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Social enterprise ud. has successfully completed a KRW 9 billion pre-IPO (pre-listing investment round) and is now targeting a KOSDAQ listing in early 2026. This will mark the first-ever attempt by a certified social enterprise in South Korea to go public on the KOSDAQ.
Six investment firms participated in this funding round, including SV Investment, IMM Investment, Positive Investment, and TKG Ventures. The investors highly evaluated ud. potential to grow into a leading comprehensive ESG solutions provider in the Asian market.
In December 2023, ud. selected Mirae Asset Securities as its lead underwriter and aims to complete its KOSDAQ listing by the first quarter of 2026. According to the company, ud. has achieved an impressive average annual growth rate of 70% over the past nine years without external investments. In 2024, it surpassed KRW 20 billion in revenue.
Founded in 2015, ud. has evolved into a comprehensive ESG solutions provider, offering a one-stop services ranging from strategy development and implementation to value measurement and assessment. The company delivers tailored ESG solutions for corporations and government agencies, including entrepreneurship education programs for regional revitalization and job creation, regional MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) management, small business marketing support, ESG performance measurement, and reporting.
With this latest investment, ud. plans to establish a local branch in Japan and India to enter the Asian ESG market. Additionally, it aims to enhance its global entrepreneurship education solutions by advancing its proprietary LMS platform with generative AI capabilities. The company also plans to launch educational solutions to address the digital divide among children and adolescents, as well as expand its specialized ESG evaluation solutions across various sectors.
Joo-Wan Jung, Senior Manager at SV Investment, described ud. as “a pioneering ESG solutions company that has achieved independent growth without external investments since its founding.” He added, “We joined this funding round because we believe ud. is uniquely positioned to open new markets and consistently lead the social sector forward.”
Yoon-Jong Oh, Director at IMM Investment, noted that ud. has built unparalleled competitiveness in the domestic ESG market through extensive collaborations with various organizations. “ud. has worked with over 400 companies, institutions, and universities in Korea, including SK Group, Hana Financial Group, Naver, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, driving ESG performance measurement and implementation while establishing trusted benchmarks,” he said.
ud. CEO Jung-Heon Kim stated, “This pre-IPO marks a significant turning point for social enterprises in Korea. We are determined to successfully list on the KOSDAQ in 2026 and establish ourselves as the leading ESG company in the Asian market.”
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