Investor Profile: FuturePlay — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

For founders asking how to get funding from FuturePlay, it helps to know this is not a conventional venture fund: FuturePlay is a Seoul-based company builder and early-stage investor that started in 2013 by directly founding technology startups, then layered on an accelerator licence in 2019, a venture capital licence in 2023 and a private-equity licence in 2025. It now backs 260 startups with more than ₩270 billion (roughly $210 million) across its operating funds, and its mission is to build startups that change human life within 10 years.

Thesis and investment focus

FuturePlay began as a deep-tech investor but now invests regardless of industry, stage or geography. CEO Kwon Oh-hyung says the strategy is to find companies that can grow in the global market for 20 to 30 years and support them through the entire cycle from founding to well past listing — the PE licence completed Korea's first accelerator-to-VC-to-PE lifecycle model. Sector exposure spans robotics and mobility, software and SaaS, bio and healthcare, hardware and materials, and entertainment. Key funds include FuturePlay Unicorn Fund III, FuturePlay Growth Fund I and the FuturePlay-Shinhan Tech Innovation Fund.

Notable portfolio companies

FuturePlay was the first investor in several companies that later listed: Innospace, the first space launch vehicle company listed on KOSDAQ; SOS LAB, the first autonomous-driving sensor company listed on KOSDAQ; and Seoul Robotics and Tidepool are flagship deep-tech bets. Other notable investments include Neuropit, Bueno and Noeul, while recent additions include Asteromov (foundation models), Nanopose AI and Teparobotics. The firm reports a gross MOIC of 2.9x and an 89.9% survival rate for its portfolio companies.

Cheque size and stage

FuturePlay invests from seed through growth and pre-IPO, with fund vehicles sized from small micro-funds up to multi-hundred-billion-won vehicles. The corporate introduction reports 277,000 KRW million in operating funds. Alongside equity, it runs the six-month TechUP incubating program and TechUP+, which arranges proof-of-concept partnerships with corporates such as Mando, Nongshim and Amorepacific, and it channels startups through Korea's government-backed TIPS program.

How to apply for funding

Startups can apply through the Apply section of FuturePlay's official website at futureplay.co, where the firm accepts pitch decks, business plans and supporting materials, often followed by interviews or pitch sessions. The TechUP incubation track is the structured route for very early teams. Because the partners are operators — founders of Viki, Daum and Com2us sit among its network — decks that show technology depth and long-horizon ambition get the most traction.