Kakao Ventures Appoints Kim Kijun as New CEO
Kakao Ventures announced on the 18th that it has appointed Kim Kijun, Vice President (46), as the new CEO. He is expected to be officially appointed after the board of directors and shareholders' meeting in March next year.
CEO Kim stated, "Even amid the rapid changes in artificial intelligence (AI) technology that are significantly transforming the forms and operations of startups, we will become a VC that leads successful investments." He added, "If the technology brings beneficial changes to the world, we plan to actively invest beyond the software sector."
He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in Nuclear Engineering and earned a master's degree in Digital Management from Yonsei University's Graduate School of Information. In 2004, he founded Ideaworks and worked at SK Communications and CJ Holdings' planning office. He later joined Kakao Ventures, serving as senior team leader and managing director before being promoted to vice president. His strengths include a deep insight into technology sectors gained through continuous investments across various tech fields, as well as experience in development, business strategy, and planning. He is also recognized for his gentle leadership based on expertise.
CEO Kim joined Kakao Ventures (formerly K Cube Ventures) in 2012, the year it was established, leading the discovery and follow-up support of tech companies. As a first-generation investor in the startup tech sector, he has invested in 50 companies including Lunit, Korea Credit Data, Rebellion, and SelectStar. Among them, Lunit successfully landed on KOSDAQ last year, and Korea Credit Data became a unicorn company. He also boldly invested in the semiconductor fabless sector, which was unfamiliar territory for startup investments; Rebellion reached a corporate value of 800 billion KRW within three years of its establishment.
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CEO Kim said, "We will continue to maintain Kakao Ventures' unique copilot spirit and relentless experimental mindset to keep growing." He added, "We will be a reliable partner for early-stage entrepreneurs."
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