Dong-Su Kim helped set up corporate venture capital fund LG Technology Ventures for South Korea-based electronics, chemical and telecoms conglomerate LG Group in 2018.
The unit oversees investments for LG Group affiliates – LG Electronics, LG Chem, LG Display and LG Uplus – which raised investment funds totalling $400m when it was formed and now stands at $680m. The unit identifies and invests in strategically relevant startups, especially those with technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and auto components including batteries.
In the past three years, the unit has increased its focus on AI, especially in the technology’s ability to improve manufacturing supply chains, such as in preventative maintenance and defect inspection. It has more than 40 portfolio companies.
The unit oversees investments for
LG Group affiliates, which raised investment funds totalling $400m when it was formed
Among its recent investments, LG Technology Ventures participated in the $16.5m series B round for sustainable manufacturing company TripleW, as well as the $100m series C raise for Humane, an AI-driven technology platform. Humane is working with LG on potential R&D projects for its next phase of products.
Before joining LG, Kim was US-based vice president and general manager for South Korea-listed electronics conglomerate Samsung’s corporate venturing arm, Samsung Ventures America. Kim led deals for Samsung in more than 20 companies, including data storage technology developer Pure Storage and memory-based IT infrastructure equipment manufacturer Netlist, which were floated on the New York and Nasdaq stock exchanges respectively. He has a PhD in electrical engineering from Princeton University.