Smilegate Investment

SmileGate Investment, established in 1999 and based in Seongnam, South Korea, is a venture capital and private equity firm that specializes in investing in small and mid-sized companies. Initially founded as MVP Capital, the firm has successfully organized and managed over 30 investment funds, focusing on diverse sectors such as information technology, healthcare, energy, and financial technology. Since its inception, SmileGate Investment has invested in more than 200 companies with significant growth potential, demonstrating a commitment to supporting innovative businesses in the South Korean market. The firm operates several venture capital funds, including the Smilegate Culture Industry Investment Fund, Smilegate Pioneer Venture Fund, and Smilegate Orange Fund, which further solidify its role in fostering entrepreneurship and economic development in the region.

Byung-Hwi Ahn

Senior Vice President

Heung-Sun Chang

Senior Vice President

Lee Hyeon-Woo

Associate

Kyoung-Hwan Kim

Senior Vice President

Young-Kwon Ku

President

Jong-Ho Lee

Senior Vice President

Ki-Mun Nam

CEO

Hoon-gon Nam

Senior Vice President

Jung-In Park

Senior Vice President

Seo Kyung-Woo

Senior Vice President

Past deals in Asia Pacific

Pion

Series A in 2023
Pion Corporation is an Martech focused video intelligence company. We provide “Vispot”, a video creation and ad-automation platform powered by AI.

Travel Wallet

Series C in 2023
Developer of a mobile-based foreign currency platform designed to provide digital travel wallet services. The company's platform includes a currency exchange service, real-time exchange rates, an exchange rate calculator, local cash pick-up, physical card issuance, and an exchange rate graph, enabling tourists and business travelers to get fast and easy money exchange service at a competitive rate compared to retail banks.

ConnectionH

Seed Round in 2022
ConnectionH provides big data-based artificial intelligence services.

Shiftup

Venture Round in 2022
Shift Up Corp is a game design and development studio that covers a wide range of areas from game production to promotional videos and music production, based on illustrations and solid planning and programming capabilities.

RCE

Series A in 2022
Retailer of heavy construction equipment intended for construction companies. The company offers a variety of heavy equipment like caterpillar excavators, tire excavators, wheel loaders, concrete pump cars, cranes, dozers, mixer trucks, road equipment, and forklift among many others to Vietnamese construction companies online, providing construction companies equipment at reasonable price.

UCI Therapeutics

Seed Round in 2022
UCI Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies to address the limitations of current treatments. The company specializes in multi-target fusion CAR-NKJ cell therapies, employing a cell-based fusion approach to enhance the effectiveness of immune cell therapies in treating solid tumors. By targeting multiple pathways, UCI Therapeutics aims to improve patient outcomes in cancer treatment and overcome the challenges faced by existing drugs in the market.

Biorchestra

Series C in 2022
Developer of ribonucleic acid-based therapeutics intended to treat neurodegenerative diseases. The company's therapeutics include candidates for Alzheimer's disease, m-ribonucleic acid vaccine and drug delivery systems for ribonucleic acid candidates, enabling doctors to improve the health of humankind.

MedInTech

Series A in 2022
Mediintech develops smart endoscopes for the digestive system.

SPARTA

Series A in 2022
Developer of a coding education platform designed to provide coding education services for beginners and non-developers. The company's platform offers various coding education programs with chat GPT and machine learning courses, enabling users to learn coding easily and have updated information.

SSEM

Series A in 2022
Developer of a tax filing application designed to help sole proprietors. The company provides services to help clients to calculate and report global income tax and value-added tax easily and conveniently, enabling users to focus on their business without worrying about taxes.

Archipin

Series A in 2021
Archipin is an edtech company with online and e-learning provisions for children.

Press.A

Series A in 2021
Press.A is a game and software development company.

RECO

Series B in 2021
Developer of an integrated waste management platform designed for environmental restoration, recovery, and recycling. The company's platform offers waste collection, and sustainable resource recycling as well as manages and reports all waste-related data through a single platform, along with providing information related to remaining available resources before they become waste to the necessary places, enabling businesses to efficiently manage and share waste and leftover resources.

Plask

Seed Round in 2021
Developer of an artificial intelligence imaging platform designed to help creators to create interesting imaginations without content. The company's platform captures, edits, playbacks, and shares the animations and easily extracts motion from video without expensive bodysuits or motion work, enabling creators to express creativity.

Bigpicture

Series B in 2021
Developer of an e-sports educational software designed to teach gamers who want to become pro gamers. The company produces videos such as game stories and documentaries to provide more informative information and knowledge to gamers and possesses specialized skills and specialized know-how necessary for the operation as well as manages e-sports teams and hosts online tournaments in collaboration with game giants, enabling gamers and players with space where they can gather both online and offline.

Sir.Loin

Series B in 2021
Operator of an online meat-selling platform intended to offer quality meat-based products. The company manages the overall process from feeding, breeding, aging, and processing of the meat, enabling customers to receive quality meat directly without any hassle.

Mathpresso

Series C in 2021
Mathpresso, Inc. is an educational technology company based in Seoul, South Korea, established in 2015. It operates Qanda, a data-driven platform that leverages artificial intelligence and optical character recognition (OCR) technology to assist students with their studies. Users can take a photo of a question or problem, which the platform then analyzes to provide solutions and explanations. Qanda covers a wide range of subjects, including mathematics, Korean history, social studies, and science. The platform is designed to facilitate learning by allowing students to engage with tutors and access answers in real time. As of this year, Qanda has attracted over one million users in South Korea, making it a significant resource for students seeking help with homework and exam preparation.

Classum

Series A in 2021
CLASSUM is an interactive learning platform for higher education. CLASSUM aims to make communication easy, simple and smart for better education. With its unique UI/UX, which is based on chatting UI and SNS features, it lowers the communication barrier between the users(students and instructors). Also with their A.I./Big-data analysis technique, CLASSUM provides users an in-depth class report which can be applied to improve their class and gain overall information about their students and the course.

WELT

Series B in 2021
WELT is a company that specializes in smart fashion technology, specifically through its innovative smart belt designed for health management. This wearable device allows users to monitor their wellness by tracking key metrics such as waist size, physical activity, sitting time, and eating habits. The belt operates with a Bluetooth-enabled biomarker sensor that connects to a mobile application, providing personalized feedback and custom messages aimed at reducing metabolic risks. Its elegant design ensures that it resembles a traditional leather belt while housing advanced health-tracking capabilities. The rechargeable battery lasts over seven days, making it a convenient accessory for users looking to maintain a healthier lifestyle while staying stylish.

Sir.Loin

Series A in 2020
Operator of an online meat-selling platform intended to offer quality meat-based products. The company manages the overall process from feeding, breeding, aging, and processing of the meat, enabling customers to receive quality meat directly without any hassle.

SN BioScience

Series B in 2020
SN BioScience provide nano-formulation screening services for small molecule, oligonucleotide (siRNA, DNA), peptide and protein to deliver in the form of nano-micelle, nanoparticle or liposome. Their proprietary “double core-shell technology” and pool of acceptable lipids and polymers could help your research that having difficulties in solubility or delivery.

Hoozing

Seed Round in 2020
Hoozing Co. Ltd is a company based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, that specializes in developing an online marketplace for finding and renting long-term accommodations. Established in 2015, Hoozing aims to simplify the house renting process by creating a platform that connects prospective renters with current tenants who are looking to move out. This community-oriented approach allows users to gain valuable insights and tips about available properties and their neighborhoods. In addition to its rental services, Hoozing offers an agent application to enhance the income of real estate agents and provides consultancy services related to the sale and leasing of real estate. The company's innovative land application also assists in managing and optimizing profits from real estate investments.

Cytovant

Venture Round in 2020
Cytovant Sciences HK Limited is a biopharmaceutical company based in Hong Kong, established in 2019. The company focuses on the development of novel cellular therapeutics specifically for cancer treatment. Cytovant specializes in creating modified T-cell receptor therapeutics and dendritic cell vaccines that target tumor antigens, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of tumor cell therapies. Through its innovative approaches, Cytovant seeks to advance cancer treatment options in the Asian market.

OnePredict

Series B in 2019
Established in 2016, OnePredict is a prominent provider of industrial AI technology, recognized for its innovative solutions in machine digitalization and intelligence. The company has won the Global PHM Data Challenge nine times, highlighting its expertise in this field. OnePredict's product line, including the GuardiOne® Series, Cells, Edge, and Cloud solutions, focuses on delivering advanced AI applications for various industrial components such as bearings, turbines, wind farms, transformers, robots, and motors. Its software is designed to transform data into actionable insights through predictive analytics, helping businesses assess the risk of failure and determine the remaining lifespan of critical equipment. By enabling accurate and timely decision-making, OnePredict supports companies across diverse industries in enhancing operational efficiency and reliability.

Classum

Venture Round in 2019
CLASSUM is an interactive learning platform for higher education. CLASSUM aims to make communication easy, simple and smart for better education. With its unique UI/UX, which is based on chatting UI and SNS features, it lowers the communication barrier between the users(students and instructors). Also with their A.I./Big-data analysis technique, CLASSUM provides users an in-depth class report which can be applied to improve their class and gain overall information about their students and the course.

Bigpicture

Series B in 2019
Developer of an e-sports educational software designed to teach gamers who want to become pro gamers. The company produces videos such as game stories and documentaries to provide more informative information and knowledge to gamers and possesses specialized skills and specialized know-how necessary for the operation as well as manages e-sports teams and hosts online tournaments in collaboration with game giants, enabling gamers and players with space where they can gather both online and offline.

Lozi

Series B in 2019
Lozi Joint Stock Company, founded in 2014 and based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, operates an extensive e-commerce platform that addresses various consumer needs through its one-hour delivery service, Loship. The platform caters to a wide range of services including food, grocery, laundry, medicine, and flower delivery, as well as ride-hailing and B2B supply delivery. With a robust network of over 70,000 drivers and 200,000 merchants, Lozi serves nearly 2 million customers across major cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Can Tho. The company's innovative mobile application also assists users in discovering food, drink, and café options, enhancing the convenience of urban living in Vietnam.

Coinplug

Series B in 2019
Coinplug, Inc., founded in 2013 and based in Seongnam-si, South Korea, is a blockchain development company that specializes in a range of solutions and services leveraging blockchain technology. The company operates a cryptocurrency exchange platform known as CPDAX, along with an electronic wallet service and an online point-of-sale system. Additionally, Coinplug offers Metadium, a verification platform based on blockchain, and CP Cube, a business-to-business platform that integrates blockchain and public key infrastructure technologies. Its services include SBI Cosmoney, an international remittance solution, and CP Solution, which utilizes a blockchain platform called fidoledger. With a focus on innovation, Coinplug holds over 300 blockchain patents and is actively involved in developing solutions for identity and authentication, payment processing, and asset management.

Raonsecure

Venture Round in 2019
Raonsecure Co., Ltd. is an ICT security software company based in Seoul, South Korea, specializing in security solutions for financial institutions, government entities, and enterprises. Founded in 1998 and originally named Lumensoft Ltd., the company changed its name in 2012. Raonsecure primarily offers TouchEn OnePass, a biometric authentication solution designed for various applications, including payments, mobile banking, and fintech services. The company is also engaged in ICT security consulting and holds multiple patents in integrated security technologies, focusing on human/device authentication and FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) protocols based on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) technology. Through its innovative products and services, Raonsecure aims to enhance security measures in the digital landscape.

D&D Pharmatech

Series B in 2019
D&D Pharmatech Co., Ltd. is a clinical-stage biotech company based in Seongnam, South Korea, established in 2014. The company focuses on developing innovative medicines across various therapeutic areas, including neurodegenerative, fibrotic, and metabolic diseases. It operates through disease-specific subsidiary companies that are guided by leading medical research faculty, facilitating the translation of advanced research into viable therapeutic products. D&D Pharmatech's expertise encompasses drug research and development, manufacturing quality control, and clinical development. Additionally, the company is involved in the development of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging biomarkers and single-cell sequencing technologies related to degenerative brain diseases. By leveraging advanced drug delivery technologies, such as PEGylation, D&D Pharmatech aims to enhance the effectiveness and outcomes of its therapeutic offerings.

Orum Therapeutics

Series B in 2019
ORUM THERAPEUTICS, INC. engages in the research and development of therapeutic antibodies using cell penetrating antibody platform. Its platform targets specific cell types and adapts to different cell types and different intracellular proteins without chemical modifications. The company develops products for treatment of genetic diseases and cancer. ORUM THERAPEUTICS, INC. was founded in 2016 and is based in Daejeon, South Korea.

Wadiz

Series C in 2019
Wadiz Corp. is a leading crowdfunding platform based in Seongnam, South Korea, and was founded in 2012. It serves as Asia's largest crowdfunding platform, facilitating both product and equity-based crowdfunding for startups and entrepreneurs. The platform enables creative projects to secure funding while allowing investors to access innovative companies at their early stages. By connecting businesses in need of financial support with potential investors, Wadiz plays a significant role in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in the region.

SN BioScience

Series A in 2019
SN BioScience provide nano-formulation screening services for small molecule, oligonucleotide (siRNA, DNA), peptide and protein to deliver in the form of nano-micelle, nanoparticle or liposome. Their proprietary “double core-shell technology” and pool of acceptable lipids and polymers could help your research that having difficulties in solubility or delivery.

Mathpresso

Series A in 2018
Mathpresso, Inc. is an educational technology company based in Seoul, South Korea, established in 2015. It operates Qanda, a data-driven platform that leverages artificial intelligence and optical character recognition (OCR) technology to assist students with their studies. Users can take a photo of a question or problem, which the platform then analyzes to provide solutions and explanations. Qanda covers a wide range of subjects, including mathematics, Korean history, social studies, and science. The platform is designed to facilitate learning by allowing students to engage with tutors and access answers in real time. As of this year, Qanda has attracted over one million users in South Korea, making it a significant resource for students seeking help with homework and exam preparation.

WELT

Series A in 2018
WELT is a company that specializes in smart fashion technology, specifically through its innovative smart belt designed for health management. This wearable device allows users to monitor their wellness by tracking key metrics such as waist size, physical activity, sitting time, and eating habits. The belt operates with a Bluetooth-enabled biomarker sensor that connects to a mobile application, providing personalized feedback and custom messages aimed at reducing metabolic risks. Its elegant design ensures that it resembles a traditional leather belt while housing advanced health-tracking capabilities. The rechargeable battery lasts over seven days, making it a convenient accessory for users looking to maintain a healthier lifestyle while staying stylish.

Inventage Lab

Seed Round in 2018
Inventage Lab Inc. focuses on the advancement of medical technology, particularly through the development of an innovative Drug Delivery System (DDS). The company has created Laminar FluiDigm, a microfluidics-based platform technology that underpins its specific technologies, IVL-DrugFluidic and IVL-GeneFluidic, which are designed for the development and manufacture of long-acting injectables and gene-delivery therapeutics. In addition to its medical initiatives, Inventage Lab is committed to creating consumer-oriented pipelines aimed at enhancing human well-being and fostering technological innovation. Through these efforts, the company seeks to improve treatment options for refractory and chronic diseases while contributing to advancements in healthcare.

Grampus

Private Equity Round in 2018
GRAMPUS Incorporated develops online simulation games. GRAMPUS Incorporated is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

D&D Pharmatech

Series A in 2018
D&D Pharmatech Co., Ltd. is a clinical-stage biotech company based in Seongnam, South Korea, established in 2014. The company focuses on developing innovative medicines across various therapeutic areas, including neurodegenerative, fibrotic, and metabolic diseases. It operates through disease-specific subsidiary companies that are guided by leading medical research faculty, facilitating the translation of advanced research into viable therapeutic products. D&D Pharmatech's expertise encompasses drug research and development, manufacturing quality control, and clinical development. Additionally, the company is involved in the development of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging biomarkers and single-cell sequencing technologies related to degenerative brain diseases. By leveraging advanced drug delivery technologies, such as PEGylation, D&D Pharmatech aims to enhance the effectiveness and outcomes of its therapeutic offerings.

Wadiz

Venture Round in 2017
Wadiz Corp. is a leading crowdfunding platform based in Seongnam, South Korea, and was founded in 2012. It serves as Asia's largest crowdfunding platform, facilitating both product and equity-based crowdfunding for startups and entrepreneurs. The platform enables creative projects to secure funding while allowing investors to access innovative companies at their early stages. By connecting businesses in need of financial support with potential investors, Wadiz plays a significant role in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in the region.

Stripes

Series B in 2015
Stripes is a Korea-based apparel company that designs and manufactures men’s clothing products. Stripes’ clothing collection carries directional designs, as well as every day favorites including, t-shirts, shirts, and suits. The company also provides personalized styling services, enabling customers to personalize their clothes and have them designed to a perfect fit. Stripes markets its product through the web and mobile medium, giving consumers the facility of buying clothes at the comfort of their homes. Stripes was established in January 2013.

YAP

Venture Round in 2015
YAP is a Korean startup that operates an online-to-offline (O2O) commerce platform utilizing an independent hybrid beacon technology. This innovative approach enables enhanced user experiences by integrating digital and physical interactions. YAP's focus is on providing a unique blend of technology and consumer engagement, aiming to deliver remarkable moments for its users. Additionally, YAP KOREA, associated with the company, functions as a venture capital firm based in Seoul, concentrating on investments in information technology and location-based technologies. This dual emphasis on technology and investment reflects YAP's commitment to advancing the landscape of digital commerce in South Korea.

Stripes

Series A in 2014
Stripes is a Korea-based apparel company that designs and manufactures men’s clothing products. Stripes’ clothing collection carries directional designs, as well as every day favorites including, t-shirts, shirts, and suits. The company also provides personalized styling services, enabling customers to personalize their clothes and have them designed to a perfect fit. Stripes markets its product through the web and mobile medium, giving consumers the facility of buying clothes at the comfort of their homes. Stripes was established in January 2013.
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