Story, Poseidon CEO Lee Seung-yoon Named WEF Young Global Leader for 2026

Suehyeon Lee

Summary

Story said Lee Seung-yoon, the chief executive leading Story and Poseidon, has been named a 2026 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Story said it has raised more than $140 million in investment from a16z crypto, Polychain and Samsung Ventures.
The industry said the selection shows South Korean entrepreneurs are gaining visibility as AI infrastructure and data sovereignty become more prominent.

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Lee Seung-yoon, co-founder and chief executive of intellectual property blockchain platform Story and AI data infrastructure company Poseidon, has been named to the World Economic Forum's 2026 Young Global Leaders list, Story said on April 20.

The World Economic Forum each year names people under 40 from around the world who have demonstrated achievement and growth potential in their fields to its Young Global Leaders program. Previous honorees from South Korea include Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, Hyosung Group Vice Chairman Cho Hyun-sang, former soccer player Park Ji-sung and Viva Republica Chief Executive Officer Lee Seung-gun. The latest selection positions Lee as one of South Korea's next-generation entrepreneurs in AI and data infrastructure.

Lee studied philosophy at the University of Oxford and began his business career in London by founding Byline, a crowdfunding-based journalism startup. He later launched Radish, a web novel platform aimed at the North American market, and sold it to Kakao Entertainment. He now focuses on reshaping data use in the AI era and overhauling the intellectual property ecosystem through Story and Poseidon, which he co-founded.

Story is a blockchain-based infrastructure platform that manages the creation, use and revenue distribution of intellectual property on-chain. It has raised more than $140 million from investors including a16z crypto, Polychain and Samsung Ventures. Poseidon is a platform that connects the full lifecycle of AI training data, from collection and processing to licensing and compensation. It focuses on clarifying data provenance and rights while building a contribution-based compensation system.

The industry views the selection as a sign that South Korean founders are gaining visibility as AI infrastructure and data sovereignty rise on the global agenda. Lee will participate in the Young Global Leaders program over the next three years, collaborating with global leaders and joining major World Economic Forum events and research programs.