What K2 Investment Partners does

K2 Investment Partners is a Seoul-based alternative investment manager founded in July 2011 by Co-Representatives Bong Su Kim and Sang Woo Kim. The firm operates a hybrid strategy spanning secondary fund investments and primary venture capital, deploying capital across IT/software, biotech, medical devices, chemicals, and materials. As of January 2026, K2 manages 14 funds with cumulative AUM of approximately KRW 1,022.7 billion (~$770M USD), with the latest vehicle — K2 Expedio Fund IV at KRW 228.5 billion — being the largest.

The firm pursues two complementary revenue streams. Management fees are levied on committed or deployed capital across its fund vehicles, while performance is augmented by carried interest on exits. Strategic activity is evidenced throughout 2024–2026, including co-investments with STIC Ventures in Imagoworks (Series C, ~$15.6M), HB Investment in Neosapience/Typecast (pre-IPO, ~$11.5M), and Hana Financial Investment in BAT (Series A, KRW 7.5B), alongside dedicated vehicles such as the K2 Global Exosome Fund (November 2023) and the joint KDBC-K2 Biostar Fund.

K2 holds multiple private equity fund manager registrations with the Financial Services Commission (alternative investment, venture investment, overseas investment, and private collective investment vehicle qualifying as venture) and adopted the Korean Stewardship Code in February 2019. The firm is headquartered in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and operates with a team of approximately 16 professionals whose collective experience exceeds 80 years across tier-one institutions including SBI Investment, Samsung Ventures, KDB Capital, KIAMCO, and JAFCO Asia.

Name

K2 Investment Partners

Legal name

K2 Investment Partners LLC

Website

https://k2investment.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

K2 Investment Partners is a Seoul-based alternative investment manager founded in 2011 that operates 14 funds spanning secondary investments and primary venture capital across IT, biotech, medical devices, and materials, serving Korean institutional LPs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital Management

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity (FSANACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Secondary Venture Funds (VC Secondaries) (FSANAAAK), Venture Capital Secondaries (LP Interests & Direct Secondaries) (FSANAFAJ), LP Secondaries — Venture Capital Funds (FSAHALAB)

Keywords

• Venture capital management
• Secondary market investments
• Growth-stage equity
• Biotech venture investing
• Korean private equity

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Management Fees and Carried Interest: As a venture capital firm, K2 Investment generates revenue through management fees charged on funds under management and carried interest from successful portfolio exits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

K2 Investment Partners LLC is a Seoul-based venture capital firm that manages 14 investment funds with combined assets under management of KRW 1,022.7 billion, delivering primary growth-stage equity investments and secondary-market transactions (LP interest secondaries and liquidity solutions) to Korean institutional investors and portfolio companies. Funds span multiple sectors including IT/software, biotechnology, medical devices, chemicals, materials, and life sciences, with active portfolio management, board representation, and value-up support provided by an 80+ year collective-experience investment team.

Product overview

K2 Investment Partners is a Korean venture capital firm offering a diversified portfolio of 14+ investment funds spanning secondary and primary investment strategies. The firm's core products include secondary funds (Shinhan-K2 Secondary Fund, K2 Liquidity Solution Fund, K2 Expedio Fund series, KDBC-K2 Secondary Funds) providing liquidity solutions and LP interest transactions, as well as primary investment funds (Shinhan-K2 Global Material Fund, K2 Material Star Fund, K2 Global Exosome Fund) targeting growth-stage companies. The funds collectively manage over KRW 1 trillion in assets across industries including IT/software, biotechnology, medical devices, chemicals, and industrial materials. The firm differentiates through extensive secondary market expertise, team-based value-up activities, and long-term relationship-building with portfolio companies and investors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K2 Expedio Fund IV Fourteenth fund launched in January 2026 with KRW 228.5 billion in capital; secondary-focused investment vehicle continuing K2's market-leading secondary investment strategy.
• K2 Expedio Fund III Thirteenth fund launched in March 2024 with KRW 159.2 billion in capital; secondary investment fund.
• K2 Expedio Fund II Eighth fund launched in January 2022 with KRW 99.5 billion in capital; secondary investment vehicle.
• K2 Expedio Fund Sixth fund launched in December 2019 with KRW 135.8 billion in capital; secondary investment vehicle.
• K2 KIS-2022 Secondary Fund Tenth fund launched in September 2022 with KRW 12.4 billion in capital; secondary investment fund co-mandated with KIS.
• K2-KIS 2021 Secondary Fund Seventh fund launched in June 2021 with KRW 19.5 billion in capital; secondary investment fund co-mandated with KIS.
• KDBC-K2 2023 Secondary Fund Eleventh fund launched in September 2023 with KRW 55.1 billion in capital; direct secondary investment vehicle co-mandated with KDBC.
• Shinhan-K2 Secondary Fund First fund launched in May 2012 with KRW 46.5 billion in capital; direct secondary investment fund co-mandated with Shinhan (now liquidated).
• K2 Liquidity Solution Fund Third fund launched in October 2014 with KRW 83 billion in capital; LP Interest Secondary fund providing liquidity solutions for venture capital limited partners.
• K2 Global Exosome Fund Twelfth fund launched in November 2023 with KRW 74.2 billion in capital; specialized biotechnology and life science investment fund.
• K2 Material Star Fund Ninth fund launched in September 2022 with KRW 28.3 billion in capital; materials and chemicals sector focused primary investment fund.
• Shinhan-K2 Global Material Fund Fourth fund launched in December 2017 with KRW 4.1 billion in capital; materials sector focused direct primary investment fund co-mandated with Shinhan.
• KDBC-K2 Biostar Fund Second fund launched in July 2013 with KRW 8.6 billion in capital; biotechnology and life science sector focused fund co-mandated with KDBC.
• K2 Reperio Fund Fifth fund launched in February 2018 with KRW 68.4 billion in capital; growth-stage investment fund.
• Secondary Investment Services Core investment strategy providing secondary market transactions including LP interest sales, direct secondaries, and liquidity solutions; provides liquidity to venture capital limited partners and enables portfolio rebalancing. Available to institutional investors and portfolio companies.
• Primary Investment Services Direct primary investment in growth-stage companies across diverse industries including IT, biotechnology, medical devices, chemicals, and industrial materials; available to Korean growth-stage companies seeking capital and strategic guidance.
• Portfolio Management Services Comprehensive portfolio monitoring, value-up activities, and exit strategy management for portfolio companies including board representation and active involvement in major decision-making; available to portfolio companies of K2 Investment funds.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Industry Ventures: Specialist in VC secondaries and primary fund-of-funds. Closest international peer to K2's VC-focused secondary strategy, providing a benchmark for how K2's secondary-focused model can scale globally.
• UTC Investment: Korean growth-equity firm investing across IT, biotech, and consumer. Operates multiple Korean growth funds at similar scale to K2's Expedio/secondary vehicles, with overlapping deal-flow sources.
• Lexington Partners: Global private-market secondary investment specialist with a 30+ year track record. Most directly comparable to K2's secondary strategy (Expedio series, KIS Secondary, Liquidity Solution Fund) at a global scale benchmark.
• STIC Ventures: Korean growth-stage venture capital firm that co-led Imagoworks' $15.6M Series C with K2 Investment Partners in Dec 2024. Both firms focus on Korean growth-stage tech and life-sciences investments with overlapping sector mandates.
• LB Investment: Korean growth-equity and venture firm with diversified exposure across Korean growth themes. Comparable to K2 in mandate, fund-size range, and cross-sector Korean growth-stage focus.
• Midas Investment: Korean growth-equity and buyout investor focused on mid-market Korean companies. Comparable to K2 in size, sector breadth (IT, biotech, consumer), and reliance on domestic institutional LPs.
• HB Investment: Korean PE/VC firm that co-invested with K2 Investment Partners in Neosapience's $11.5M pre-IPO round in Dec 2025. Both firms target Korean growth-stage tech, biotech, and consumer companies with similar ticket sizes.

Broad incumbents

• Korea Investment Partners: One of Korea's largest PE/VC platforms with significantly broader AUM and a longer history than K2. Overlaps with K2 on Korean growth-stage tech, biotech, and materials investing but operates as a much larger, more diversified incumbent.
• Mirae Asset Venture Investment: Venture arm of Korean financial group Mirae Asset, focused on Korean growth-stage tech and biotech. Comparable to K2 on sector mandates but with deeper parent-group distribution and larger fund vintages.
• IMM Investment: Major Korean PE/VC manager with diversified buyout and growth-equity vehicles. Comparable to K2's strategy of running multiple Korean-focused funds, but at materially larger AUM scale and with broader sector coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments77 records

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

Frequently asked questions about K2 Investment Partners