SM Culture Partners
Corporate VC์์ธํน๋ณ์ ๊ฐ๋จ๊ตฌ ยท Pre-SeedโSeries A
Investment thesis
SM Culture Partners was established as a 100%-owned venture investment arm of SM Entertainment. Its mission centers on the convergence of cutting-edge technology and superior cultural IP, aiming to serve as a bridge where the best technology meets the best culture and to expand cultural experiences boundlessly through innovation. The firm targets promising early-stage startups that can create synergy with the future entertainment industry, focusing on products and services that add value to cultural content and related fields through technology. It supports founders and teams with strong technical skills, creative thinking, and passion.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 6, 2026.
What they invest in
from 13 of 22 portfolio companiesConsumer ร6Media & Entertainment ร4AI & Machine Learning ร3Creator Economy ร3Deep Tech ร2E-commerce ร2Enterprise Software ร2Marketplaces ร2
HQs:South Koreaร7
Investments ยท 22 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathDeepfine builds LOGI.FINE, a digital solution for logistics operations.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSSeoul, KR
SCON is a Korean media-tech company that creates entertainment content using virtual characters and 3D content technology.
ConsumerCreator EconomyGamingMedia & Entertainment
๊ธฐ์ค์(๋ํ (CEO))
Co-investorsLaguna Investment
ATAD builds autonomous AI infrastructure operations technology, including automated multi-cloud management, an LLM gateway, and virtual data center services for companies.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingEnterprise Software
YEONGSEON PARK(Founder)in
Rounder (๋ฆฌ๋ผ์ด๋) recovers items that would otherwise be discarded โ such as film and TV set props and leftover brand assets from pop-up events โ and turns them into tradable assets that can be resold and circulated.
Circular EconomyImpact & Social GoodMarketplacesSeoul, KR
Dalcomsoft is a company whose site promotes a mobile service inviting users to "meet your star on mobile," indicating a mobile entertainment or fan-engagement application.
ConsumerMedia & Entertainment
Co-investorsAscendo VenturesDunamu & Partners
An e-commerce store selling products online, including a "Morning Calm" collection, with a membership program offering discount coupons.
ConsumerE-commerce
Co-investorsWe Ventures
FuturePlay is a deep tech investor that backs and partners with technology-driven startups, providing capital and hands-on support to founders.
Deep Tech
Co-investorsLB Investment
JIENEM provides managed operations and remodeling/development solutions for accommodation businesses such as hotels and wellness stays, including a contactless operating system (FRONT-X) and startup education courses.
PropTechSaaSTravel & Hospitality
Co-investorsAI Angel ClubAscendo Ventures
Kakao Corp. operates a suite of consumer internet services centered on the KakaoTalk messenger, along with KakaoMap, mobile gifting and shopping (Kakao Talk Gift, Talk Deal), Kakao Makers, Kakao Friends characters, and emoticons.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerSocialJeju City, KR
Co-investorsDCM VenturesMaverick Ventures
Modhaus is a K-pop entertainment agency that operates as an open architecture platform, aiming to create a fan-centered music industry ecosystem by incorporating blockchain and metaverse technologies.
Creator EconomyMedia & EntertainmentSeoul, KR
Jaden Jeong
Co-investorsAtinum Investment Co. Ltd.Global BrainKDDI Open Innovation FundLaguna InvestmentLB InvestmentNonagon+2 more
PhotoWidget is a mobile home screen customization app that allows users to create personalized widgets including photos, calendars, clocks, and other utility widgets with design tools for frames, filters, fonts, and colors.
ConsumerHardware
Insun Songin
Co-investorsKT investment Inc.
South Korean entertainment company managing K-pop artists including NCT 127, aespa, EXO and SUPER JUNIOR.
Korean edtech company running KOKIRI, a Korean-language learning service built on K-content such as dramas, variety shows and K-pop.
Co-investorsLaguna Investment
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesFuturePlay ยท altss.com ยท Aug 11, 2026
ModHaus ยท en.startuprecipe.co.kr ยท Aug 8, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has SM Culture Partners made?
- SM Culture Partners has 21 tracked investments.
- What stage does SM Culture Partners invest at?
- SM Culture Partners invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does SM Culture Partners focus on?
- SM Culture Partners focuses on Consumer, Creator Economy, Crypto & Web3, Hardware, Media & Entertainment, New Materials.
- Where is SM Culture Partners located?
- SM Culture Partners is headquartered in ์์ธํน๋ณ์ ๊ฐ๋จ๊ตฌ, KR.
- Who does SM Culture Partners co-invest with?
- SM Culture Partners most often shares deals with Ascendo Ventures, Laguna Investment, LB Investment, among 13 tracked co-investors.
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