NH Venture Investment, a branch of NongHyup Financial Group (NH), is looking to invest millions of dollars in Israeli tech startups, aiming to combine Israel’s innovative technologies with Korea’s manufacturing capabilities to create larger global companies. Established in 2019, NH Venture seeks to build on Israel’s deep-tech expertise, including areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, defence, healthcare, and quantum computing.
In July 2024, NH Venture teamed up with OurCrowd, an Israeli investment platform, to establish the Trepont Fund—an $80 million initiative designed to invest in 30 startups across Israel, Korea, and Silicon Valley. CEO Hyun Jin Kim confirmed that NH Venture plans to invest at least $40 million of the fund specifically in Israeli startups. One of the company’s notable investments is in Kardome, an AI voice recognition company that collaborates with Korean giants LG and Hyundai Motors.
During his recent visit to Israel, Kim met with several startups, including Hailo, an Israeli unicorn in the AI space. Kim emphasized the potential for strong collaboration between Israeli innovation and Korean manufacturing, particularly to penetrate the U.S. market. Despite concerns around the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Kim noted that innovation has remained constant in the region, and NH Venture is not deterred by the situation.
The fund is specifically targeting early-stage companies that have already developed proven products. Ely Razin, a partner at OurCrowd, highlighted that Korean interest in Israeli startups has grown, especially following the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
The relationship between Israel and Korea is well-established, with Samsung, LG, and Hyundai all having venture arms in Israel. Both countries are among the global leaders in research and development.
Seong Ryong Kang, CEO of the Korea-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation, believes the cooperation between the two countries is more seamless compared to other Asian nations due to their complementary industries, and the presence of Korean venture firms in Israel underscores a strong willingness to collaborate.