How did Klim ventures start?

All five co-founders of Klim ventures have shared over a decade of friendship and professional ties, whether as colleagues or friends. We were confident that we could work together for the long term, and we all agreed on building a company with our own values and mission, outside the conventional norms. Whether there’s an ideal time to start a business is uncertain, but in early 2020, in the midst of COVID-19’s impact on the financial markets, we each left our previous jobs and committed to starting Klim ventures.

It's the people that inspired us to start, and it's the 'dream' that keeps us going. Our dream is to help create a healthy society by supporting founders who are making a positive impact, aiding their growth, and fostering a healthy venture ecosystem.

Co-Founders of Klim ventures (From left: Junghun Won, Honggyu Nam, Jinah Kim, Habyung Lee, Jonghyun Baek)

What kind of company is Klim ventures?

To understand a company, you start by asking, “Who are their customers?” Our customers are the founders. We want Klim ventures to be a company that builds trust with founders and provides meaningful support. At our core, we're committed to being a reliable partner for founders. A partner they feel comfortable and happy with. We're constantly thinking about how we can reduce stress for our customers. Our investments aren't just about making money; they’re about growing together with our founders over the long term.

Trust and communication are essential for long-term partnerships. Building such relationships doesn't happen overnight. That's why we take a long-term view and focus on creating value and satisfaction for each customer.

What is different about Klim ventures?

The main difference is that Klim ventures operates as one team. It doesn’t matter who made how many investments. If there is work to be done for our founders, we each do our best, regardless of previous roles or tasks.

Our shared workspace contributes significantly to our unity. Working in one space naturally fosters a sense of team cohesiveness, enables quick decision making, and allows us to deliver the best customer experience for startups who value every moment.

[The Beginning]

In March 2020, Klim ventures started out in a small co-working space near Gangnam Station. It was a cozy two- or three-pyeong room. After registering with the Ministry of SMEs as an accelerator focused on early-stage startups, Klim ventures was officially launched.

With the support of those who believed in the vision of Klim ventures, we began to make our investments. We first partnered with AIRS Medical and artiQ, both of which have AI at the basis of their business.

[Moving to Gyodae(SNUE) Station]

As we prepared to open our new office at Gyodae Station, we focused on creating a space that felt welcoming, like visiting a friend’s house, rather than a rigid office environment. We furnished it with homely items and put a meeting room in the sunniest spot.

[Opening Klim Park]

In May 2020, we opened Klim Park, a workspace dedicated to early-stage startups. Our intention was to unburden founders from stress of managing cash burn, encourage experimentation and foster interaction between tenacious, passionate entrepreneurs at Klim Park.

Rapport Labs was the first team to move into the Klim Park. It was at Klim Park that they founded their company. We were grateful to witness Heemin and Juyoung, the co-founders of Rapport Labs, conceptualize, launch, and grow their service 'QueenIt'. With a mindset of 'trust and wait', it was such a meaningful experience for us to embark on a journey with the founding team.

With Rapport Labs co-founders (second and third from left: Heemin Choi and Juyoung Hong)

[Raising Capital]

We’re a startup, too. Three months after founding the company, we secured Series A funding, followed by Series B the following March. The capital raised would support our founders and our continued efforts to build the sustainable growth of the startup ecosystem.

About our culture

In the midst of intense work, we make time for fun, like playing table tennis, which has become a refreshing break for all of us. It’s a chance to see each other more often and connect. Our most anticipated match? The doubles game between Pillip & Shot vs. Won & Jay. Our skills have improved significantly through countless games.

Recently, we started playing tennis, anticipating rally matches with our founding teams! Though we’re still beginners, expect impressive plays soon.

2023 Update: In January 2023, Sanghun Song joined as our newest member. He had been a close friend of Klim ventures for years, and now we have three doubles teams for table tennis!

At the Klim Gyodae office (January 2023)

2024 Update: Team photo commemorating the opening day of the 2024 SNU FastMRI Challenge on 21 June.

At the Klim SNU office (June 2024)