[Edaily Marketin Soyoung Park Reporter] A South Korean biotech company developing cancer treatment amplification technology has been approved to join “Baker Bio Labs,” a biotech and life sciences startup incubator operated by UC Berkeley, a leading U.S. university. This marks the first time a South Korean company has been accepted into the program. Attention is now focused on whether this case will establish itself as another successful model for South Korean biotech companies entering the U.S. market.

According to the global investment banking (IB) industry on the 12th, the South Korean startup “VS Pharmtech” has secured a spot at UC Berkeley’s “Baker Bio Labs.” This marks the first time a South Korean company has been accepted into Baker Bio Labs.

Baker Bio Labs is an organization that supports early-stage life sciences companies—including those in therapeutics, diagnostics, and biotech—as they grow from the research and development stage through to securing investment and commercialization. Based on the QB3 network, UC Berkeley’s bio-entrepreneurship and commercialization organization, it provides expert mentoring and helps connect startups with industry partners and investors. It also facilitates collaboration with university researchers and access to research facilities.

The reason UC Berkeley is showing interest in Korean biotech startups is clear. Kwon Ho-yoon, CEO of Meridian Innovation, who supported VS Pharmtech’s move into the facility, emphasized, “There is a demand to attract Korean companies—which boast abundant talent from prestigious medical schools and excellent technological capabilities—as well as their intellectual property (IP) to the local market.” Meridian Innovation established a connection with Baker Bio Labs through its U.S. network and assisted VS Pharmtech with the application process and interviews.

The two companies plan to develop VS Pharmtech’s experience in entering the U.S. market into a success story and reference case that other domestic startups can utilize in the future.

From the perspective of domestic startups, the process of entering and establishing a foothold in the U.S. market is arduous. An official from the capital markets sector noted, “In most cases, startups don’t know whom to approach when they first go to the U.S. to secure investment,” adding, “If they join a startup incubation program or move into a facility like Baker Bio Labs, they are naturally provided with opportunities for demo days and one-on-one meetings that connect them with Silicon Valley investors and researchers.”

VS Pharmtech, which will be moving into Baker Bio Labs, is a South Korean biotech startup founded in 2018. To date, the company has secured cumulative investments totaling 18.6 billion won. Investors include Inlight Ventures, POSCO Technology Investment, and Korea Venture Investment.

VS PharmTech develops anticancer potentiators that enhance therapeutic efficacy while minimizing the additional toxic burden associated with standard anticancer treatments. Its flagship pipeline, VS-101, is an oral radiosensitizer that increases cancer cell death when used in combination with radiation therapy. It possesses a multi-action mechanism that regulates pathways related to DNA damage repair and treatment resistance in cancer cells. The company is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial of VS-101 for head and neck cancer in the United States.

Based on this move, VS Pharmtech plans to proceed with its U.S. clinical trials without any delays. At the same time, the company intends to expand its efforts to attract global investment and explore opportunities for joint development and technology transfer with global pharmaceutical companies.

Park Shin-young, CEO of VS Pharmtech, stated, “Our move into Baker Bio Labs is significant not only for securing research space but also for establishing a local foothold that will allow us to connect more closely with U.S. investors, global pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and industry experts.”