DSC Investment

What DSC Investment does

DSC Investment Co., Ltd. (디에스씨인베스트먼트㈜) is a Seoul-headquartered, publicly listed Korean venture capital firm founded in 2012 that invests across biotech, medtech, healthcare, AI, robotics, hardware/materials, climate tech, platform, contents, commerce, and blockchain. It organizes deal-making through four specialized investment divisions — Bio Tech, Deep Tech, Commercial Tech, and Hybrid — and operates a "FAST TRACK SYSTEM" investment framework intended to shorten decision cycles for founders needing rapid capital. As of late 2025 the firm manages 17 funds with assets under management exceeding KRW 1.6 trillion (~USD 1.1B) and 357 portfolio companies, anchored by DSC Home Run Fund No.2 (~KRW 347B) and the DSC Secondary Package Buyout Fund No.1 (~KRW 300B).

The firm generates revenue through three streams: (1) management fees on its 17 venture capital funds; (2) carried interest and capital gains from exits and fair-value gains on portfolio investments; and (3) subscription revenue from Ddokddok, a wholly-owned SaaS subsidiary that operates an integrated investment data ecosystem comprising LPWorks (for LPs), VCWorks (for GPs), STWorks (for startups), and the AI-powered DdokPick data-integration module. DSC also operates SCHMIDT, a wholly-owned investment-type accelerator established in April 2017 that sources pre-seed/early-stage startups under three years old and can co-invest with the main funds. FY2025 revenue was KRW 45.1 billion (operating profit KRW 22.3 billion), described as a record-high, and DSC adopted the Korea Stewardship Code on June 10, 2019, formalizing fiduciary, conflict-of-interest, and LP reporting practices. The firm has maintained three consecutive years of dividends and treasury share cancellations and was selected in November 2025 as the largest-ever blind-fund VC GP by the Korean Military Mutual Aid Association (KRW 340B vehicle).

Name

DSC Investment

Legal name

DSC Investment Co., Ltd. (디에스씨인베스트먼트㈜)

Website

https://dscinvestment.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DSC Investment is a publicly listed Seoul-based venture capital firm managing 17 funds with over KRW 1.6 trillion in AUM and 357 portfolio companies across biotech, AI, robotics, and deep tech, complemented by a SaaS subsidiary (Ddokddok) and the SCHMIDT accelerator.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital and Private Equity

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Other Financial Vehicles (52599)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) (FSANAAAF)

Keywords

• Venture capital
• Growth equity
• Startup investment
• Fund management
• Early-stage funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees: DSC earns recurring management fees on 17 active venture capital funds with combined AUM of approximately KRW 1.58 trillion (USD ~1.2B), including flagship DSC Homerun Fund No.2 (KRW 347B) and DSC Secondary Package Acquisition Fund No.1 (KRW 300B).
2. Carried Interest & Capital Gains from Portfolio Exits: DSC generates carried interest and capital gains from exits and fair-value gains on its 357 portfolio company investments across biotech, medtech, AI, robotics, hardware, climate tech, platform, contents, commerce, and blockchain. FY2025 reported revenue of KRW 45.1 billion and operating profit of KRW 22.3 billion.
3. SaaS Subscriptions via Ddokddok Subsidiary: DSC's subsidiary Ddokddok operates SaaS platforms (LPworks for LPs, VCworks for GPs, STworks for startups) with subscription-based revenue targeting institutional investors and venture capital fund managers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DSC Investment is a publicly listed South Korean venture capital firm managing 17 funds with approximately KRW 1.5855 trillion in AUM across 357 portfolio companies. It invests across four specialized divisions (Bio Tech, Deep Tech, Commercial Tech, Hybrid) in early-stage and growth companies spanning biotech, AI, robotics, commerce, and blockchain. Through its subsidiary Ddokddok, DSC also operates an integrated SaaS ecosystem (LPWorks, VCWorks, STWorks, DdokPick) serving institutional LPs, GPs, and startups.

Product overview

DSC Investment operates a venture capital investment platform with 17 funds, ₩1,585.5 billion AUM, and 357 partnered companies, spanning four investment divisions (Bio Tech, Deep Tech, Commercial Tech, and Hybrid). Its core offering centers on venture capital fund management services across multiple sectors including Biotech, Medtech, Healthcare, AI, Robotics, Hardware & Materials, Climate Tech, Platform, Contents, Commerce, Blockchain, and Others. The company also operates SCHMIDT, an investment-type accelerator for early-stage startups founded in April 2017. Through its subsidiary Ddokddok, DSC Investment has built an integrated SaaS investment data ecosystem comprising three interconnected products: LPWorks (a SaaS platform for limited partners / institutional investors to manage VC fund investments, capital commitments, distributions, and portfolio analytics), VCWorks (an existing ERP tool for general partners / VC fund managers), and STWorks (an existing ERP tool for startups), with the AI-powered feature DdokPick enabling data integration into LPWorks even when GPs do not use VCWorks, thereby completing the LP-GP-startup data flow.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DSC Investment Funds (17 active venture capital funds) Venture capital fund management services investing in early-stage and growth companies across biotech, medtech, AI, robotics, hardware, climate tech, platform, contents, commerce, and blockchain sectors. Open to companies with strong teams and capabilities regardless of industry, with ticket sizes ranging KRW 1-20 billion. Available to portfolio companies via the firm's FAST TRACK rapid decision-making system.
• SCHMIDT (Investment-Type Accelerator) Investment-type accelerator program for pre-seed and early-stage startups under 3 years old, with the ability to co-invest with DSC's main funds as portfolio companies scale. Operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of DSC Investment, led by CEO Hyunjun Kim.
• LPWorks (SaaS LP Management Platform) Cloud-based SaaS platform for institutional limited partners (LPs) to manage their venture capital fund investments, enabling handling of capital commitments, distributions, portfolio management, and statistical analysis in one data-driven platform. Features a five-layer security system to address data confidentiality concerns. Developed by Ddokddok, a subsidiary of DSC Investment.
• VCWorks (SaaS GP Management Platform) Existing SaaS-based ERP tool for general partners (GPs) and venture capital fund managers, part of the integrated investment data ecosystem that connects with LPWorks and STWorks to enable end-to-end data flow across the LP-GP-startup investment value chain.
• STWorks (SaaS Startup Platform) Existing SaaS-based ERP tool for startups, part of the integrated investment data ecosystem that connects with LPWorks and VCWorks to enable end-to-end data flow across the LP-GP-startup investment value chain.
• DdokPick (AI-powered data integration feature) AI-powered feature within the Ddokddok ecosystem that enables data integration into LPWorks even when general partners (GPs) do not use VCWorks, addressing the gap of non-connected GP data sources and completing the integrated investment data ecosystem across LPs, GPs, and startups.
• Portfolio Value-Up Program (HR/PR/Legal Advisory) Free HR, PR, and Legal advisory services provided to DSC's portfolio companies via specialist partner firms, helping early-stage startups overcome operational challenges beyond capital needs. A core differentiator of DSC's investment approach.

Named customers10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• NH Nonghyup Bank (NH농협은행)coreOthersRecurring joint CSR partnership with NH Nonghyup Bank — conducting plogging volunteer activities in Gwanghwamun/City Hall district (Feb 2026) and soup-kitchen volunteering at Seoul Station 'AChimAe(愛)ManNa' (Jul 2025). NH Bank is also a financial partner via its Investment & Global Business division. Reinforces DSC's 'Charity' philosophy and generates ongoing earned-media coverage.
• Eli Lilly (Catalyze360-ExploR&D)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with DSC portfolio company Illimis Therapeutics via Eli Lilly's Catalyze360-ExploR&D program — supports GAIA-platform CNS drug discovery. Illimis was also selected for a Korean government-led dementia research program.
• AstraZenecamoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensing agreement with DSC portfolio company Pinetree Therapeutics announced alongside Pinetree's $47M Series B close — supports AstraZeneca access to Pinetree's oncology pipeline.
• Ddokddok (DSC subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholly-owned subsidiary building an integrated venture data ecosystem — LPworks for LPs (capital commitments, distributions, portfolio analytics), VCworks for GPs, STworks for startups, plus DdokPick AI feature for data integration when GPs don't use VCworks. Operates five-layer security system to address GP-parent confidentiality concerns.
• SCHMIDT AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholly-owned investment-type accelerator founded April 2017, focused on pre-seed/early-stage startups under 3 years old. Co-invests with DSC main funds as portfolio companies scale. Leadership includes former Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Motor talent plus Seoul National University alumni.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LB Investment: Korean venture capital and growth equity firm focused on biotech and tech sectors; co-invests with DSC across multiple rounds. Multiple DSC senior leaders (including CEO Yoon) are LB Investment alumni, making it a closely comparable peer.
• Kakao Ventures: Corporate venture capital arm of Kakao operating in Korea with a focus on early-stage tech and platform investments. Comparable in operating as a Korean VC with structured investment programs; competes for early-stage deal flow.
• KB Investment: Major Korean venture capital and private equity firm under KB Financial Group, frequently co-investing with DSC in biotech rounds such as Orum Therapeutics. Comparable in scale, sector breadth, and institutional LP base.
• BonAngels Venture Partners: Korean early-stage venture capital firm with deep tech and biotech coverage, competing with DSC's Hybrid and Deep Tech divisions for similar founder pools in Korea.
• Korea Investment Partners: One of Korea's largest and most established venture capital and growth equity firms, with similar multi-stage, multi-sector coverage across biotech, deep tech, and digital platforms. Direct competitor for Korean VC mandates and LP capital.
• IMM Investment: Leading Korean venture capital firm with broad sector coverage and significant biotech exposure; DSC's Bio Tech head Kim Yo-han is an IMM Investment alumnus. Directly competes for biotech and growth deals.
• Woori Venture Partners: Venture capital firm affiliated with Woori Financial Group; co-invests alongside DSC in rounds such as Illimis Therapeutics. Similar stage and sector profile with comparable Korean institutional LP backing.
• Shinhan Venture Investment: Venture capital arm of Shinhan Financial Group, one of Korea's largest financial holding companies. Co-invests with DSC across biotech and growth rounds; comparable institutional VC peer.

Regional players

• Strong Ventures: US-Korea cross-border venture capital firm investing in Korean and Korean-origin startups. Comparable in Korean tech investment thesis but primarily operates across the Pacific, making it more of a regional cross-border peer than a direct domestic competitor.

Emerging players

• Primer (formerly Primer.Seq): Korean early-stage venture capital firm with portfolio company data platform capabilities analogous to DSC's Ddokddok subsidiary. Comparable emerging player with overlapping LP/GP data ecosystem ambitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments263 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DSC Investment