a16z Infrastructure Investment Team Visits Korea... "Seeking Collaboration on Korean AI Hardware and Robotics"

Global Collaboration Focused on Semiconductors and Robotics
$1.1 Billion Machine Age Fund Investment

Raghu Raghuram, managing partner (general partner) at global venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), is visiting Korea to discuss global collaboration with domestic artificial intelligence (AI) hardware and infrastructure companies.

On October 12, a16z said that an infrastructure investment team, including General Partner Raghuram, is visiting Korea to explore technology development, commercialization and partnership opportunities with major domestic companies in the AI hardware and infrastructure sectors.

General Partner Raghuram is an infrastructure expert who served as chief operating officer (COO) and chief executive officer (CEO) at global cloud infrastructure company VMware for about 20 years. He currently leads a16z's investments across the AI infrastructure landscape, from software to hardware.

The visit follows a16z's launch in September of the $1.1 billion (about KRW 1 trillion) Machine Age Fund, a fund specializing in AI hardware and infrastructure technologies.

a16z plans to strengthen global business collaboration between its portfolio companies and Korean companies, focusing on the semiconductor and robotics sectors. The firm believes Korea can create synergies in AI hardware, computing infrastructure and robotics, given its world-class technological capabilities in semiconductors, memory and advanced manufacturing.

The Machine Age Fund will focus on investments in key hardware such as semiconductors, computing, memory and networking, as well as power, cooling and AI infrastructure development. It plans to concentrate its investments on startups with a competitive edge in fields where technological limitations are clear and large-scale investment is required.

"Advances in AI are rapidly transforming not only software but also the broader technology infrastructure," General Partner Raghuram said. "Korea has world-class technological capabilities and a solid industrial base in key fields such as semiconductors and robotics. Through this visit, I look forward to discussing a wide range of new technology and business opportunities with Korean companies and industry stakeholders."

Meanwhile, a16z hired Park Seongmo, who leads APAC go-to-market (GTM), as its first employee in Korea late last year. After beginning collaboration with Korea's crypto ecosystem, the firm has recently expanded its cooperation across the country's technology industries, including AI.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.