Built by exited founders,
We put founders first
How we invest- 1-week review
- A single 20-minute interview
- Zero interference, full autonomy
What they say
Newlook (SWRL)
Inji Kim, CEO
I think of TheVentures as a 'startup team' that invests. Because they’ve built companies themselves, they deeply understand startups and founders. Their fast decisions save founders’ time. They already know early-stage hypotheses can be wrong, and decide quickly based on whether the team can navigate that process wisely and whether the market is big enough.
TheVentures runs an excellent follow-on fundraising program. Through it, we met 10+ VCs. When meetings weren’t going well, our investment manager personally called with advice.
There’s also a portfolio group chat where we get tons of information and help on IR, marketing, and going global.
Claythis
Luke Sungho Ahn, CEO
I truly enjoyed the fundraising process with TheVentures. TheVentures is one of the super rare VCs that follow Sand Hill Rd style with a touch of systematic approach. I am not sugarcoating here at all. It is a very different Korean VC you want to work with. Highly recommend working with them!
NUGU.MONEY
Anonymous founder
The fastest decision-making team among all investors I met during our seed round. They skip unnecessary formalities and only hold essential meetings. The whole team really understands early-stage founders. They’re the first VC I recommend to other early-stage startups.
TheVentures comes from an exit
by another founder
Changseong Ho & Jiwon Moon
TheVentures Founders
They built the original K-drama web service for SouthEast Asia, Viki, and sold it to Rakuten for $200M+. To give back to the startup community, they decided to start TheVentures.
Our partners are also ex-founders backed by TheVentures
Chulwu Sean Kim
CEO & Partner
Co-founded Sellit with Chris in 2014 from a small bunker bed room, which became a part of TheVentures' portfolio, and later acquired by Kakao.
He later served as CPO at Bunjang, leading product, fundraising, and acquisitions.
After acquisition of Bunjang by a PE fund for $150M in 2020, he returned to TheVentures to lead investments.
Daehyun Chris Kim
Partner
Co-founded Sellit with Sean. About a year later, Sellit became TheVentures’ first exit.
He later led the merger of Sellit and Bunjang, serving as CCO at Bunjang.
After acquisition of Bunjang by a PE fund in 2020, he joined TheVentures as an investor.
Taesung Kim
Venture Partner
Founded ParkingSquare(PARK HERE) in 2014, TheVentures’ first investment, which was acquired by Kakao in 2016.
With 15+ years across real estate development, urban planning, parking, IT, and mobility, Taesung now supports founders’ growth as an investor and venture partner at TheVentures.
So we are laser focused on founders
Zero waste of time
Founders’ time is the most valuable asset. Our review takes less than a week and make decisions after a single interview. No IR deck presentation, no back and forth. From initial review to funding, the whole process takes less than three weeks.
See our investment process →Largest founder network
With 250+ companies in TheVentures network. a unique community has been built that connects founders with one another. From casual questions to discovering new business opportunities, get help throughout your entrepreneurial journey from people who went through what you're going through.
Maximum exposure
To help your next fundraising, our ‘Bridge’ program helps founders connect with more investors in less time and with less effort.
Optimal support
We support when needed, and stay away when not.
For two of the toughest early-stage challenges—hiring and PR—we provide consistent support through our own programs.
As a TIPS program operator, we achieved a 100% acceptance rate in 2024 through hands-on coaching.
We don't chase noise, we look for signals
When we invested in Riiid—now one of our notable portfolios—it was a very different business from today’s Riiid. Early investing often means finding PMF together. We don’t dwell on how proven the current model is.
Instead, we focus on the market and the team. We actively invest in markets that may be small today but are growing fast. We back teams who grasp the core of their business and can execute better than anyone. And we back teams that approach problems differently where others have failed.
If this sounds like your team,
don’t hesitate to reach out to TheVentures