South Korea’s National Growth Fund approved a 560 billion won (about $380.6 million) equity investment in Upstage, according to Yonhap and other local outlets. Reporting from Chosun and Khan says the package includes 100 billion won from the Advanced Strategic Industry Fund, 30 billion won from KDB and 430 billion won from private investors including SK Networks, Sazze Partners, Woori Venture Partners and Mirae Asset. The approvals at the fund committee on April 30 also cleared public-private funding for a National AI Computing Center in Haenam that would host roughly 15,000 advanced AI chips, plus low-interest loans to industrial firms. Local outlets describe the move as part of a broader Korea National Growth Fund agenda to build sovereign AI capabilities; Yonhap notes Upstage is a 2020-founded unicorn valued at over 1 trillion won.
