ventureinkorea 0.1.0

Korean venture startup API client — search certified ventures, glossary terms, and blog posts from VentureInKorea.

ventureinkorea

Python API client for VentureInKorea — a comprehensive database of Korean venture-certified companies (벤처인증기업), startup ecosystem terminology, and in-depth articles about Korea's innovation economy. Available in 4 languages (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese).

VentureInKorea tracks companies that have received official Venture Business Certification (벤처기업인증) from the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups (중소벤처기업부), along with glossary terms covering the full spectrum of Korea's startup support infrastructure.

Explore the platform at ventureinkorea.com — Glossary · Blog · Companies

Table of Contents

• Install
• Quick Start
• What You'll Find on VentureInKorea
  • Venture Business Certification (벤처기업인증)
  • Startup Support Programs
  • Glossary of Korean Startup Terms
  • Blog & Guides
• API Endpoints
• Command-Line Interface
• MCP Server (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)
• API Reference
• Also Available
• License

Install

pip install ventureinkorea          # Core (zero dependencies)
pip install ventureinkorea[api]     # + httpx API client
pip install ventureinkorea[cli]     # + CLI with Rich tables
pip install ventureinkorea[mcp]     # + MCP server for AI assistants
pip install ventureinkorea[all]     # Everything

Quick Start

from ventureinkorea.api import VentureInKorea

# Search Korean venture companies and startup terms
with VentureInKorea() as api:
    # Search across all content
    results = api.search("AI startup")
    print(results)

    # Browse glossary terms about Korean startup ecosystem
    terms = api.list_terms()
    for term in terms["results"]:
        print(f"{term['name']}: {term['slug']}")

    # Get platform statistics
    stats = api.get_stats()
    print(f"Total companies: {stats}")

What You'll Find on VentureInKorea

Venture Business Certification (벤처기업인증)

South Korea's Venture Business Certification system, established under the Act on Special Measures for the Promotion of Venture Businesses (벤처기업육성에 관한 특별조치법, 1997), is one of the world's most structured government-backed startup classification frameworks. Companies that earn certification gain access to tax benefits, preferential public procurement, and reduced regulatory burdens.

There are three main certification tracks:

Track	Korean	Requirement	Certifying Body
Venture Capital Investment	벤처투자기업	Received investment from registered VC	KVCA
R&D Investment	연구개발기업	R&D spending >= 5% of revenue	KISED
Innovation Growth	혁신성장기업	Revenue growth + innovation evaluation	Technology guarantee agencies

As of 2025, over 39,000 companies hold active venture certification in Korea, spanning sectors from AI/ML and biotech to fintech, deep tech, and green energy.

# Browse venture-certified companies
with VentureInKorea() as api:
    companies = api.list_companies()
    for co in companies["results"]:
        print(f"{co['name']}")

Startup Support Programs

Korea's startup ecosystem is supported by a dense network of government programs. VentureInKorea covers the key programs that shape the ecosystem:

Program	Korean	Description
TIPS	민간투자주도형 기술창업지원	Angel-led + government matching fund (up to 500M KRW)
K-Startup Grand Challenge	글로벌 스타트업 육성	International accelerator bringing global founders to Korea
DCAMP	은행청년창업재단	Korea's largest startup campus run by banking sector
Born2Global	본투글로벌센터	Helps Korean startups expand internationally
KISED	창업진흥원	Central government agency for startup promotion
Startup Campus	판교 스타트업캠퍼스	Pangyo Techno Valley hub for startup co-working

# Search for TIPS-related content
with VentureInKorea() as api:
    tips_info = api.search("TIPS")
    print(tips_info)

Glossary of Korean Startup Terms

The glossary covers essential Korean venture and startup terminology — crucial for anyone navigating Korea's innovation economy, whether as an investor, founder, or researcher.

Category	Examples
Legal & Certification	벤처기업인증, 기업부설연구소, 이노비즈, 메인비즈
Investment	시리즈A/B/C, 엔젤투자, 벤처캐피탈, 기업가치
Government Programs	TIPS, 창업지원, 기술보증, 정책자금
Startup Operations	스케일업, 피봇, MVP, 린 스타트업, PMF
Exit & IPO	코스닥 상장, M&A, 기업공개, 스팩 합병

# Get a specific glossary term
with VentureInKorea() as api:
    term = api.get_term("venture-certification")
    print(f"{term['name']}: {term.get('definition', '')}")

Blog & Guides

In-depth articles covering Korea's startup landscape — from policy analysis and funding guides to ecosystem reports and founder interviews. All content is available in Korean, English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese.

# Browse blog posts
with VentureInKorea() as api:
    posts = api.list_posts()
    for post in posts["results"]:
        print(f"{post['title']} ({post['slug']})")

API Endpoints

All endpoints are free, require no authentication, return JSON, and support CORS.

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/v1/terms/	List all glossary terms
GET	/api/v1/terms/{slug}/	Term detail
GET	/api/v1/posts/	List all blog posts
GET	/api/v1/posts/{slug}/	Post detail with FAQs
GET	/api/v1/companies/	List venture companies
GET	/api/v1/companies/{pk}/	Company detail
GET	/api/v1/categories/	Post categories
GET	/api/v1/faq/	Aggregated FAQs
GET	/api/v1/stats/	Platform statistics
GET	/api/v1/search/?q=	Unified search
GET	/api/v1/autocomplete/?q=	Autocomplete suggestions

Example

# Search for AI-related ventures
curl -s "https://ventureinkorea.com/api/v1/search/?q=AI"

{
  "results": [
    {
      "name": "AI Startup Guide",
      "type": "post",
      "slug": "ai-startup-guide",
      "url": "/blog/ai-startup-guide/"
    }
  ],
  "query": "AI",
  "total": 1
}

Full API documentation at ventureinkorea.com/developers/.

Command-Line Interface

pip install ventureinkorea[cli]

# Search across all content
ventureinkorea search "AI startup"

# List glossary terms
ventureinkorea terms --limit 10

# List venture companies
ventureinkorea companies --limit 10

# Platform statistics
ventureinkorea stats

MCP Server (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)

pip install ventureinkorea[mcp]

# Start the MCP server
ventureinkorea-mcp

Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ventureinkorea": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["--from", "ventureinkorea[mcp]", "ventureinkorea-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor / Windsurf

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ventureinkorea": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["--from", "ventureinkorea[mcp]", "ventureinkorea-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Available tools: search_ventures, get_term, get_company, get_post, get_stats.

API Reference

Function	Description
list_terms(**params)	List glossary terms
get_term(slug)	Get term by slug
list_posts(**params)	List blog posts
get_post(slug)	Get post with FAQs
list_companies(**params)	List venture companies
get_company(pk)	Get company by ID
list_categories(**params)	List post categories
list_faqs(**params)	List aggregated FAQs
get_stats()	Get platform statistics
search(query)	Unified search
autocomplete(query)	Autocomplete suggestions

Also Available

Platform	Install	Link
npm	npm install ventureinkorea	npm
Go	go get github.com/dobestan/ventureinkorea-go	pkg.go.dev
Rust	cargo add ventureinkorea	crates.io
Ruby	gem install ventureinkorea	rubygems.org
MCP	uvx --from "ventureinkorea[mcp]" ventureinkorea-mcp	Config

License

MIT