Investments in start-ups increased by 40 percent after the government announced various support policies last year, data showed Tuesday.

The Small and Medium Business Association said that investments amounting to 956.9 billion won were made for venture funds from January to June in 2015, a 38.4 percent increase from the same period last year.

The number of venture capital firms also increased to 517 in the first half of this year, a 23.7 percent increase from a year ago.

An SMBA official said the amount of investments in venture capital this year is expected to hit a record-high and lead to a second boom in venture investments.