The Korea Venture Capital Association announced on Tuesday that a team from their Preliminary Young Venture Investment Talent Development Program, part of the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Startups’ Venture Capital Advancement Project, has reached the Top 6 at the 2026 Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) Global Final held at the University of North Carolina.
The VCIC, launched in the U.S. in 1998, is the world’s largest practical education program for venture investment. This year’s competition, which took place over two days starting on April 17, saw participation from 105 universities across 12 countries.
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) category of the Global Final featured prestigious institutions such as the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Yale School of Management, and London Business School. In a historic first, a team from Korea University secured a spot in the Top 6 of the final round.
Contestants showcased their practical skills in various areas, including startup discovery, company analysis, Q&A sessions, investment evaluation, term negotiation, and simulated investment decision-making.
A spokesperson for the Venture Capital Association highlighted the significance of this achievement, stating that this success demonstrates that systematic talent development supported by government initiatives can indeed lead to global competitiveness. By connecting its domestic preliminary competition (UVICK) with the global event, they’ve validated the effectiveness of the talent development framework.