Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship (벤처창업연구)

The Korean Society of Business Venturing (한국벤처창업학회)
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A Study on Current Trends and Characteristics of Korean Unicorn Group

국내 유니콘 기업군의 실태분석과 특징에 관한 연구

  • Kim, Juhee (Kookmin University, Research Center for Innovative Firms) ;
  • Jung, Ae Rin (Kookmin University, Research Center for Innovative Firms) ;
  • Kim, Sunwoo (Science and Technology Policy Institute)
  • 김주희 (국민대학교 혁신기업연구센터) ;
  • 정애린 (국민대학교 혁신기업연구센터) ;
  • 김선우 (과학기술정책연구원)
  • Received : 2021.11.10
  • Accepted : 2022.02.24
  • Published : 2022.02.28
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Abstract

The importance of start-ups and venture companies in the Korean economy is growing. However, the successful growth of startups and venture companies are still challenging as 70% of startups fail within 5 years. A new perspective on innovation is essential to overcome the liability of newness and the liability of smallness in the existing market and obtain the competitive advantage. Recent phenomenon in the Korean startups ecosystem is the remarkable growth of unicorns and future unicorns. Their business models, types of business, and success cases serve as a good example. Neverthless, the process of unicorn and future unicorn startups making new industries and innovative business has poorly understood. In this paper, we first define 175 unicorns and future unicorn startups participating in the K-unicorn project as a unicorn group and analyze current trends of the group. Then the in-depth analyses of industry sectors are conducted. Specifically, focusing on the unicorn forming the new market, we examine the unicorn making the processes of industry category innovation through the business innovation model. Lastly, broadening the scope of the analysis to the unicorn group, policy implications in startups and venture ecosystem are suggested.

한국 경제에서 창업·벤처기업의 중요성이 커지고 있다. 하지만 5년 이내 실패율이 70% 정도일 정도로 창업기업이 지속적으로 성장하고 생존해나가는 것은 어려운 상황이다. 창업·벤처기업이 신생의 불리함과 규모의 불리함과 같은 제약적 조건들을 극복하고 시장에서 경쟁 우위를 획득하기 위해서는 기존 시장의 문제점을 새로운 관점에서 해결할 수 있는 혁신성을 지니고 있어야 한다. 최근 한국 스타트업 생태계에서 눈에 띄는 현상 중 유니콘의 등장과 후발 유니콘 주자의 성장이라 할 수 있는데, 이들의 비즈니스 모델이나 사업 유형, 성장 사례는 창업·벤처기업과 스타트업 생태계의 성장에 좋은 교훈을 제시할 수 있을 것이다. 하지만 국내 유니콘과 후발 유니콘 기업의 주자들이 새로운 산업과 혁신적 비즈니스를 만들어가는 과정에 대한 이해는 여전히 부족한 실정이다. 본 연구는 유니콘 및 중소벤처기업부의 K-유니콘 프로젝트에 참여 중인 156개 예비 및 아기 유니콘을 포함한 175개 기업을 '유니콘 기업군'이라 정의하고, 이들을 대상으로 기업 속성과 특성을 분석하였다. 나아가 이들이 새로운 시장을 형성해나가는 과정을 업종을 중심으로 상세히 살펴보았다. 특히, 새로운 시장 세그먼트를 개척한 유니콘의 경우, 이들이 비즈니스 모델 혁신을 통해 산업의 새로운 분야를 혁신해 나가는 과정도 함께 분석하였다. 또한, 유니콘 기업군으로 분석대상을 확대하여 유니콘 생태계를 조망하고 나아가 창업·벤처기업 생태계의 활성화를 위한 정책적 제언을 제시하였다.

Keywords

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