Investor Profile: SBVA (formerly SoftBank Ventures Asia) — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

SBVA funding carries one of the longest pedigrees in Asian venture capital — and a name worth getting right. The Seoul firm was founded in 2000 as SoftBank Ventures Korea, became the early-stage arm of SoftBank Group as SoftBank Ventures Asia, and in June 2023 was acquired by Singapore-based The Edgeof — emerging as an independent firm that now operates simply as SBVA. It manages approximately US$2.5 billion (about 3 trillion won) in assets, as reported in August 2026. No further rename has been announced since.

Thesis: disruptive tech, from Seoul to the world

SBVA champions "disruptive tech innovators", with a focus on artificial intelligence, ICT, IoT and robotics — framed around technology innovation and market innovation. The firm invests from seed to late-stage rounds across Korea, China, Southeast Asia, the US and beyond, and positions itself as a bridge between the global technology ecosystem and Asian markets. CEO JP Lee (Lee Jun-pyo) is himself a serial entrepreneur who founded Ebix in 2001 and sold it to LG Dacom.

Stages, cheque size and footprint

SBVA supports founders from seed through late-stage and even private-equity rounds. It does not publicly state a standard cheque size. Offices span Korea (HQ), China, Singapore and the USA. Spotlight portfolio companies on its site include SODA, Korbit, Hyperconnect, Iyuno, Danggeun, Carro and Lunit — with historic wins such as Tokopedia, Nexon and Snow from the SoftBank era.

Team and programs

Leadership includes CEO JP Lee, CFO and Growth Equity head Seung Lee, Korea investment head Edward Chung, and China investment head Jason Ding. In August 2026 SBVA appointed two former SoftBank Vision Fund investment professionals — Kaz Yoshimaru and Chris Lee — as venture partners to deepen its global reach. With Innocean, the advertising arm of Hyundai Motor Group, SBVA runs UP 2026, a growth platform pairing portfolio companies with brand and growth expertise.

How to apply for funding

SBVA's business-plan submission address, [email protected], is listed on third-party VC directories as the route for founders to send decks — the firm's own site is at sbvacorp.com. As with most established VCs, a warm introduction through a portfolio founder or a co-investor in the Korean ecosystem materially improves the odds. Founders should frame the pitch around disruptive technology with a credible path across Asian and global markets.