Samsung Ventures

Samsung Ventures, established in 1999, is a corporate venture capital arm of Samsung Electronics, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The firm invests globally in emerging technology companies, with a focus on semiconductors, mobile services, internet, software, security, enterprise solutions, bioengineering, and medical sectors. Its investment portfolio spans early-stage startups to pre-IPO companies, with an annual investment budget of $250 million and over $1.8 billion under management. Samsung Ventures operates from key innovation hubs worldwide, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, London, Tel Aviv, Bangalore, Tokyo, and Beijing, to identify and support pioneering startups in areas such as AI, robotics, augmented/virtual reality, and digital health.

Liam Ahn

Principal

Robert Ashcraft

Investment Director

Ju Won Cha

Managing Partner

Jaeseok Cha

Investment Director

Myungseok Choi

Investment Director

Jeongheon Gwak

Investment Director

Uiseok Hwang

Investment Director

TaeWoo Jeon

Investment Director

Minjoo Kim

Investment Director

Junyeong Kim

Investment Director

Jongwook Kim

Investment Director

Han Seong Kim

Investment Director

Jihong Kim

Managing Director, Samsung Ventures America

Donghyun Kim

Investment Director

KyungNam Ko

Investment Director

Eunji Ko

Investment Director

JaeHo Koh

Investment Director

Helena Lee

Investment Director

Hyemin Lee

Senior Investment Manager

SunMin Lee

Investment Director

Stan Lee

Investment Director

Jaemin Lee

Investment Director

Claire Leurent

Managing Director

Sooyoun Lim

Investment Director

Michael Pachos

Managing Director and Head of Samsung Ventures America, East Coast

Jinho Park

Investment Director

Wookyoung Park

Investment Director

Junho Yang

Investment Director

Chanwoo Yang

Investment Director

Il Seok Yoon

Chief Investment Officer

Jisu Yoon

Investment Director

Sung Eun Sarah Kim

Investment Director

Past deals in Autonomous Vehicles

Tesollo

Series A in 2025
Tesollo is a prominent company that specializes in the development of advanced robotic grippers and hand solutions, integrating artificial intelligence with robotics. The company focuses on creating human-level work systems applicable across various industries, including housework, education, and food. Tesollo manufactures delto grippers, motor controllers, and robotics engineering technology, providing customized automation systems tailored to meet individual client requirements. Their innovative gripper technology is designed to be flexible and stable, allowing it to handle a diverse range of objects in different sizes, shapes, and materials. By pushing the boundaries of traditional automation, Tesollo aims to redefine the future of the robotics industry.

Neubility

Series A in 2023
Neubility is a company focused on transforming the delivery industry through the use of self-driving delivery robots. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Seoul, the company utilizes advanced vision-based localization and path-planning technologies to operate autonomous delivery robots. This innovation aims to address the challenges of last-mile delivery, particularly in densely populated urban areas, by providing a reliable and cost-effective solution for businesses and consumers alike. Neubility's robots perform deliveries without human intervention, thereby redefining urban logistics and enhancing the efficiency of parcel delivery services.

Phantom AI

Series C in 2023
Phantom AI, Inc. specializes in developing advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and artificial intelligence solutions for autonomous vehicles. Based in Burlingame, California, the company offers a suite of products, including PhantomVision, a deep learning-based computer vision solution that complies with Euro NCAP standards, enabling the detection of vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and traffic signals. Additionally, Phantom AI provides PhantomFusion, which integrates data from various sensors such as cameras, radar, and LiDAR to create a comprehensive environmental model. Their PhantomDrive solution focuses on ensuring safe vehicle movement by predicting the behavior of detected objects. By delivering a modular, software-based platform, Phantom AI allows original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers to customize their integration of these technologies, aiming to reduce accidents, enhance driving experiences, and advance the development of self-driving technology.

Lumotive

Venture Round in 2023
Lumotive LLC, founded in 2017 and based in Bellevue, Washington, specializes in developing solid-state lidar systems utilizing liquid crystal metasurface (LCM) technology for autonomous vehicles and other applications. The company’s optical semiconductor solutions, including the Light Control Metasurface beam steering chips, enhance sensing and perception capabilities across various industries such as consumer electronics, robotics, and industrial automation. These chips facilitate precise control of light, allowing for improved performance in sensing and imaging tasks while being compact and easy to integrate. Lumotive’s innovative technology aims to simplify lidar systems, making them more cost-effective and reliable, thereby supporting mass adoption in the automotive and other sectors. The company was previously known as Holosense Technologies, LLC before rebranding in September 2018.

Lumotive

Venture Round in 2022
Lumotive LLC, founded in 2017 and based in Bellevue, Washington, specializes in developing solid-state lidar systems utilizing liquid crystal metasurface (LCM) technology for autonomous vehicles and other applications. The company’s optical semiconductor solutions, including the Light Control Metasurface beam steering chips, enhance sensing and perception capabilities across various industries such as consumer electronics, robotics, and industrial automation. These chips facilitate precise control of light, allowing for improved performance in sensing and imaging tasks while being compact and easy to integrate. Lumotive’s innovative technology aims to simplify lidar systems, making them more cost-effective and reliable, thereby supporting mass adoption in the automotive and other sectors. The company was previously known as Holosense Technologies, LLC before rebranding in September 2018.

SLAMcore

Series A in 2022
SLAMcore Limited specializes in developing simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) solutions tailored for various applications, including robotics, augmented reality, and autonomous vehicles. Founded in 2016 and based in London, the company has created advanced SLAM software that enables robots and devices equipped with outward-facing sensors to understand and navigate unfamiliar environments. Their technology includes Visual SLAM, sensor fusion, and Event Camera SLAM, which collectively enhance real-time spatial understanding. By fusing data from multiple sensors, SLAMcore's platform utilizes computer vision and machine learning to improve the efficiency and accuracy of robotic systems. The company offers a software development kit (SDK) that facilitates rapid prototyping for commercial products, allowing for customization on standard computing platforms. Through partnerships with original equipment manufacturers, SLAMcore aims to integrate its core technology into everyday products, making spatial intelligence more accessible and practical in various industries.

TriEye

Series B in 2021
TriEye Ltd. is a Tel Aviv-based company specializing in Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) sensing technology for autonomous vehicles. Founded in 2017, TriEye has developed the first CMOS-based SWIR imaging systems, enabling high-definition imaging and precise 3D sensing in various weather and lighting conditions, including darkness, rain, fog, and dust. Their innovative technology addresses the challenges of low visibility, providing reliable image data that enhances safety and reduces the risk of accidents. TriEye's solutions are designed to be cost-effective, significantly lowering costs compared to existing industry alternatives, while improving the visual capabilities necessary for the safe operation of autonomous vehicles.

EVAR

Series A in 2021
EVAR is focused on advancing electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions through the development of autonomous robotic chargers. The company addresses social and environmental concerns related to EV charging by offering a comprehensive system that includes both chargers and autonomous recharging robots. These robots are designed to navigate independently, detect hazards, and recognize vehicles in need of charging through license plate or QR code identification. This innovative approach provides electric car owners with a convenient and flexible charging infrastructure, allowing them to recharge their vehicles at any time and place.

NNAISENSE

Series B in 2019
NNAISENSE S.A., founded in 2014 and headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, with an additional office in Austin, Texas, specializes in developing advanced neural network solutions aimed at enhancing perception and enabling intelligent automation. The company emerged from the Swiss AI institute IDSIA, which has been a leader in artificial intelligence research since the early 1990s, focusing on areas such as deep learning and reinforcement learning. NNAISENSE has established partnerships with key players across various sectors, including steel and glass production, robotics, additive manufacturing, autonomous vehicles, and renewable energy. By leveraging cutting-edge research and practical expertise, NNAISENSE delivers tailored solutions that provide significant value in industrial process inspection, modeling, and control.

Sense Photonics

Series A in 2019
Sense Photonics, Inc. specializes in developing advanced light detection and ranging (LiDAR) solutions for various applications, including autonomous vehicles, drones, and industrial automation. Founded in 2016 and based in Durham, North Carolina, the company offers solid-state LiDAR sensors that utilize proprietary laser arrays and modular architectures to create high-performance, reliable 3D maps of surroundings in diverse conditions. Their technology is distinguished by its lack of moving parts, which enhances durability and lowers maintenance needs. With over 200 patents, Sense Photonics aims to meet the demanding performance and cost requirements of the automotive and industrial sectors, facilitating advancements in both assisted and autonomous driving technologies.

EVAR

Venture Round in 2019
EVAR is focused on advancing electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions through the development of autonomous robotic chargers. The company addresses social and environmental concerns related to EV charging by offering a comprehensive system that includes both chargers and autonomous recharging robots. These robots are designed to navigate independently, detect hazards, and recognize vehicles in need of charging through license plate or QR code identification. This innovative approach provides electric car owners with a convenient and flexible charging infrastructure, allowing them to recharge their vehicles at any time and place.

PerceptIn

Series A in 2017
PerceptIn, Inc. is a visual intelligence company based in Sunnyvale, California, founded in 2016. The company specializes in providing perception, insight, and intelligence solutions through a combination of hardware and software. Its offerings include the PerceptIn Robotics Vision System, which features a visual inertial module designed for real-time tracking and mapping with centimeter-level accuracy. PerceptIn's technology is applicable across various sectors, catering to customers such as robot manufacturers, VR/AR device creators, content developers, and gaming companies. The company is notable for its focus on integrating advanced visual intelligence capabilities into a wide range of devices, from IoT-grade robots to autonomous vehicles. With approximately 30 employees and offices in both California and Shenzhen, China, PerceptIn has secured significant funding to support its growth and innovation in the rapidly evolving field of robotics and visual intelligence.

Imagry

Venture Round in 2017
Imagry LLC specializes in developing a mapless autonomous driving platform that leverages real-time software to navigate and understand road environments without relying on GPS or cloud connections. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with an additional office in Israel, Imagry utilizes its proprietary Aleph Star algorithm to enhance perception accuracy through physics-based planning. The company's innovative technology mimics human driving capabilities, enabling vehicles to adapt to dynamic environments. Since 2019, Imagry has successfully operated passenger vehicles autonomously on public roads in various countries, including the U.S., Germany, Israel, and Japan, and it can accommodate both left- and right-hand driving systems. The company also partners with bus manufacturers to offer fully integrated autonomous buses for urban routes, having launched several projects in Israel and expanding to Europe and Japan. Imagry has received recognition for its advancements in autonomous vehicle technology, including being named an "Autonomous Transport System Vendor" by Transdev and receiving awards from Frost & Sullivan for its leadership and customer value in AV solutions.

CARVI

Series A in 2016
CarVi, Inc. is a company based in San Jose, California, that specializes in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and a contextual data platform designed to analyze driving behavior and habits. Founded in 2014, CarVi offers a unique combination of vision-based ADAS technology and a data platform that focuses on driver behaviors and 3D road data. The company's solutions aim to enhance safe driving by reducing accident risks while also monitoring various driving-related factors, including smoke detection, drunk driving detection, parking violations, and keyless entry systems. CarVi has established itself as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the automotive sector and is now concentrating on telematics, a rapidly growing market projected to reach $100 billion by 2025. The data collected by CarVi, encompassing camera-based driving insights and environmental conditions, is integral to developing advanced features for self-driving vehicles.
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