KB Financial Group (105560.KS) is moving to build an innovation-driven growth ecosystem for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small business owners through new forms of cooperation, including support for artificial intelligence transformation (AX) and strategic venture investment. The group aims to broaden its support framework away from the fragmented, one-off approach in which large companies backed only their suppliers, toward strengthening the competitiveness of the entire industrial ecosystem. In particular, it plans to spread a culture of shared growth by extending support beyond partner companies and other firms with direct transaction ties to SMEs and small business owners that have no such relationships.
Kim Kyung-nam, Head of the ESG Division (Executive Vice President) at KB Financial Group, unveiled plans for using the 10 billion won win-win cooperation fund contributed on the 5th of last month during a case presentation at the "2026 Korea Win-Win Cooperation Conference," held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 9th. The win-win cooperation fund is a private fund to which domestic corporations such as large companies and public institutions voluntarily contribute to the Korea Foundation for Cooperation of Large & Small Business, Rural Affairs, for the purpose of shared growth with SMEs.
"This fund is the first case of a win-win cooperation fund joint cooperation project that supports both SMEs and small business owners regardless of whether they have a cooperative relationship," Kim said. "It will serve as a catalyst for spreading a culture of win-win cooperation in the financial sector."
Until now, win-win support from the government and the financial sector has centered on companies that already have transaction relationships, such as prime contractors and their suppliers, leaving out firms in blind spots that need support most. KB Financial focused on this gap and expanded its support to all SMEs and small business owners without cooperative relationships.
Policy factors also lay behind the fund contribution. Under the large-small win-win strategy, the government set a goal of building a win-win cooperation fund of 1.5 trillion won from 2026 to 2030, and in 2024 the fund was permitted to make additional use of venture fund investments and venture investment. From the second half of this year, a pilot evaluation of a win-win finance index was also introduced for the six major banks, including KB Financial. Tax benefits such as a 10% corporate tax deduction on contributions also supported participation.
KB Financial allocated the 10 billion won to four projects. First, it earmarked 2 billion won for AX to support SMEs and small business owners in regionally specialized industries with AI-based vision inspection, equipment anomaly detection, and automation of smart ordering and customer management. It is investing 3 billion won in green transformation (GX) to help manufacturing SMEs with aging equipment through climate finance consulting and financing design via non-face-to-face platforms. Another 2 billion won will go into safety transformation (SX) projects, used to expand sales channels for companies with safety technology and to build AI-based CCTV and sensor safety detection systems at small workplaces.
An investment of 3 billion won will go into the "Win-Win Cooperation Mother Fund," which invests in region-based social and solidarity economy enterprises. This is the first time a win-win cooperation fund has invested in a venture fund. "The proceeds recovered from the win-win cooperation mother fund investment are not used up on a one-time basis but flow back into the win-win cooperation fund, creating a structure of continuous reinvestment," Kim explained.
Kim summarized the significance of this contribution in three points: that it is the first contribution to a joint cooperation project supporting companies without cooperative relationships; that it is the first case of a win-win cooperation fund investing in a venture fund, opening a new path for impact investment; and that it establishes a virtuous cycle in which investment returns flow back into the fund and lead to reinvestment.
KB Financial has also worked to support young people, regions, and SMEs. Through KB Dream Wave, it has supported the employment of a cumulative 43,978 people since 2011 and helped 200 self-reliant youths settle into society. It has established 134 KB Small Libraries in culturally underserved areas, supported the safety of about 1,000 workplaces together with the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, and opened export routes for 501 companies with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. It became the first bank to set up a dedicated inclusive finance organization in 2025.
An inclusive finance roadmap reaching 17 trillion won was also introduced. "By 2030, we will supply 10.5 trillion won to support vulnerable lower-income groups and 6.5 trillion won to support small business owners," Kim said.
