Hana Financial Group said on Tuesday it will fully expand investment banking supply for Kosdaq companies and growth-stage firms by linking its banking, securities, asset management, capital and venture investment affiliates.

The group is building a structure for direct and indirect financial support through the Hana Modu Growth Project to help small and medium-sized companies, venture firms and innovative companies raise growth funding.

It will create the Hana Modu Growth K-Future Strategic Industries Venture Fund through joint investment by its affiliates. It plans to establish sub-funds worth 1 trillion won each year and manage a total of 4 trillion won in venture funds in the future.

It will also expand investment banking using capital market funding sources such as promissory notes, centred on Hana Securities. It aims to supply up to 4 trillion won in venture capital by 2028.

It is also pursuing the creation of a 200 billion won private master fund for Kosdaq pre-IPO companies and plans to invest mainly in growth industries such as AI, biotechnology, energy and manufacturing.

Hana Financial is also strengthening a linked financial structure that runs from pre-IPO investment to listing support, IPO share investment and post-listing investment. Its policy is to support companies in settling into the capital market by linking early investment in pre-IPO firms, funding support during the listing process, and post-listing equity and mezzanine investment.

It also carried out an organisational reshuffle. Hana Bank has reassigned its securities agency division to its corporate finance organisation to strengthen support for funding at listing-ready companies and for the introduction of an electronic securities system.

Hana Securities' research centre is expanding the operation of its Future Industry Team, which specialises in analysing Kosdaq new-technology growth companies, and is increasing the provision of information on Kosdaq firms.

Chairman Young-ju Ham (함영주) said, "As institutional discussions to revitalise the Kosdaq market and market consensus are spreading, the role of financial groups is also becoming important." He said, "We will bring together all of the group's capabilities to strengthen a capital market linkage structure that runs from pre-IPO to after listing, and build an ecosystem in which Kosdaq, venture and innovative companies and investors can grow together."