Investors in South Korea

IMM Investment Corp. is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in mezzanine investments. It focuses on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital investing, corporate restructuring, private equity investing, industry consolidation, management buyouts, spin-offs, recapitalizations, and cross-border investments. Within mergers and acquisitions, the firm invests in strategic mergers, growth through acquisitions, going public via a reverse merger, and strategic divestures. For recapitalizations, it targets family owned enterprise considering whole or partial exit and balance sheet restructuring. The firm also co-invests in buyout transactions. For its growth stage investments, it allocates 20 percent to startups, 40 percent to expansion, and 40 percent to mezzanine. The firm targets companies operating in information technology infrastructure, wireless communications entertainment and contents, franchising, cement, software, electricity, food and beverage, machinery, game software, chemical, paper manufacture, and automobile parts industries. For industries concentration, it sets 40 percent to information technology infrastructure focusing on security, application service provider, and e-commerce solutions; 30 percent to contents, focusing on education, game, and animation; and 30 percent to digital hardware focusing on network and communications equipment, semiconductor, parts and others. The firm also invests in infrastructure, environment, manufacturing, enzyme, biotechnology, and healthcare sectors. It also makes secondary investments. The firm primarily invests in South Korean medium-sized companies located in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Daegu, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Chungcheongbuk-do. It prefers to take an active role in management. IMM Investment Corp. was founded in July 1999 and is based in Seoul, South Korea.

Stonebridge Ventures is a venture capital firm. The firm operates as a subsidiary of Stonebridge Capital Inc. It considers secondary investments. Stonebridge Ventures was founded in 2017 and is based in Seoul, South Korea.

Primer (프라이머) is a startup accelerator that the partners are all entrepreneurs based in Korea. The company started Jan 2010. The company forms groups called “PrimerClub Members” by selecting potential entrepreneurs, invest seed fund and provides them with mentoring and other support services to help ensure successful outcomes in their new ventures.

Altos Ventures was founded in 1996 to invest in early stage technology companies. After starting with $30 million in committed capital, we currently manage more than $3 billion in regulatory assets under management, supporting the full lifecycle of companies from inception to global growth and profitability. We have been the first and lead institutional investor in 100+ companies around the world. We invest in both consumer and enterprise tech companies, with particular interest in enterprise SaaS, FinTech, e-commerce, and consumer brands and services. We look to invest in high-growth, capital-efficient, founder-led companies. Initial investments can start as small as $500,000 while our follow-on investments can exceed $100 million in a single round, purchasing both primary and secondary shares.

Strong Ventures is a seed fund, based in California, that finances, supports and mentors Korean/Asian/Global entrepreneurs, empowering them to build strong ventures and to break successfully into the global market. With proven experience as operators, executives and entrepreneurs, we provide hands-on assistance and guidance. On top of our financial investment, we aim to provide tangible value to our entrepreneurs, through network reach, strategic thinking and execution collaboration. And, as we engage together in our venture endeavors, we hope to make the entrepreneurial ecosystem, where we build companies and labor in, a better, stronger and more fun place for all.

Kakao Ventures is one of the early-stage VCs in Korea, with a focus on everything mobile and software. Kakao Ventures believes in harnessing the power of startups to change their world. Their mission statement is to be the backers of smart entrepreneurs who set their courses, in the form of startups armed with a competitive edge, to solve real-world problems. Kakao Ventures specializes in helping entrepreneurs from super-early stages. They have a track record of identifying strong contenders and investing in startup teams at their nascency and also provide startups with access to the tightly-knit "Kakao Ventures Family" of portfolio companies that share the sense of camaraderie and DNA of game-changers.

KDB Capital Corp., a credit specialty company, engages in the investment, corporate loan, lease, auto finance, and commercial card businesses in South Korea. The company offers venture, mezzanine, PE, and project investment services; loans comprising working capital, structured and project financing, factoring, and policy loans; and industrial machinery, medical equipment, and ship lease services. It also provides auto loan and lease services; and purchasing and distribution cards. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Seoul, South Korea. KDB Capital Corp. is a subsidiary of Korea Development Bank.

Atinum Investment Co., Ltd. is a principal investment firm specializing in investments in the information technology and communication, materials for Information technology, renewable energy, metal and non-metal, distribution, media and contents, materials and components, and biotechnology and life science industries. It also considers investments in industries related to the fourth industrial revolution. The firm considers providing growth capital from start-ups to emerging growth stages. It also provides financial consultation and services in South Korea. The firm offers investment services to venture enterprises; start-ups; unlisted and unregistered small and medium businesses; and restructuring and project financing services. It primarily invests in South Korea with a focus in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Daejeon, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam province. Atinum Investment Co., Ltd., formerly known as Hanmi Venture Capital Co. Ltd, was established in 1988 and is based in Seoul, South Korea.

Baring Private Equity Asia is one of the largest and most established private alternative investment firms in Asia, with total committed capital of over USD16 billion. The firm runs a pan-Asian investment program, sponsoring buyouts and providing growth capital to companies for expansion or acquisitions, as well as a private credit and a pan-Asian real estate private equity investment program. The firm has been investing in Asia since its formation in 1997 and has over 160 employees located across offices in Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore. BPEA currently has over 30 portfolio companies active across Asia with a total of 158,000 employees and sales of approximately USD30 billion.

Smilegate Investment, Inc. is a venture capital and private equity firm specializing in investments in merger and acquisition deals, buyout, early and mezzanine stages. The firm typically invests in information and communication, electronics, internet, movies, online and mobile game, animation, contents, medical equipment, software, petrochemistry and energy, biotechnology, and healthcare sectors. It also makes secondary investments. The firm primarily invests in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gwang-ju, Daejeon, Gangwon, and Gyeongbuk province. It also considers investments in Indonesia. Smilegate Investment, Inc. was established in 1999 and is based in Seongnam, South Korea.