"AI as an Employee, Not an Assistant"... VC Interest Centers on 'NeoFirm'

Kakao Ventures' "KV Insight Full Day 2026"
Growing interest in NeoFirms... "AI delivers completed results"

Venture capital (VC) firms are focusing on AI services that can handle a full workload on their own, rather than simply serving as auxiliary tools. Analysts say an important role for AI in the future will be to deliver results that can be put to work, going beyond AI agents.

Gong Jiyu, an investment director, speaks during the NeoFirm session at KV Insight Full Day 2026, hosted by Kakao Ventures at D.CAMP Seolleung in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 10th. Photo by Kakao Ventures

On November 10, at “KV Insight Full Day 2026,” hosted by Kakao Ventures at d.camp Seolleung in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, investment manager Gong Jiyu led a session on NeoFirm. NeoFirm refers to a type of company in which AI performs core tasks and delivers completed work, unlike traditional AI, which has been used as a work support tool.

NeoFirm is also drawing attention from the global venture investment industry. Global accelerator Y Combinator has issued open requests for startups (RFS) seeking specific venture companies. Last year, it said it was looking for “AI companies that directly provide services,” and this year it said it was seeking “companies where general employees skilled at using AI can do work that would otherwise require professionally qualified staff.”

Investor interest is translating into fundraising. Crosby, a New York-based AI law firm, raised $60 million in a Series B round in March (approximately KRW 80.2 billion). When a client seeking advice sends a contract to the company via Slack or email, Crosby’s AI conducts an initial review and drafts revisions. Lawyers then review and revise only the points requiring their judgment and any exceptions in the AI-generated draft. “Crosby has shortened the time its clients take to execute contracts by 80% and reduced review time to under an hour,” investment manager Gong said.

To be more than five times as efficient as traditional companies, NeoFirms need to change how they are organized. Investment manager Gong particularly emphasized the importance of industry experts and engineers working as a team. When industry experts share problems they have encountered directly in their work with engineers, the engineers can quickly set priorities for product development. “At Crosby, lawyers and engineers sit together in pairs and exchange feedback every few hours as they refine prompts,” she said. “Harper, an insurance brokerage, has all its employees, including engineers, earn insurance agent licenses so they can develop expertise in the industry.”

Kim Minju, a partner at Storm Ventures and another speaker at the NeoFirm session, said, “In the past, companies with strong business logic and user interfaces (UI) won. Going forward, the systems that use AI to produce the best results will win.” Storm Ventures is a U.S.-based VC firm that invests in business-to-business (B2B) AI software startups.

In addition to the NeoFirm session, Director Kim Jiwoong and Senior Investment Manager Jung Juyeon led sessions on “AI companions” and “longevity,” respectively. AI companions are AI systems that maintain conversations with users and build up memories and intimacy over time. Longevity includes companies developing anti-aging drugs and consumer platforms that use physical health diagnostics.

Kakao Ventures CEO Kim Gijun delivers welcoming remarks at KV Insight Full Day 2026 on the 10th. Photo by Kakao Ventures

KV Insight Full Day is a knowledge-sharing event that brings together Kakao Ventures investment managers and experts from various fields to share changes and perspectives they have observed at the forefront. This year marked its third edition. In his welcoming remarks, Kakao Ventures CEO Kim Gijun said, “Kakao Ventures is paying attention to new ways of being that are emerging alongside AI. Alongside the venture companies rewriting what has long been taken for granted, Kakao Ventures will write the opening chapter of that change.”

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