CJ Investment

What CJ Investment does

CJ Investment Inc. (씨제이인베스트먼트 주식회사) is a privately held South Korean venture capital firm founded in 2000 and headquartered in the Gangnam district of Seoul. Originally established as CJ Startup Investment under the CJ Group umbrella, the firm was renamed Timewise Investment in 2014 and rebranded to CJ Investment Inc. in 2017. The firm invests across three core verticals — Contents, Bio, and ICT — and currently manages a portfolio of more than 50 Korean companies spanning mobility (42dot), cloud services (Megazone Cloud), biotech (Hugel, KoBioLabs, Y Biologics, Syntekabio), distribution (Bunjang), and food (Fresheasy, Cookat). Its content track record is notable: CJ Investment backed 18 of the top 30 Korean box office films between 2017 and 2019, including Parasite, Train to Busan, Roaring Currents, Extreme Job, and the Along With the Gods franchise.

CJ Investment does not develop proprietary technology products; its core capability is investment underwriting and portfolio support across its three verticals. The firm is launching a 40 billion KRW (~US$30M) New Frontier Fund and recently co-led Series A rounds in virtual entertainment startup SCON/Scone (7.5B KRW) and tree distribution platform ROOTRIX (4.5B KRW) alongside Hyundai Technology Investment, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, Smilegate Investment, and others. The investment team of approximately 12 professionals includes alumni of Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, CJ ENM, CJ CGV, CJ CheilJedang, Naver, KT, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, and Macrogen, providing deep sector expertise and Korean corporate network access.

The business model is dual: (1) fund management, collecting management fees and carried interest from venture capital fund limited partners, and (2) balance-sheet venture investment, generating returns through equity appreciation in portfolio companies that are realized via IPO, M&A, or secondary sales. Per the audited 25th fiscal period financials (FY2024), the firm holds 24.80 billion KRW in total assets, 22.48 billion KRW in shareholders' equity, 13.64 billion KRW in venture investment assets, and 13.30 billion KRW in retained earnings, with consistent profitability across recent periods. The firm adopted the Korean Stewardship Code effective October 1, 2022, formalizing fiduciary, conflict-of-interest, and proxy voting policies for institutional governance.

Name

CJ Investment

Legal name

씨제이인베스트먼트 주식회사

Website

https://cjinvestment.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CJ Investment Inc. is a Seoul-based venture capital firm founded in 2000 that invests growth capital in early to growth-stage Korean startups across Contents, Bio, and ICT sectors, managing a 50+ company portfolio and a new 40 billion KRW New Frontier Fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate LP Programs (Corporate as LP in VC/PE funds) (FSANAHAH), Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity (FSANACAD), Media, Entertainment & Gaming Growth Equity (FSANACAI)

Keywords

• Venture capital services
• Growth stage investing
• Biotech venture capital
• ICT sector investment
• Content investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns and Portfolio Value Appreciation: CJ Investment generates returns through equity investments in portfolio companies. Returns are realized through exits via IPO, M&A, or secondary sales. The firm's venture investment assets are carried on the balance sheet at cost or fair value, with unrealized gains contributing to equity value.
2. Fund Management: The firm manages venture capital funds and collects management fees from fund operations. Investment activities span startup equity, project investments, and private equity fund interests.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CJ Investment is a South Korean venture capital firm that deploys growth-stage equity capital into early to growth-stage Korean startups across three core verticals: Contents (film, drama, animation, performance), Bio (biotech, pharmaceuticals, genomics), and ICT (mobility, cloud, VR/AR, fintech), plus distribution and food ventures. The firm provides hands-on post-investment support including monitoring, strategic guidance, and value-add activities, managing venture capital funds including the newly announced 40 billion KRW New Frontier Fund.

Product overview

CJ Investment is a South Korean venture capital firm that operates as a unified investment platform across three core sectors: Contents, Bio, and ICT. The company does not offer software products but provides investment fund management and venture capital services. Their investment portfolio spans content production (films, dramas, performances, animation), biotechnology and healthcare, information and communications technology, and distribution/food sectors. CJ Investment actively supports entrepreneurs' innovative ideas to help them grow into competitive businesses, with a recent 40 billion won New Frontier Fund targeting early-stage companies across these sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Frontier Fund A venture capital fund with an investment target of 40 billion KRW, launched by CJ Investment to provide equity capital to Korean entrepreneurs with new and differentiated ideas across the firm's core Contents, Bio, and ICT investment verticals.
• Contents Investment Equity investment services in film, drama, performance, and animation content production, available to Korean content companies and creators. The vertical has backed 18 of the top 30 Korean box office films from 2017-2019, including Roaring Currents, Extreme Job, Along With the Gods, Parasite, and Train to Busan.
• Bio Investment Equity investment services in biotechnology and healthcare sectors, offered to Korean biotech, pharmaceutical, and genomics companies. Portfolio includes Hugel (botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid filler), KoBioLabs (microbiome-based drugs), Y Biologics, and Gencurix (breast cancer prognosis diagnostics).
• ICT Investment Equity investment services in information and communications technology, covering mobility, cloud, VR/AR, robotics, and fintech, offered to Korean ICT startups. Portfolio includes 42dot (mobility platform), Megazone Cloud (cloud MSP), AmazeVR (VR content), and Luxrobo (educational coding robots).
• Distribution and Food Investment Equity investment services in distribution and food sectors, offered to Korean startups in e-commerce marketplaces, meal kits, and food-related businesses. Portfolio includes Bunjang (mobile C2C marketplace), Fresheasy (meal kit company), and Cookat (food trend mediacommerce).

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 of top 30 Korean box office films (2017-2019) received CJ Investment backing, including Roaring Currents (17.6M viewers), Extreme Job (16.3M viewers), and Parasite (10.3M viewers)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Han-Young Accounting FirmsupportingOthers · 31 March 2025External auditor for CJ Investment's financial statements. Provided unqualified opinion on 2024 fiscal year financial statements.
• Korean Stewardship Code CommitteesupportingOthers · 1 October 2022CJ Investment adopted the Korean Stewardship Code issued by the Korean ESG Standards Institute's committee, committing to responsible investment practices and shareholder activism principles.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IMM Investment: One of Korea's largest private equity/venture capital firms with diversified sector exposure including tech, bio, and consumer; comparable in scale and stage focus to CJ Investment with strong Korean LP base.
• KB Investment: Major Korean venture capital and growth equity firm with broad sector coverage including ICT and bio; competes head-to-head for Korean growth-stage deals and has comparable co-investment relationships with industrial banks.
• Smilegate Investment: Korean venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups including content, gaming, and ICT; co-invested alongside CJ Investment in ROOTRIX Series A and has similar sector mandate.
• Kakao Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Kakao focused on early-stage Korean tech startups; directly competes in ICT deal sourcing and provides strategic value-add through Kakao platform integrations.
• Laguna Investment: Korean venture capital firm co-investing alongside CJ Investment in deals such as SCON Series A; comparable in size and Korean-focused early-stage mandate.
• Korea Investment Partners: Korea's largest venture capital and growth equity firm investing across ICT, bio, and consumer sectors; the closest direct competitor to CJ Investment in Korean early-to-growth stage investing with comparable AUM scale and sector breadth.
• Hyundai Technology Investment: Direct Korean venture capital peer and active co-investor with CJ Investment (e.g., SCON Series A 2026); invests in early-to-growth stage Korean tech and industrial startups with similar sector coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Naver D2SF: Corporate venture arm of Naver (Korea's largest internet platform); invests across Korean ICT and content startups with deeper pockets and stronger distribution advantages, making it a formidable competitor to CJ Investment in ICT deals.
• SoftBank Ventures Asia: Larger global-affiliated Korean VC with significant AUM and broad sector mandate; competes with CJ Investment for top-tier Korean growth-stage deals with greater capital flexibility.

Emerging players

• Crit Ventures: Early-stage Korean venture capital firm co-investing with CJ Investment in SCON Series A; smaller and more focused on emerging consumer/tech startups, making it a partial competitor for early-stage deal flow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments64 records

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

Frequently asked questions about CJ Investment