Industry ministry opens pitch event for 15 restructuring-approved firms

The industry ministry said it had gathered seven companies approved under its corporate restructuring program to present to investors in Seoul, the first of two such sessions meant to draw outside capital into the businesses.

The pitch event, held with the Korea Productivity Center at the Seonghong Tower's Forest Hall on Oct. 21, is part of a push the ministry has run since last year to give restructuring-approved firms access to investor money, not just regulatory approval. A second session is scheduled for Oct. 28. All 15 companies presenting across the two dates have received investment-attraction consulting from the ministry; eight will take the floor at the later event.

The ministry said far more investment firms had signed up in a preliminary survey than a year earlier, a shift it said lifted the approved companies' chances of closing funding deals.

"With this briefing, we introduced the achievements of restructuring companies pushing for a fresh start to investors, and it became a valuable opportunity for the companies to keep the spark of growth alive," Nam Myung-woo, the ministry's industrial policy director, said in a statement.

The presenting firms span a range of hardware and software niches. Daewon F&C has developed ceramic wafer-transfer equipment that removes static electricity to raise semiconductor production yields, while Nine Labs offers liquid-cooling solutions for AI data centers. RoboLife has built a lightweight, detachable mobility-assistance robot, and Arion has developed a platform for autonomous drone operation and integrated control.

Others target industrial and maritime applications. Sebo Technology has localized rotor sails, a wind-propulsion system for greener ships, and MK Steel is distributing AI inspection equipment that detects surface contaminants on steel to smaller steelmakers. Hyojin E&H is developing equipment that converts methane and carbon dioxide into hydrogen and methanol.

"Because the success of business restructuring is essential for improving companies' fundamentals and strengthening their competitiveness, we will reinforce restructuring consulting and support and further widen the contact points between companies and investors," Nam said.