#9 - Building and Scaling a $900M CVC w/ Dong-Su Kim (CEO of LG Tech Ventures)
The Corporate Venturing Podcast
<p><strong>🎙️ Welcome to a new episode of The Corporate Venturing Podcast!</strong></p>
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<p>What does it take to<strong> build a Corporate Venture Capital unit from scratch</strong> and scale it into <strong>one of the world’s most respected deep tech investors</strong>?</p>
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<p>In this episode, I sit down with <strong>Dong-Su Kim, Ph.D.</strong><a href="https://www.lgtechventures.com/" rel="nofollow">, Founding CEO of <strong>LG Technology Ventures</strong></a>, and one of the top 2025 GCV Power List leaders. Since 2018, Dong-Su has led LG’s CVC arm from zero to nearly <strong>$900 million AUM</strong>, with over 80 investments and more than 10 exits and IPOs across <strong>AI, batteries, energy, advanced materials</strong>, and more.</p>
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<p>We dive into the bold choices and core principles that guided him in building LG Ventures as an autonomous, future-focused, and globally connected investor: operating more like a financial VC, but wired for strategic value.</p>
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<p>Dong-Su shares his perspective on:</p>
<p>🧭 The false dichotomy of strategic vs. financial value in CVC</p>
<p>⚙️ How to structure teams for <em>both</em> investment performance and startup collaboration</p>
<p>🌍 Balancing Silicon Valley speed with Korean corporate culture</p>
<p>🧪 Why deep tech is the foundation of LG’s long-term edge—and how CVC fits in</p>
<p>🧱 How LG Ventures helps startups validate tech, enter markets, and scale</p>
<p>🚀 The real meaning of “value creation” beyond just capital</p>
<p>📉 Lessons from past investments and avoiding hype cycles</p>
<p>🔮 Why he’s considering a new fund with external LPs to double down on breakout ventures</p>
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<p>Plus, we close with a candid look at what personally drives Dong-Su: <strong>the joy of helping exceptional founders succeed</strong>.</p>
<p>Whether you’re running a venture arm or navigating corporate-startup collaboration, this episode is a real-world blueprint for building something that lasts.</p>
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<p><strong>Resources:</strong></p>
<p>• <a href="https://openroadventuress.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">Open Road Ventures</a></p>
<p>• <a href="https://www.bundl.com/venture-club" rel="nofollow">Bundl Venture Club</a></p>
<p>🎧 <strong>Follow the podcast</strong> for more grounded stories from inside the world of Open Innovation and Corporate Venturing.</p>