East Ventures Expands Reach with South Korea Fund, Appoints Sang Han as Partner

East Ventures Korea has appointed Sang Han as its first partner for the South Korea fund, which was launched in October in collaboration with SV Investment, a Seoul-based VC firm. Sang Han has extensive experience in venture capital, having started in 2005 as an assistant vice president at Walden International for Singapore and Beijing.

In his new role, Sang Han will leverage his expertise to manage the fund operation of East Ventures in South Korea. This announcement comes after East Ventures revealed its partnership with SV Investment for the East Ventures South Korea fund, which secured $100 million in October 2023.

Willson Cuaca, co-founder and managing partner at East Ventures, expressed confidence in Sang Han’s ability to bridge connections between Korea and Southeast Asia, citing his extensive experience in both regions. The collaboration between the two firms which raised $100 million for the South Korea fund, targets local firms across various sectors including biotech, healthcare, future mobility, greentech, and media. The fund will focus on supporting startups and companies in key sectors such as biotech, healthcare, future mobility, green technology, and media.

The South Korea fund launched by East Ventures and SV Investment also aims to facilitate South Korean companies’ access to international markets and promote knowledge-sharing initiatives. 

Sang Han, the newly appointed Partner for South Korea fund, expressed his enthusiasm for joining East Ventures, emphasizing the firm’s track record of supporting entrepreneurs. 

With a focus on strengthening the connection between Southeast Asia and South Korea, Sang aims to leverage the complementary synergies of both regions to drive success for the startups and companies backed by East Ventures. Sang holds a BSc in Computer Engineering from Seoul National University and an MBA from INSEAD, bringing 20 years of extensive experience in asset management and venture capital, including roles overseeing corporate development and directing investments.

Established in 2009, East Ventures has evolved into a comprehensive investment platform, providing funding support to more than 300 tech startups across Southeast Asia, spanning from initial seed funding to later-stage growth investments. 

Recognized as one of the earliest supporters of the startup ecosystem in Indonesia and the most active investor in the region, the venture capital firm has played a key role in backing leading tech companies such as Tokopedia, Traveloka, Ruangguru, and ShopBack, among others.

Additionally, earlier this month, East Ventures collaborated with Indonesia’s chamber of commerce and industry and research firm WRI Indonesia to introduce Ecovisea, a free global greenhouse gas calculator tailored for businesses operating in Indonesia. The web-based tool enables companies to assess and visualize their environmental impact by calculating greenhouse gas emissions. 

Also Read:

• Korea’s Simple Planet Secures 8 Billion Won Investment for Cell-Cultured Food Innovations
• Philippines Central Bank to Introduce CBDC, Opts Against Blockchain
• Malaysian Startup Qarbotech Targets Global Market with $700K Boost
• Microsoft Teams Up with Indian Startup Sarvam AI to Boost Indic Languages on Azure
• Orient Growth Ventures Raises $90M for SE Asia and India Ventures