly warns that if a more elaborate and flexible system design that takes into account the special characteristics of venture companies is not supported, the entire IPO market may actually shrink.

The consensus in the field is that polarization within the venture ecosystem has also reached a serious level. Currently, policy funds and private investment are focused excessively on certain promising sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI) and deep tech, and promising companies in the traditional manufacturing, biotechnology, and small and medium-sized parts fields are being forced into a blind spot of funding. A structure in which only a few companies monopolize benefits hinders the healthy circulation of the ecosystem, and as a result, there is a high risk that the policy goal of ‘growth for all’ will fade. Accordingly, the Venture Association is strongly recommending to the government the establishment of industry decentralization standards and a sector-neutral support system to prevent concentration in specific sectors and ensure that policy effects are evenly permeated across various innovative industries.

Resolving the rigidity of the labor environment has emerged as a key task for strengthening venture competitiveness. In a global competitive environment where the speed of technological innovation determines survival, research and development (R&D) personnel are often unable to work according to a set timetable. In the field, there is growing resentment that the rigidity of the 52-hour workweek system is suppressing the passion of talented people and reducing the company's ability to respond in a timely manner. In fact, as many venture workers desperately want to improve the system, a proactive approach is needed, such as flexible working hour management units and applying exception regulations, at least for key R&D personnel. This is not simply an increase in working hours; it is an essential measure to create a productive innovation ecosystem based on autonomy and responsibility.

Meanwhile, regardless of these policy discussions, constant challenges continue in the field. The fact that SemiTS, a company specializing in semiconductor automation equipment, entered the market by listing on the KOSDAQ through a SPAC merger is proof that venture companies are still continuing their growth toward the global market. Using the funds from the listing, companies are accelerating technological advancement, such as the development of next-generation intelligent robots, and focusing on increasing their inherent competitiveness regardless of market fluctuations. The Venture Association has also set an ambitious goal of exceeding 20,000 member companies this year and opening an era of 1,000 venture companies worth hundreds of billions of dollars, and is making every effort to strengthen the private-centered cooperative ecosystem through the AI ​​Great Transformation Bridge Committee and the Venture Finance Forum.