Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) and its Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship and Venture Business (Dean Lee Woo Jin) have established the “Bukak Startup Innovation Fund No. 1,” a 1 billion won startup investment fund involving alumni and faculty members, and are proceeding with its registration as a private investment partnership with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
 
This fund marks the first startup investment fund established based on the alumni network since the Global Entrepreneurship and Venture Graduate School opened in 2014. To date, a total of 1.001 billion won in capital has been secured, with 45 participants—including the president of the graduate school’s alumni association, alumni, current Ph.D. students in entrepreneurship, and faculty members—contributing to the fund. In particular, this fund goes beyond mere capital raising to focus on integrating actual venture investment experience with entrepreneurship education. While individual investment amounts range from several million won to 100 million won, all members—regardless of their investment size—are encouraged to voluntarily participate in investment review meetings to evaluate potential portfolio companies and share their opinions.
 
The fund is managed by a consortium of investment experts who are alumni of the graduate school, angel investment experts, and the Korea Angel Investment Association, all serving as co-general partners (GPs). Notably, this marks the first instance in Korea where the Korea Angel Investment Association serves as a co-GP for a university alumni fund; the association plans to enhance professionalism and stability by handling operational tasks such as fund registration, accounting, and reporting. In addition, a Fund Management Committee (chaired by Professor Kim Jong-taek, Head of the MBA Program) comprising faculty members will be formed to regularly monitor fund operations. The university also plans to host the “Bukak Angel Round,” where investors can hear business plans directly from startups and exchange investment opinions. Through this, investors can experience the actual investment decision-making process, compare the GPs’ final investment decisions with their own judgments, and deepen their understanding of venture investment.
 
Kookmin University’s Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship and Venture Business is also exploring ways to integrate this investment experience into relevant courses, such as “Venture Capital Theory.” The vision is to develop a new educational model that enhances practical competencies in entrepreneurship and investment by linking real-world investment experiences with the curriculum.

The primary investment targets are external startups with high growth potential. In addition, the school plans to open investment opportunities to startups founded by Kookmin University faculty members and on-campus startup teams. However, to ensure the objectivity and professionalism of the investment review process, the school has established a policy that investments in on-campus startups will only be made when external co-investors participate.
 
Lee Woo Jin, Dean of the Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship and Venture Business, stated, “Our goal is to achieve tangible results while learning together about the investment process and gaining experience through a fund capitalized and managed by alumni.” He added, “In line with the vision of Kookmin University as it marks its 80th anniversary, we will continue to develop new educational models that only the Graduate School of Entrepreneurship can realize.”
 
Meanwhile, Kookmin University’s Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship and Venture Business plans to hold a fund launch ceremony and the first “Bukak Angel Round” as soon as the registration of the private investment partnership is complete, after which it will begin full-scale investment activities.