Looking beyond financial performance to technological capabilities and growth potential, KOSME strengthens its expertise in business evaluations

[Financial News] The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) has stepped up efforts to strengthen its expertise in assessing the technological capabilities and growth potential of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The aim is to ensure that policy funds reach companies with growth potential in a timely manner by taking a comprehensive look not only at financial performance and market conditions but also at the technologies companies possess and their potential for commercialization.
 According to industry sources on the 6th, KOSME has published a collection of exemplary cases highlighting its expertise in business evaluations in the field and the key results of its support, titled “The Difference in Evaluation, the Difference in Growth.”
 The collection was produced to share cases in which expertise in business evaluations has led to support for the growth of actual SMEs, and to extend these practices throughout the policy-funding support process.
 This year, KOSME established the “Business Evaluation Specialist (Master) Program” to enhance its expertise in business evaluations. Across 34 regional headquarters and branches nationwide, it has selected and appointed 47 employees as specialists. They have extensive hands-on experience, including at least 1,000 cumulative business evaluations, and the group includes personnel with master’s and doctoral degrees.
 Through close, field-oriented one-on-one mentoring and practical training, they pass on their accumulated evaluation experience and know-how to other employees. The collection features 13 exemplary evaluation cases they identified in the field. In these cases, companies’ technological capabilities and growth potential were analyzed from multiple angles, and the companies were connected with the policy funds they needed in a timely manner.
 One prominent example is WeFoot Technology, a manufacturer of performance socks for sports. Rather than judging the company’s growth potential solely by the intense competition in the market, the evaluation specialists focused on its proprietary technology, supported by 15 patents, and its potential to expand overseas. They factored these strengths into the business evaluation, helping ensure timely policy funding to expand production.
 WeFoot Technology subsequently increased production and saw growth in sales and exports. Revenue rose 25.2%, from 2.46 billion won in 2024 to 3.08 billion won last year. Over the same period, exports at least doubled, rising from $192,000 to $418,000.
 This case demonstrates the role of policy finance in assessing not only a company’s current business performance but also its future growth potential. It is significant in showing that policy finance can provide growth opportunities to SMEs that, despite their technological capabilities, face obstacles to expanding their businesses because of market conditions or difficulties securing funding.
 Lee Chang-seop, KOSME’s executive director for planning and management, said, “It is important for business evaluations to closely examine technological capabilities and growth potential and lead to the policy support companies need,” adding, “We will continue to strengthen KOSME’s evaluation capabilities by sharing the experience and expertise accumulated in the field throughout the organization.”
 Meanwhile, KOSME held a “Seminar on Sharing Exemplary Business Evaluation Cases” at LOTTE HOTELS & RESORTS in Seoul that day and presented plaques of appreciation to representatives of two supported companies that achieved outstanding results, including Min Seon-gi, CEO of WeFoot Technology.

[email protected] Kim Hyeon-cheol Reporter