16 seed funds back Seoul founders in 2026. Korea's seed market held up in a hard year. The state funds most of these funds as an LP.
Seoul has a real institutional seed market. Funds write the first big cheques.
Most cluster in Gangnam and Pangyo. A short list reaches most of them.
Total funding fell hard in 2024. But seed money actually grew.
The state backs most seed funds as an LP. That shapes the whole market.
Cheques run US$300K to US$5M. Deep-tech rounds can run larger.
AI and deep tech draw the most heat. Founders raise early and lean now.
Speed matters once a fund leans in. A slow reply can cool a hot deal.
Seed rounds run on speed and clean data. Ellty keeps your files in one tracked room.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kakao Ventures | Seed VC | US$0.3M-$3M | Deep tech, AI, healthcare, gaming | kakao.vc |
| BonAngels Venture Partners | Seed / early VC | US$1M-$5M | Tech, healthcare, gaming, consumer | bonangels.net |
| Bluepoint Partners | Seed deep-tech VC | US$0.5M-$2.2M | Deep tech, bio, cleantech, AI | bluepoint.ac |
| Strong Ventures | Cross-border seed VC | US$0.1M-$1M | SaaS, fintech, media, e-commerce | strongvc.com |
| Big Basin Capital | Cross-border seed VC | US$0.3M-$2M | Fintech, enterprise, consumer | bigbasincapital.com |
| SBVA | Early-stage VC | US$0.5M-$5M | AI, robotics, SaaS, healthtech | sbva.com |
| DSC Investment | Early-stage VC | US$0.5M-$5M | ICT, deep tech, healthcare | dscinvestment.com |
| Schmidt Ventures | Micro-VC (seed lead) | US$0.1M-$1M | AI, deep tech, consumer | schmidt.kr |
| Naver D2SF | Corporate seed VC | US$0.3M-$1.7M | AI, robotics, healthcare | d2startup.com |
| FuturePlay | Seed deep-tech VC | US$0.3M-$2M | Deep tech, robotics, healthtech | futureplay.co |
| Springcamp | Seed VC | US$0.2M-$1.5M | Early tech, consumer, gaming | springcamp.co |
| Z Venture Capital | Cross-border CVC (seed) | US$0.3M-$3M | Media, commerce, AI, deep tech | zvc.vc |
| Mirae Asset Venture | Early-stage VC | US$1M-$5M | AI, enterprise, healthcare | miraeassetventures.com |
| KB Investment | Early-stage VC (KB) | US$1M-$5M | SaaS, fintech, deep tech | kbic.co.kr |
| Smilegate Investment | Early-stage VC | US$0.5M-$3M | AI, edtech, healthcare, gaming | smilegate.com |
| Nextrans | Cross-border seed VC | Up to US$3M | Fintech, proptech, SaaS, foodtech | nextrans.co.kr |
Keep your seed data room ready for every fund
Seed funds move fast and check your numbers hard. Ellty logs every view so you know who is serious before the call.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a seed investor backs
A seed investor backs early proof, not just an idea. They want first users and a plan.
They write the first institutional cheque. Store your files in one virtual data room.
They study your team, traction, and market. Ellty features make sharing simple.
They back the founder as much as the metrics. A clear story still beats a long deck.
They look for a market that can get big. A neat product in a small niche rarely wins.
They also weigh how fast you can ship. Early speed signals a team that will not stall.
Ellty gives each fund one tracked link to your data. You see who read your deck first.
Korean seed-stage funding surged about 142 percent in 2024 to US$119 million, even as later-stage capital fell sharply.
16 Seoul seed investors
1. Kakao Ventures
Kakao Ventures is Korea's most active seed VC.
Recent Activity: Formed an 11th fund worth about US$32M
LinkedIn: Kakao Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, AI, healthcare, gaming
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: US$0.3M-$3M
Location: Seongnam / Seoul
Website: kakao.vc
2. BonAngels Venture Partners
BonAngels is a founder-backed seed and early VC.
Recent Activity: Runs a US$100M founder-backed seed fund
LinkedIn: BonAngels LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Tech, healthcare, gaming, consumer
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: US$1M-$5M
Location: Seoul
Website: bonangels.net
3. Bluepoint Partners
Bluepoint is a seed-stage deep-tech fund.
Recent Activity: Raised new capital from ZVC in late 2025
Sector Focus: Deep tech, bio, cleantech, AI
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: US$0.5M-$2.2M
Location: Daejeon / Seoul
Website: bluepoint.ac
4. Strong Ventures
Strong Ventures is a US-Korea pre-seed and seed fund.
Recent Activity: US-Korea seed fund; about 270 companies backed
LinkedIn: Strong Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: SaaS, fintech, media, e-commerce
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: US$0.1M-$1M
Location: Seoul / LA
Website: strongvc.com
5. Big Basin Capital
Big Basin backs Korean startups expanding to the US.
Recent Activity: Backed 54+ Korean startups expanding to the US
LinkedIn: Big Basin Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, enterprise, consumer
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: US$0.3M-$2M
Location: Cupertino (backs Korea)
Website: bigbasincapital.com
6. SBVA
SBVA is a top Korean early-stage VC, once SoftBank's arm.
Recent Activity: Closed a US$150M Korea fund after rebranding in 2024
LinkedIn: SBVA LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, robotics, SaaS, healthtech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: US$0.5M-$5M
Location: Seoul
Website: sbva.com
Share one link with every Seoul seed fund
Ellty shows when Kakao Ventures or SBVA opens your deck. Follow up with each fund at the right time.
Start free 14-day trial7. DSC Investment
DSC is a listed VC active across seed and Series A.
Recent Activity: Launched a ~US$204M fund in 2025, its largest
LinkedIn: DSC Investment LinkedIn
Sector Focus: ICT, deep tech, healthcare
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: US$0.5M-$5M
Location: Seoul
Website: dscinvestment.com
8. Schmidt Ventures
Schmidt is a DSC-backed seed micro-VC.
Recent Activity: DSC-backed seed fund; about 158 investments
Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, consumer
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: US$0.1M-$1M
Location: Seoul
Website: schmidt.kr
9. Naver D2SF
Naver D2SF is Naver's seed-stage venture arm.
Recent Activity: Backed 115+ startups since 2015 from Naver
Sector Focus: AI, robotics, healthcare
Stage Focus: Seed, early
Check Size: US$0.3M-$1.7M
Location: Seongnam / Seoul
Website: d2startup.com
10. FuturePlay
FuturePlay is a seed deep-tech VC and company builder.
Recent Activity: Named a top seed investor and TIPS operator
Sector Focus: Deep tech, robotics, healthtech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: US$0.3M-$2M
Location: Seoul
Website: futureplay.co
11. Springcamp
Springcamp is a Naver-linked seed fund.
Recent Activity: Naver-linked seed fund; 260+ companies backed
Sector Focus: Early tech, consumer, gaming
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: US$0.2M-$1.5M
Location: Seoul
Website: springcamp.co
12. Z Venture Capital
ZVC is a Naver and LINE-backed seed-heavy CVC.
Recent Activity: Put 36 seed deals into its 2025 total
Sector Focus: Media, commerce, AI, deep tech
Stage Focus: Seed, early
Check Size: US$0.3M-$3M
Location: Tokyo / Seoul
Website: zvc.vc
13. Mirae Asset Venture
Mirae Asset Venture leads select Korean seed rounds.
Recent Activity: Led AI startup Dalpha's US$8.7M seed round
Sector Focus: AI, enterprise, healthcare
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: US$1M-$5M
Location: Seoul
Website: miraeassetventures.com
14. KB Investment
KB Investment is an active early-stage bank VC.
Recent Activity: An active seed and early-stage bank VC
Sector Focus: SaaS, fintech, deep tech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: US$1M-$5M
Location: Seoul
Website: kbic.co.kr
15. Smilegate Investment
Smilegate Investment seeds AI and digital health.
Recent Activity: Seed-funded digital-therapeutics firm GemGem
Sector Focus: AI, edtech, healthcare, gaming
Stage Focus: Seed, early
Check Size: US$0.5M-$3M
Location: Seoul
Website: smilegate.com
16. Nextrans
Nextrans is a cross-border seed VC across Asia.
Recent Activity: Cross-border seed fund; backed Filum AI in 2025
Sector Focus: Fintech, proptech, SaaS, foodtech
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: Up to US$3M
Location: Seoul
Website: nextrans.co.kr
Korea's seed surge
Most Korean funding fell hard in 2024. Seed money was the exception.
Seed rounds grew while late stages shrank. Founders raised early and lean.
A lean raise stretches your runway further. It also keeps your cap table clean.
New seed funds keep entering the market. That widens your list of leads.
Many run on TIPS-matched state money. That gives them room to back early bets.
That makes a clean early story matter. New startups lean on seed funds.
Ellty keeps your early data ready to share. See our Seoul angel investors guide too.
Government money as LP
The state funds most Korean seed funds. It acts as a big LP here.
KVIC and public banks back these funds. That shapes how they invest.
Public LPs often favour Korea-rooted teams. Plan your story with that in mind.
A government LP adds stability too. These funds invest through down cycles.
It also means more reporting lines. Funds pass that diligence on to you.
Clean reporting keeps these funds happy. Tidy due diligence files help a lot.
Ellty shows who opened each file and when. You learn which fund is serious early.
From seed to a Series A
A seed round buys time to find fit. Series A wants real growth.
Korean Series A money is more cautious now. Strong metrics win the round.
Start that next raise before you run low. A strong seed sets up the round.
Line up your Series A leads early. Warm intros shorten the next raise.
Keep one data room live between rounds. Reuse it when the next fund asks.
Read our due diligence timeline guide. Know what each stage will ask.
Watch for due diligence red flags early. Ellty logs who opened each file and when.
How to pitch a Seoul seed investor
Show early proof, not just an idea.
- 1.Show early proof, not just an idea.Seed funds want first users, so open with what your early users already do today.
- 2.Bring a clean cap table and metrics.Tidy files speed the round, so have your numbers ready before the very first call.
- 3.Show why this market can get big.Seed funds need a large upside, so map the path from your wedge to a wide market.
- 4.Share one Ellty link to your whole data room.Skip scattered email attachments and track who opens which files in real time.
- 5.Follow up the same day a fund digs in.Ellty flags the moment they open your deck, so you reach out while interest is still high.
How Ellty helps you land a seed investor in Seoul
You've shortlisted your Seoul seed funds already. Set up a data room before the first call.
- 1.Upload your deck, cap table, and metrics.Set access per fund or per partner.
- 2.Share one trackable link with each fund.Each fund gets its own tracked link.
- 3.Watch opens and follow up at the right time.Use Ellty analytics to time each nudge.
Seoul seed investor questions
- Kakao Ventures, BonAngels, and SBVA lead. DSC and Strong Ventures back seed too.
- Most run US$0.3M to US$5M in 2026. Deep-tech rounds can run larger.
- No, seed actually grew that year. Late-stage money fell instead.
- The state is a big LP here. KVIC and public banks fund them.
- Early proof, a team, and a market. A clean cap table and metrics.
- Before your very first seed call. Track who opens your deck.
