Naver D2SF Expansion Move... Strengthening Investment, Exchange, and Collaboration for Tech Startups

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Naver is expanding and relocating the space for its startup nurturing organization D2SF, taking a more aggressive approach to investment, exchange, and collaboration.

According to Naver on the 12th, D2SF has expanded and moved from the existing Meritz Tower near Gangnam Station to the nearby The Asset Building. The new space, twice as large, consists of ▲ project rooms dedicated to immersive technology development ▲ networking spaces where developers gather ▲ and coworking spaces that serve as a platform for collaboration among technology startups.

Naver also plans to establish a hub space for technology entrepreneurs in its second headquarters, scheduled for completion within the year. Under the concept called ‘Collaboratory,’ it will be designed as a testbed where technology startups and Naver can experiment and interact together.

Since its launch in 2015, Naver D2SF has focused on early-stage technology startups, investing in 79 teams and promoting exchange and collaboration with Naver. Over six years, a total of 82 technology startups have been housed at Naver D2SF. All of these teams were either not yet funded or had just secured seed investments at the time of moving in.

Currently, 62% of these startups have secured pre-Series A (pre-A) or higher investments, and 31% have grown to Series B or beyond. Six teams, including CompanyAI, an AI chatbot modeling startup acquired by Naver in 2017, and V.do, acquired by Naver Webtoon in 2020, have even undergone mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

Yang Sanghwan, leader of Naver D2SF, said, "We plan to expand the technology startup community together with technology entrepreneurs who started and grew at Naver D2SF, while aggressively investing and driving synergy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.