Korean Investment Partners

What Korean Investment Partners does

Korea Investment Partners (KIP) is a Seoul-headquartered venture capital and private equity firm incorporated in 1986, operating as the dedicated investment arm of Korea Investment Holdings, one of Korea's largest financial conglomerates. The firm invests across five sector verticals — Biotech & Healthcare, Interactive Contents & Media, Consumer Internet & Fintech, ICT & Digitalization, and Semiconductor & Industrial — covering portfolio companies from early-stage ventures through growth-stage businesses.

KIP operates a fund-oriented platform managing at least four distinct vehicles: KIP Fund I (closed 1987), KIP China Fund I (closed 2011), KIP PE Fund I (closed 2015), and a Singapore Co-GP Fund (closed 2019). The firm has progressively internationalized its operations, opening China regional headquarters in Shanghai (2008) followed by Beijing (2012), Chengdu (2016), and Guangzhou (2019); a US office in Sunnyvale (2016); and a Southeast Asia office in Singapore (2020). The firm employs 51-100 professionals and generates revenue through fund management fees, carried interest on successful exits, and direct investment returns; specific fee structures and AUM figures are not publicly disclosed.

KIP's distribution advantage stems from its affiliation with Korea Investment Holdings and its group affiliates covering securities, asset management, savings banking, and private equity. The firm was the first Korean venture capital house to receive the Korean Presidential Commendation (2011) and has accumulated multiple industry awards including the Korea IB Best Venture Capital Grand Prize and "Best Venture Capital House" recognition from a top-tier Korean economic magazine. CEO Mahn Soon Hwang, a Seoul National University pharmacy graduate with R&D and biotech investment background, leads the firm alongside CIO Dong Yeob Kim.

Name

Korean Investment Partners

Legal name

Korea Investment Partners Co., Ltd.

Website

https://partners.koreainvestment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Korea Investment Partners is a Seoul-based venture capital and private equity firm and the investment arm of Korea Investment Holdings, investing across biotech, media, fintech, ICT, and semiconductors in Korea, China, the US, and Southeast Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital and Private Equity

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Geography-Focused Venture Capital (Regional/Emerging Markets) (FSANAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multi-Sector / Generalist Growth Equity (FSANACAO)

Keywords

• Venture capital investment
• Private equity funds
• Growth stage equity
• Biotech healthcare investing
• Cross-border venture capital

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Korea Investment Partners is a venture capital and private equity firm that invests pooled fund capital directly into early-stage and growth-stage companies across biotech and healthcare, interactive contents and media, consumer internet and fintech, ICT and digitalization, and semiconductor and industrial sectors. The firm manages multiple dedicated regional funds (KIP Fund I, KIP China Fund I, KIP PE Fund I, Singapore Co-GP Fund) and supports portfolio companies with capital, business operations assistance, and global expansion guidance through its offices in Korea, China, the United States, and Southeast Asia.

Product overview

Korea Investment Partners is a venture capital and private equity firm that provides investment services across multiple sectors including biotech and healthcare, interactive contents and media, consumer internet and fintech, ICT and digitalization, and semiconductor and industrial. The firm offers fund-oriented professional venture capital investment from early-stage to growth-stage companies, managing various dedicated funds across Korea, China, Southeast Asia, and the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KIP Fund I First dedicated venture capital fund managed by KIP, focused on early-stage venture investments in Korean companies.
• KIP China Fund I First China-focused venture capital fund, supporting investment opportunities in China through KIP's regional office network.
• KIP PE Fund I Dedicated private equity fund supporting KIP's private equity investment strategies.
• Singapore Co-GP Fund Co-investment vehicle focused on Southeast Asia venture capital and private equity opportunities.
• Biotech & Healthcare Investment Program Equity investment program in biotech and healthcare companies, covering image analytics, cell therapy, anticancer, and other new drug developers.
• Interactive Contents & Media Investment Program Equity investment program covering interactive contents and media including games, movies, musicals, K-Pop, and concerts.
• Consumer Internet & Fintech Investment Program Equity investment program covering consumer internet and fintech sectors including platforms, marketplaces, and payments.
• ICT & Digitalization Investment Program Equity investment program covering ICT and digitalization sectors including IoT, telecommunications, AI, autonomous, and mobility companies.
• Semiconductor & Industrial Investment Program Equity investment program covering semiconductor and industrial sectors including sensors, semiconductors, OLED, and sophisticated components.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SoftBank Ventures Asia: Asia-focused early-stage VC arm of SoftBank Group. Comparable in geographic scope and technology sector focus, though generally earlier-stage and part of a much larger conglomerate.
• GGV Capital: US-China cross-border VC investing across consumer, enterprise, and frontier tech. Comparable in multi-region platform and diversified sector mandate, particularly relevant to KIP's US and China operations.
• Hillhouse Capital: Asia-focused multi-stage investment manager across PE, VC, and public equities. Comparable in cross-border Asia platform and sector breadth, though operating at significantly larger AUM scale.
• Vertex Ventures (Temasek): Multi-stage VC network backed by Temasek operating across SE Asia, China, US, and Israel. Comparable multi-region Asia-anchored platform with diversified sector exposure.

Direct peers

• KB Investment (formerly Korea Growth Investment): Korea-based VC/PE firm operating multiple sector-focused funds. Comparable as a Korea-rooted multi-stage and multi-sector investment manager with similar institutional roots.
• Mirae Asset Venture Investment: Korean VC arm of the Mirae Asset Financial Group, investing across multiple sectors and stages in Korea and Asia. Highly comparable as a conglomerate-affiliated multi-sector Korean VC.
• NH Investment & Securities (VC arm): Korean securities-affiliated VC platform investing across multiple sectors. Comparable as another conglomerate-affiliated Korean VC with multi-sector and growth-stage focus.
• STIC Investments: Korean VC and growth equity firm with multi-sector investment focus including biotech, ICT, and consumer. Comparable in scale, sector diversification, and Korean/Asian geographic mandate.
• IMM Investment: One of Korea's largest alternative investment firms operating across VC, growth equity, and PE with multi-sector and cross-border mandates. Closely comparable to KIP in size, sector breadth, and Korea-China investment focus.

Regional players

• Legend Capital: China-focused VC and growth equity firm under Legend Holdings. Comparable in cross-border China mandate and diversified sector focus, though primarily China-domiciled.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kipvc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments8 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Korean Investment Partners