Exosome industry seeks a new leap, expecting increased investment in 2025

The exosome industry is seeking a second leap as it continues to develop diagnostics and therapeutics despite a slowdown in investment in biotech IPOs.

The Extracellular Vesicles Industry Association (EVIA) held its 2025 general meeting at Glad Yeouido Hotel in Seoul last Friday. At the meeting, the association discussed four issues: approval of the 2024 financial statements, approval of changes to the articles of association, appointment of new directors, and approval of the 2025 business plan and budget. Microgentas CEO Shin Se-hyun was elected as a new director.

LSK Investment CEO Kim Myung-kee presented the investment trends and outlook for the bio sector.

“In the first half of 2024, only two biotech companies were listed among the 15 special technology companies. This indicates the shrinking investment in the bio sector,” Kim said. “New investments worth about 1 trillion won ($689 million) will be made through the Innovative Industry Investment Promotion Fund promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT. We expect the biotech investment market to improve from the second half of this year at the latest.”

“There is also a trend in the investment market. The exosome industry was a hot sector in the investment industry three to four years ago, but now it is in a middle time (adjustment period),” Kim explained. “Once there are one or two success stories in the exosome field, investment will be revitalized.”

“Artificial intelligence (AI), digital therapeutic devices (DTx), and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) were in the spotlight until last year, but it is difficult to make profits if you just chase trends, Kim added, emphasizing that it is necessary to think about promising industries in the future.

At the general meeting, five new members—Decode Cell, Microgentas, STEMON, ID Hospital, and Exopia—who joined in 2024 were introduced.

Exopia VEO Park Hye-eun said, “We have established exosomal protein markers for 12 cancer types, including pancreatic, lung, kidney, and breast cancer, and have developed diagnostic methods. In the case of pancreatic cancer, the diagnostic method using exosomal protein markers has achieved a sensitivity of 92.2% and a specificity of 83.3 percent. Based on this, we plan to pursue domestic and overseas certification by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.”

Korean Society for Extracellular Vesicles (KSEV) President Roh Tae-young said in his congratulatory speech, “With the designation of advanced biotechnology as a national strategic technology, the government's active support and industry collaboration will be strengthened.

“Exosome research is an important field that goes beyond mere academic research and leads to the development and commercialization of actual therapeutic,” Roh said. “This year, we will hold the 4th Industry-Academia Cooperation Workshop with the EVIA and promote joint industry-academia research, policy proposals, and educational cooperation programs.”

EVIA Chairman Choi Chul-see (CEO of ILIAS Biologics) said, “Despite the uncertain market environment last year, the exosome industry has made remarkable achievements in each R&D, clinical, and commercialization stage, strengthening its global competitiveness. In 2025, the exosome industry is preparing to take a new leap forward with continuous innovation and flexible responses. We look forward to a year in which we will use various challenges as opportunities to showcase the value of exosome technology to the world and contribute to improving human health.”

Established in 2021 to create an ecosystem for exosome drug development, EVIA has 45 member companies. This year, the organization is preparing for a networking day and forum for its members in August and producing a survey on the status of the domestic exosome industry.