Key Takeaways
- • The Korea Venture Capital Association (KVCA) and KAIST's Center for Entrepreneurship Research will hold a VC training seminar and preliminary competition for participants in the University Venture Investment Competition Korea (UVICK), running over four days from October 31 to November 8, 2026 at KAIST's Seoul Hongneung Campus.
- • 85 participants from 15 teams at seven universities will take part, with eligibility expanded this year from graduate students to undergraduates.
- • Six teams advancing from the November 8 preliminary round will compete in a final in January 2027, and the winning graduate student team will represent Korea at the 2027 VCIC Global Finals at the University of North Carolina in April 2027.
- • UVICK is run by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the KVCA under the Youth Venture Capital Talent Development Program within the Venture Capital Advancement Project.
Summary
The Korea Venture Capital Association (KVCA) and KAIST's Center for Entrepreneurship Research announced on October 29 that they will host a special VC training seminar and preliminary competition for participants in the University Venture Investment Competition Korea (UVICK). The program will run over four days, on October 31 to November 1 and November 7 to 8, at KAIST's Seoul Hongneung Campus.
UVICK is administered by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the KVCA as part of the Youth Venture Capital Talent Development Program, which sits under the Venture Capital Advancement Project. The initiative aims to develop globally minded young professionals in venture capital. This year, eligibility for the competition and seminar was expanded from graduate students to include undergraduates.
The seminar is modeled on the guidelines of VCIC, an international competition held in the United States. A total of 85 participants from 15 teams at seven universities, including Korea University, Kookmin University, Pukyong National University, Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University, Pohang University of Science and Technology and KAIST, will take part. Over three days of training, participants will cover the VC industry and work cycle, venture investment in the AI era, drafting and negotiating term sheets, U.S. venture investment systems and laws, and preparing and presenting investment review reports.
The preliminary competition takes place on November 8. Teams will present an investment review report and take part in a mock investment committee meeting, and six teams will advance to the final in January 2027. The winning graduate student team will represent Korea at the 2027 VCIC Global Finals at the University of North Carolina in April 2027. Korea University, last year's UVICK winner, represented Korea at the 2026 VCIC Global Finals in April, competing against 12 regional representative teams, including Yale School of Management and London Business School, and became the first Korean team to reach the global finals' top six.
A KVCA official said the expanded eligibility is intended to let more aspiring venture capital professionals experience the actual VC investment decision-making process, and expressed hope that the training will strengthen participants' practical skills and prepare them to compete on the global stage.
UVICK is administered by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the KVCA as part of the Youth Venture Capital Talent Development Program, which sits under the Venture Capital Advancement Project. The initiative aims to develop globally minded young professionals in venture capital. This year, eligibility for the competition and seminar was expanded from graduate students to include undergraduates.
The seminar is modeled on the guidelines of VCIC, an international competition held in the United States. A total of 85 participants from 15 teams at seven universities, including Korea University, Kookmin University, Pukyong National University, Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University, Pohang University of Science and Technology and KAIST, will take part. Over three days of training, participants will cover the VC industry and work cycle, venture investment in the AI era, drafting and negotiating term sheets, U.S. venture investment systems and laws, and preparing and presenting investment review reports.
The preliminary competition takes place on November 8. Teams will present an investment review report and take part in a mock investment committee meeting, and six teams will advance to the final in January 2027. The winning graduate student team will represent Korea at the 2027 VCIC Global Finals at the University of North Carolina in April 2027. Korea University, last year's UVICK winner, represented Korea at the 2026 VCIC Global Finals in April, competing against 12 regional representative teams, including Yale School of Management and London Business School, and became the first Korean team to reach the global finals' top six.
A KVCA official said the expanded eligibility is intended to let more aspiring venture capital professionals experience the actual VC investment decision-making process, and expressed hope that the training will strengthen participants' practical skills and prepare them to compete on the global stage.
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