a16z Officially Opens Seoul Office, Expands Push Into South Korea

Andreessen Horowitz, the global venture capital firm known as a16z, said Monday it has officially opened a Seoul office.

The firm has been working to establish the office since announcing plans in December 2025 to expand into Asia. The Seoul office is intended to help its portfolio companies enter South Korea and broader Asian markets.

a16z, one of Silicon Valley’s best-known venture capital firms, manages about $100 billion in assets. In addition to investing, it supports portfolio companies in hiring, business development, policy cooperation, media support and partner community building.

The firm said South Korea is globally competitive in areas including artificial intelligence, manufacturing, defense, crypto, content and consumer goods. It also pointed to the country’s deep pool of technical talent and strong market receptiveness. On that basis, a16z chose South Korea as a strategic hub for Asia and opened the Seoul office.

The Seoul office will initially focus on crypto and gradually expand its activities.

Drawing on investments in companies including SpaceX, Instagram, Facebook and Airbnb, a16z said it plans to support South Korea’s startup ecosystem and help local companies expand overseas. It also aims to identify collaboration opportunities between its portfolio companies and Korean companies.

The Seoul office will be led by Park Sung-mo, a16z Crypto’s Asia-Pacific go-to-market lead, who was appointed alongside the firm’s Asia expansion announcement last year. Drawing on experience at Naver and the Monad Foundation, Park will support portfolio companies expanding into South Korea and the rest of Asia.

"a16z is focused on supporting the growth and market expansion of its portfolio companies, going beyond investment alone," Park said. "From the Seoul office, we will actively help portfolio companies expand into South Korea and across Asia."