TimFolio opens 13th Road to Fund Manager mock investment contest for students
In short
TimFolio Asset Management said on Oct 7 it is holding the 13th “Road to Fund Manager” mock investment contest for university and graduate students and recent graduates who want to enter the capital markets. Participants trade 1 billion won in virtual assets on real market data, registration runs through Oct 8, and the top five returns share 20 million won in total prize money. Participants graded A+ on portfolio diversification and volatility management are offered a 12-week conversion-to-hire internship.
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TimFolio Asset Management said on Oct 7 that it is holding the 13th “Road to Fund Manager” mock investment contest for university and graduate students and recent graduates who hope to enter the capital markets. Registration is open on the contest website through Oct 8, and participants invest 1 billion won in virtual assets in trades based on real market data, according to the company. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The contest is not judged on returns alone. Under the contest guidelines cited by the company, participants must keep a single stock to 15% or less of the portfolio, respect sector weight limits and avoid restricted stocks. [ 1 , 2 ]
The top five participants by return share 20 million won in total prize money. Participants graded A+ on operating ability, judged on portfolio diversification and volatility management, are offered a “conversion-to-hire” internship lasting 12 weeks, the company said. [ 1 , 2 ]
TimFolio said the internship, which began in 2024, provides basic training for working as an institutional fund manager: interns learn portfolio construction and how to use the management system, and take part in seminars with securities firm analysts. Asia Economy reported that about 30 people have completed the programme across five cohorts. [ 1 ]
Asia Economy also reported that TimFolio has run the contest itself since 2023, holding it once a quarter for a total of four times a year, and that about 2,000 people take part each time. The company said past contestants and interns have gone on to work at asset management and securities firms. Those figures appear in only one outlet. [ 1 ]
Yonhap reported that eligibility extends to university and graduate students and to those whose undergraduate graduation year is 2017 or later, matching Asia Economy’s account of the entry rules. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The contest is a hiring pipeline for Korea’s asset management industry: TimFolio says past participants and interns have gone on to jobs at asset managers and brokerages, so the results feed directly into entry-level recruitment. For students, it offers a route into the sector that does not depend on a conventional application, with an internship as the prize beyond cash. The documents do not indicate any wider regulatory or market consequence.
Key facts
- TimFolio Asset Management is holding the 13th “Road to Fund Manager” mock investment contest [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Eligible entrants are university and graduate students and graduates from 2017 onward [ 1 , 2 ]
- Participants invest 1 billion won in virtual assets based on real market data [ 1 , 2 ]
- Rules include a 15% cap on a single stock, sector weight limits and restricted stocks [ 1 , 2 ]
- The top five by return share 20 million won in total prize money [ 1 , 2 ]
- Participants graded A+ for diversification and volatility management receive a 12-week conversion-to-hire internship [ 1 , 2 ]
- Registration is through the contest website and closes on Oct 8 [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The contest is run quarterly by TimFolio and draws about 2,000 participants each time, the company said [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- TimFolio Asset Management is holding the 13th Road to Fund Manager mock investment contest and announced it on Oct 7 [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Participants use 1 billion won in virtual assets and trade on real market data [ 1 , 2 ]
- Participants must follow contest guidelines including a single-stock cap of 15% or less, sector weight limits and restricted stocks [ 1 , 2 ]
- The top five by return receive a total of 20 million won in prize money [ 1 , 2 ]
- Participants graded A+ on portfolio diversification and volatility management are offered a 12-week conversion-to-hire internship [ 1 , 2 ]
- Registration is available on the Road to Fund Manager contest website [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The contest period runs from Oct 1 to Nov 30, 2026, while registration closes on Oct 8 Only Asia Economy states the Oct 1 to Nov 30 period; Yonhap describes the contest without dates, and Newsis mentions only the Oct 8 registration deadline, so the overlap between the start date and the registration window is not explained.
- TimFolio has run the contest itself since 2023, four times a year, and the internship since 2024 with about 30 graduates across five cohorts These background figures appear only in the Asia Economy article and are not confirmed by another outlet.
- About 2,000 people take part in each contest Single-source figure from Asia Economy.