KVIC Hosts U.S. Venture Conference to Strengthen Korea-U.S. Venture Investment Cooperation

Co-hosted by KVIC, KIC, and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco
U.S. VC firm Kindred Ventures also joined as a co-host

Korea Venture Investment Corp. (KVIC), Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco have brought together members of the venture industry in the United States to explore ways to strengthen venture investment cooperation between Korea and the U.S.

A panelist speaks at “The Korea-U.S. Bridge: Connecting Venture Capital Communities,” a venture conference held in San Francisco, U.S., on the 9th local time. Photo by Korea Venture Investment Corp.

Korea Venture Investment said on the 10th that it had held the venture conference “The Korea-U.S. Bridge: Connecting Venture Capital Communities” in San Francisco, U.S., the previous day (local time), jointly with the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco and Korea Investment Corporation.

The event was part of follow-up cooperation under a memorandum of understanding signed by Korea Venture Investment and Korea Investment Corporation in June. It brought together Korean and U.S. investors and startup representatives to share the latest venture investment trends and discuss ways to support Korean startups’ global expansion and increase local investment. Kindred Ventures, a U.S. venture capital firm that has continued to invest in early-stage startups and support entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley, also co-hosted the event.

Partners from major venture capital firms, including Lightspeed Venture Partners and Altos Ventures, took part in a panel discussion on investment trends and promising sectors in Silicon Valley, startup evaluation criteria, business strategies for Korean startups to build global competitiveness, and preparations for raising investment. “As well as consumers, many companies are seeking to expand their adoption of AI, so investment opportunities in enterprise AI are likely to emerge across a range of areas,” said Sachin Patel, a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners. “It is important to use AI to build differentiated products.”

During the networking session, Korean startups and representatives of Silicon Valley investment institutions connected and explored potential business partnerships.

Lee Jongmin, head of Korea Venture Investment’s Silicon Valley office and a co-host of the event, said, “Ongoing engagement and cooperation with major Silicon Valley venture capital firms are important for the global growth of Korean startups. Building on the global venture capital network it has developed, Korea Venture Investment will work to turn local investors’ interest in Korean startups into tangible investment and collaboration.”

“I hope this event has helped introduce the competitiveness of Korean startups to Silicon Valley investors, while also giving Korean venture capital firms and investment institutions and local investors a chance to better understand one another’s investment strategies and areas of interest,” said Lee Janghun, a consul at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco. “I hope it will lead to the discovery of joint investment opportunities and new deals.”

“This event gave Korean American founders practical advice on securing global investment with a long-term perspective,” said Park Yumi, director of Korea Investment Corporation’s San Francisco office. “We will continue to work with the consulate general, Korea Venture Investment, and others to serve as a hub for the community of Korean institutional investors in Silicon Valley.”

Korea Venture Investment supports domestic startups in expanding overseas investment and entering global markets through commitments to global venture funds.

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