Country comparison
China vs South Korea: startup funding compared
Since 6 June 2025, startups in China raised $28.3B across 64 rounds, 11.2 times South Korea's $2.5B.
Capital raised running total by month
Where the money goes share of capital by sector
China
South Korea
Biggest rounds
Stage mix share of rounds
Most active investors rounds joined
| Investor | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Korea Development Bank | · | 13 |
| KB Investment | · | 7 |
| Qiming Venture Partners | 7 | · |
| Crit Ventures | · | 6 |
| Hana Ventures | · | 6 |
| IDG Capital | 6 | · |
| 5Y Capital | 5 | · |
| D.CAMP | · | 5 |
| Futureplay | · | 5 |
| Bon Angels Venture Partners | · | 4 |
| Korea Investment Partners | · | 4 |
| LAV | 4 | · |
Startup hubs rounds and capital by city
China
South Korea
Latest rounds
Questions
Which country raised more startup funding, China or South Korea?
China. Since 6 June 2025, startups in China raised $28.3B across 64 rounds, against $2.5B across 91 rounds in South Korea, 11.2 times more. That is 4.0% and 0.4% of all the capital FundraiseBase tracked worldwide over the period.
How many startup funding rounds were announced in China and South Korea?
64 rounds in China and 91 rounds in South Korea since 6 June 2025, about 4 and 5 a month.
Are startup rounds bigger in China or South Korea?
The median round is $112M in China and $6.8M in South Korea, and the average round $441M and $27.6M. The median shows the typical round; the average is pulled up by a few very large ones.
What is the biggest startup round in China?
The biggest startup rounds in China since 6 June 2025 are DeepSeek ($15B, 22 Oct 2026), Moonshot AI ($3.5B, Series F, 30 Jul 2026) and StepFun ($717M, 26 Jan 2026).
What is the biggest startup round in South Korea?
The biggest startup rounds in South Korea since 6 June 2025 are FuriosaAI ($620M, 29 Oct 2026), Rebellions ($400M, Growth, 30 Mar 2026) and Rebellions ($250M, Series C, 30 Sept 2025).
Which sectors attract the most startup funding in China and South Korea?
In China, AI ($23.8B, 84% of the capital), Robotics & Hardware ($2.1B, 8%) and Health ($765M, 3%) lead. In South Korea, AI ($1.9B, 77% of the capital), Robotics & Hardware ($207M, 8%) and Health ($165M, 7%) lead.
Is China or South Korea better for early-stage startups?
Early-stage rounds (Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A) make up 27% of rounds in China and 35% in South Korea. China recorded 6 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds and South Korea 15 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds, with a median of $41.9M and $1.5M.
How much growth funding (Series B and later) goes to China and South Korea?
Startups in China raised $6.1B in 19 Series B or later rounds, 22% of the country's capital. In South Korea, $901M in 27 rounds, 36% of the capital.
Who are the most active startup investors in China?
Qiming Venture Partners (7 rounds, 2 led), IDG Capital (6 rounds, 5 led) and 5Y Capital (5 rounds) are the most active investors in China.
Who are the most active startup investors in South Korea?
Korea Development Bank (13 rounds, 5 led), KB Investment (7 rounds, 2 led) and Crit Ventures (6 rounds, 4 led) are the most active investors in South Korea.
Which investors back startups in both China and South Korea?
No investor in FundraiseBase joined rounds in both countries yet.
Which cities lead startup funding in China and South Korea?
Beijing leads China with $6.8B across 19 rounds, ahead of Shanghai ($1.2B). Seoul leads South Korea with $1.6B across 37 rounds, ahead of Yongin ($122M).
Which month brought the most startup funding?
In China, October 2026 ($15.5B). In South Korea, October 2026 ($620M).
How much did startups in China and South Korea raise in the last 90 days?
In the 90 days to 9 Nov 2026, startups in China raised $17.3B across 14 rounds and in South Korea $636M across 2 rounds.
Where does this data come from?
FundraiseBase lists startup funding rounds from public announcements: press releases, company posts and news coverage, checked and updated every day. Amounts are in US dollars. Some rounds are never announced, so the figures show what was made public, not every round. Corrections are welcome.