Since 2012, 500 Global has been investing in Korea, with more than 90 portfolio companies operating across AI, semiconductors, robotics, healthcare & life sciences, clean energy & eco-friendly technologies, advanced manufacturing & sensors, fintech, and consumer content.
We made our first investment in Korea in 2012 and began deploying our first dedicated fund in 2015. Since then, we have built three early stage funds dedicated to the market and invested in 90+ companies.
500 Global is more than a venture investor in Korea. We serve as a trusted partner to founders, investors, and institutions shaping the country’s innovation economy and supporting Korean founders and innovations to expand globally.
Through our office in Seoul and global headquarters in Silicon Valley, we bring on-the-ground expertise and global experience and connectivity to help Korean startups scale.
Our accelerator and market access programs provide an additional structured and results oriented pathway for Korean founders and startups to go global.
500 Global’s first Korean investment - Tapas Media.
Launched our first dedicated Korea fund.
Launched our first Series A program for our portfolio companies in Seoul.
The program Fee for Phase 1 is $35,000 per startup, excluding travel expenses. This fee covers the comprehensive support, mentorship, and resources provided throughout Phase 1.
By completing Phase 1, startups is expected to gain valuable insights, refine their strategies, and make informed decisions for successful market expansion.
Launched our second dedicated Korea fund.
Launched our first Seed Program for our portfolio companies in Seoul.
Launched LG U+Intrapreneurship Program in collaboration with LG U+.
Launched KISED Accelerator Program in collaboration with KISED.
The program Fee for Phase 1 is $35,000 per startup, excluding travel expenses. This fee covers the comprehensive support, mentorship, and resources provided throughout Phase 1.
By completing Phase 1, startups is expected to gain valuable insights, refine their strategies, and make informed decisions for successful market expansion.
50 Korean companies in the portfolio.
Launched KIC Express Soaring Program in collaboration with KIC Sillicon Valley.
Partnered with LG Uplus on dedicated intrapreneurship and ‘train the trainers’ program.
Launched Global Expansion Pilot in collaboration with KOTRA.
The program Fee for Phase 1 is $35,000 per startup, excluding travel expenses. This fee covers the comprehensive support, mentorship, and resources provided throughout Phase 1.
By completing Phase 1, startups is expected to gain valuable insights, refine their strategies, and make informed decisions for successful market expansion.
Attained Accelerator License (AC License) in Korea.
Launched Shinhan Square Accelerator in collaboration with Shinhan.
Launched AI Yangjae Hub for Global Expansion.
The program Fee for Phase 1 is $35,000 per startup, excluding travel expenses. This fee covers the comprehensive support, mentorship, and resources provided throughout Phase 1.
By completing Phase 1, startups is expected to gain valuable insights, refine their strategies, and make informed decisions for successful market expansion.
Launched our third dedicated Korea fund as a Korean domiciled structure in collaboration with the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK). Portfolio companies participate in the IBK Changgong Silicon Valley program delivered by 500 Global.
Launched Asan Voyager Program in collaboration with Asan Namun Foundation.
The program Fee for Phase 1 is $35,000 per startup, excluding travel expenses. This fee covers the comprehensive support, mentorship, and resources provided throughout Phase 1.
By completing Phase 1, startups is expected to gain valuable insights, refine their strategies, and make informed decisions for successful market expansion.
Attained TIPS Operator Status in Korea.
Delivered an overseas expansion program for deep tech startups to Silicon Valley and Riyadh, in partnership with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups of Korea.
The program Fee for Phase 1 is $35,000 per startup, excluding travel expenses. This fee covers the comprehensive support, mentorship, and resources provided throughout Phase 1.
By completing Phase 1, startups is expected to gain valuable insights, refine their strategies, and make informed decisions for successful market expansion.
90+ Korean companies in the portfolio.
Delivered 40 batches of programs in Korea, with more than 340 participating companies in aggregate.
Led Founders Program to Tokyo and Kobe in collaboration with Seoul Business Agency.
Collaborated with KIC Silicon Valley on the KIC Silicon Valley PMF and GMF Program.
The program Fee for Phase 1 is $35,000 per startup, excluding travel expenses. This fee covers the comprehensive support, mentorship, and resources provided throughout Phase 1.
By completing Phase 1, startups is expected to gain valuable insights, refine their strategies, and make informed decisions for successful market expansion.
500 Global aims to serve as a bridge connecting Korea’s startup and venture ecosystem to the global stage, accelerating its integration into the world’s leading innovation networks.
Korean portfolio companies.
Entrepreneurs accelerated, across all Korea-focused programs
Total capital invested in Korean companies,
Global expansions supported through programs, from Korea into new markets.
The IBK Changgong Silicon Valley Accelerating Program is a 12-week structured pathway designed to accelerate the global expansion of high-potential Korean technology startups operating across sectors of national strategic importance — including AI, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, robotics, healthcare, and eco-friendly technologies. Co-delivered with IBK Changgong, the program combines four weeks of in-market preparation in Seoul with eight weeks of immersive acceleration in Silicon Valley, equipping founders with the go-to-market strategy, mentorship, networks, and market exposure needed to scale.
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Designed for emerging venture capitalists and investors, Venture Capital Unlocked by 500 Global, delivered in partnership with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, provides practical training and network access that strengthen local investment capabilities and advance Tokyo’s position as a leading venture capital hub.
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500 Global Appoints Sung Woo Ahn as Partner in Korea to Lead Seoul Office and Scale Up Korean Technologies Expanding Globally
In a no-holds-barred convo with 500 Global’s Khailee Ng, we unpack the emotional, economic, and ecosystem-wide challenges currently plaguing Southeast Asia’s startup scene.
Khailee throws down an open challenge to us all: want out? Stack your leverage, play smarter kung fu, and stop being a crab in the tub.
Sit down with Vishal Harnal, Managing Partner of 500 Global, to find out what it's like being a venture capitalist, why he still invests in companies with only 1% chance of making it big, and the importance of enjoying what you do.
Watch Tulika Raj, co-founder of Singapore startup SunGreenH2, deliver a smooth pitch to 500 Global’s Vishal Harnal about her mission to decarbonise polluting industries using green hydrogen.
We celebrate our three-year collaboration with Egypt’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA). Together, we have worked toward a shared goal: strengthening Egypt’s innovation ecosystem in ways that advance national priorities around digital transformation, while creating commercially investable opportunities with global potential.
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