Country comparison
United Kingdom vs South Korea: startup funding compared
Since 2 June 2025, startups in the United Kingdom raised $22.4B across 606 rounds, 8.9 times South Korea's $2.5B.
Capital raised running total by month
Where the money goes share of capital by sector
United Kingdom
South Korea
Biggest rounds
United Kingdom
South Korea
Stage mix share of rounds
Most active investors rounds joined
| Investor | United Kingdom | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurs First | 19 | · |
| Y Combinator | 19 | · |
| Fuel Ventures | 18 | · |
| LocalGlobe | 17 | · |
| AlbionVC | 16 | · |
| British Business Bank | 16 | · |
| Korea Development Bank | · | 13 |
| Seedcamp | 13 | · |
| Balderton Capital | 12 | · |
| Haatch | 12 | · |
| Notion Capital | 12 | · |
| Octopus Ventures | 12 | · |
Startup hubs rounds and capital by city
United Kingdom
South Korea
Latest rounds
Questions
Which country raised more startup funding, the United Kingdom or South Korea?
The United Kingdom. Since 2 June 2025, startups in the United Kingdom raised $22.4B across 606 rounds, against $2.5B across 91 rounds in South Korea, 8.9 times more. That is 3.2% and 0.4% of all the capital FundraiseBase tracked worldwide over the period.
How many startup funding rounds were announced in the United Kingdom and South Korea?
606 rounds in the United Kingdom and 91 rounds in South Korea since 2 June 2025, about 34 and 5 a month.
Are startup rounds bigger in the United Kingdom or South Korea?
The median round is $7M in the United Kingdom and $6.8M in South Korea, and the average round $37M 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 the United Kingdom?
The biggest startup rounds in the United Kingdom since 2 June 2025 are Isomorphic Labs ($2.1B, Series B, 12 May 2026), Nscale ($2B, Series C, 9 Mar 2026) and Wayve ($1.2B, Series D, 24 Feb 2026).
What is the biggest startup round in South Korea?
The biggest startup rounds in South Korea since 2 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 the United Kingdom and South Korea?
In the United Kingdom, AI ($14.5B, 65% of the capital), Health ($1.7B, 7%) and Robotics & Hardware ($1.4B, 6%) lead. In South Korea, AI ($1.9B, 77% of the capital), Robotics & Hardware ($207M, 8%) and Health ($165M, 7%) lead.
Is the United Kingdom or South Korea better for early-stage startups?
Early-stage rounds (Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A) make up 60% of rounds in the United Kingdom and 35% in South Korea. The United Kingdom recorded 262 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds and South Korea 15 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds, with a median of $3.5M and $1.5M.
How much growth funding (Series B and later) goes to the United Kingdom and South Korea?
Startups in the United Kingdom raised $12B in 82 Series B or later rounds, 53% of the country's capital. In South Korea, $901M in 27 rounds, 36% of the capital.
Who are the most active startup investors in the United Kingdom?
Y Combinator (19 rounds, 2 led), Entrepreneurs First (19 rounds) and Fuel Ventures (18 rounds, 13 led) are the most active investors in the United Kingdom.
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 the United Kingdom and South Korea?
6 investors joined rounds in both countries. The most active: Crit Ventures (2 in the United Kingdom, 6 in South Korea), Samsung Ventures (1 in the United Kingdom, 3 in South Korea), LB Investment (1 in the United Kingdom, 2 in South Korea), Magna Investment (1 in the United Kingdom, 1 in South Korea) and Arm (1 in the United Kingdom, 1 in South Korea).
Which cities lead startup funding in the United Kingdom and South Korea?
London leads the United Kingdom with $15.6B across 396 rounds, ahead of Cambridge ($1.3B). Seoul leads South Korea with $1.6B across 37 rounds, ahead of Yongin ($122M).
Which month brought the most startup funding?
In the United Kingdom, May 2026 ($4.4B). In South Korea, October 2026 ($620M).
How much did startups in the United Kingdom and South Korea raise in the last 90 days?
In the 90 days to 12 Nov 2026, startups in the United Kingdom raised $2.8B across 74 rounds and in South Korea $620M across 1 round.
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.