For founders researching Strong Ventures funding, learning how to get funding from the firm is straightforward — it publishes exactly what to send and where. Based in Seoul and Los Angeles, Strong Ventures is a sector-agnostic venture capital firm investing in Seed to Pre-A companies, with a special affinity for Korean founders and for taking Korean concepts to global markets. Since 2012 it has backed 270+ companies and invested more than $150 million.
Investment thesis: how Strong Ventures funding works
Conviction in founders sits at the centre of the firm's thesis. Strong Ventures says it listens closely to a founder's background story and motivation, and believes strong founders build strong companies — founders who show resilience, perseverance and adaptability, and who can survive with limited resources. A second pillar is taking Korea global: the firm looks for ambitious entrepreneurs who can bridge Korean concepts — entertainment, fashion, beauty, food, technology — to international markets. As an early investor it seeks long-term, close relationships, supporting founders "through the highs and the lows". The name itself comes from Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands — fuerte means "strong" in Spanish.
Sectors and stages
The firm is deliberately generalist. It invests from Seed to Pre-A and does not restrict itself to predefined sectors — its own description runs "from indie CPG brands to a spacecraft rocket company", backing teams with the potential to become category leaders in untapped or underserved markets. Its network spans Korea, the US, Europe and Southeast Asia, helping founders expand strategically beyond their home market.
Fund size and cheque size
Initial cheques run $100K to $1M, and the firm reports $150M+ invested since inception across 270+ portfolio companies. The total corpus of its funds is not publicly disclosed. Strong Ventures also participates in follow-on rounds, positioning itself as a long-term partner rather than a one-cheque investor.
Notable portfolio
The firm keeps its full portfolio on a separate portfolio page rather than the main site, and does not headline marquee names publicly. What it does say: since 2012 it has backed 270+ companies, some became unicorns, others achieved successful exits, and many faced the full range of startup outcomes — pivots, lost momentum and shutdowns. The firm frames this as the experience that shaped its founder-support playbook.
Partners
The firm was founded by John Nahm and Kihong Bae. It operates as a compact team across its Seoul and Los Angeles offices, staying deliberately founder-close rather than building a large partnership.
Programmes run
Strong Ventures does not run a public accelerator with batch intakes. Its "programme" is the relationship itself: long-term, close support for founders across all aspects of company-building, including follow-on investments, plus access to a global network spanning Korea, the US, Europe and Southeast Asia for international expansion.
How to apply for funding
The firm invites founders to email [email protected] directly. Your email should include a pitch deck, your target fundraising amount and valuation, key achievements and metrics, background information on the founding team, and — in the firm's own words — why you and your team would be the best to succeed at that business. There is no web form; a clear, complete email is the application.
Why it matters for founders
Strong Ventures is one of the few firms that tells founders exactly how to pitch: one email with a deck, metrics and team story. With $100K-$1M initial cheques, a Seed to Pre-A focus and a bridge between Seoul and Los Angeles, it is built for Korean and Asia-connected founders aiming at global markets.