Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship (벤처창업연구)

The Korean Society of Business Venturing (한국벤처창업학회)
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Policy of Surging Investment to Early Startups Via Boosting up SAFE in Korea

창업초기투자 촉진을 위한 한국형 SAFE 활성화 방안에 대한 연구

  • Park, Jin (Korea SMEs & Startups Institute) ;
  • Yang, Youngseok (Hanbat National University)
  • 박진 (중소벤처기업연구원) ;
  • 양영석 (국립한밭대학교 창업경영대학원)
  • Received : 2022.11.09
  • Accepted : 2022.12.19
  • Published : 2022.12.31
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Abstract

This paper put the goal on boosting up early startup investment by delivering and positioning SAFE as the main early startup investment type in Korea. In particular, this paper proves the better fitting of SAFE as to the early stage of venture investment than these of Convertible Note. This paper as referring the previous studies of SAFE as the major keystone issues determining active SAFE applying (legal positioning issue, tax treatment issue, failure of inducing the following investment with uncertainty over maturity) proposes boosting up policy of Korean SAFE. First, as to accounting treatment of SAFE, it suggests SAFE to recognize legally as "the capital" on the Korean Venture Investment Act of introducing SAFE actively as venture investment type. Second, as to tax treatment issue, it proposes on amending venture indication rule as the best alternative of resolving tax issue by accepting SAFE as the investment meeting to venture investment requirement. Third, as benchmarking foreign cases, it delivers the method of modifying foreign SAFE Contract Format by adding up more clauses about safety vehicles against the failure of the following investment and fixing maturity date and event. Ultimately, all resolutions of this paper fall on highlighting the role of Korean Venture Investment Act and Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

본 논문은 국내 창업초기 투자활성화를 위해 도입된 SAFE 투자방식이 창업초기투자의 대표적 투자형태로 활성화되며 시장에 안착하는데 필요한 정책적 방안을 제시하는데 목적을 두었다. 특히, SAFE와 컨버터블 노트 방식과의 비교를 통해 SAFE가 컨버터블 노트에 비해 창업초기기업에 대한 투자 활성화에 보다 적합한 측면이 있음을 분석하였다. 또한, 본 연구는 SAFE 관련 선행연구들이 SAFE 활성화의 가장 중요한 문제로 SAFE의 법률적 지위확보문제, 세제관련문제 그리고 후속투자 유치 실패 및 만기불확실성 문제를 주요 쟁점으로 다루고 있는 점을 참조하여 한국형 SAFE 활성화의 정책적 대안을 제시하였다. 첫째, SAFE 회계처리 관련, 선행연구들을 참조로 SAFE의 부채와 자본으로서 처리방안의 대안을 제시하며, 특히 SAFE 도입을 주도하는 벤처투자법의 내용을 토대로 SAFE를 자본으로 처리하는 방법에 대한 대안을 제시하였다. 둘째, 세제지원 관련, 현재 개정이 추진되고 있는 벤처기업 인증제도를 토대로, SAFE 투자가 벤처기업인증을 위한 투자로 인정되어야 SAFE 투자관련 세제지원 문제를 해결하는 방안임을 제시하였다. 셋째, 후속투자 유치 실패 관련, 해외주요사례 벤치마킹 연구들을 토대로, SAFE의 한국형 계약방식 즉, 계약조항 문구를 만들 때 후속투자유치 실패에 대한 안전장치와 만기일 및 그 이후에 대한 이벤트 협상 등의 내용을 담는 수정문구를 반영하는 방법으로 문제해결 방안을 제안하였다. 본 논문은 SAFE 투자가 국내 창업초기 투자방식으로 활성화되기 위한 방식으로 이 제도의 도입 법적근거인 벤처투자법과 제도의 주무부서인 중소벤처기업부의 보다 강한 역할을 중심으로 제안하였다. 이를 통해 본 논문은 기존 선행연구들의 내용을 보다 정책실행적인 관점에서 문제 해결 실행대안을 제시하였다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

본 연구는 중소벤처기업연구원 연구비 지원에 의해 이루어졌습니다.

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