Inactive

Kona Venture Partners

General contacts

Investor type

Founded

2018

AUM

$179 M

Location

Seoul, Seoul, South Korea

Investment Ticket

$10-50 m

Investment Stage

Late Stage (Series C+) Series A Seed

Region of investment

Asia

Investor profile last updated: 25 August, 2026

Profile

Kona Venture Partners is a venture capital firm based in Seoul, specializing in gaming and entertainment software. Founded in 2018, the firm focuses on investing in early-stage Korean game studios with global aspirations. The team at Kona is known for its deep industry expertise and partnership with major institutions such as Nexon and the Korea Fund of Funds. Their differentiated approach lies in providing strategic capital without traditional publishing constraints, fostering an open ecosystem for the companies they invest in. Kona has a portfolio spanning 32 investments across 23 active companies, emphasizing its commitment to growth and innovation in the gaming sector.

Kona Venture Partners primarily invests in new gaming IP with global potential, live-service games, and AI-driven game development tools. They provide capital mainly through seed and Series A funding rounds, with opportunities for follow-on investments in growth-stage studios. The firm operates with a fund size of up to ₩250 billion (~$179 million), structured as a core fund and a follow-on sleeve backed by Nexon Partners. Their geographical focus is primarily on South Korea, aiming to support locally developed IP reaching global markets.

Notable investments include companies such as Sandy Floor, StudioBside, ActionFit, Macovill, and Tripearl Games. These investments reflect Kona's investment philosophy of nurturing innovative gaming companies capable of scaling globally. Collaborations with LPs such as Nexon and strategic contributions from Korea's cultural ministry further bolster the firm’s robust position in the market.

Industry

AI Media and Entertainment Gaming

Kona Venture Partners Funds

Name	Type	Industry	Stage	Region	Size	AUM	Launch date
Kona Global IP Investment Partnership	Venture Capital (VC)	Gaming AI	Seed Series A Late Stage (Series C+)	Asia	$10-50 m	$179 M	August 2026

Contacts

Name

Title

Social Networks

James Mawson Founder and CEO

Founder and CEO

j•••@•••

Patty Rowland Burke Course Director & Instructional Design Lead

Course Director & Instructional Design Lead

p•••@•••

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Investment-team contacts for Kona Venture Partners — including verified work emails and LinkedIn profiles — are available to Private Equity List subscribers.
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FAQs about Kona Venture Partners

Is Kona Venture Partners a venture capital or private equity firm?

Kona Venture Partners is a venture capital firm. It backs companies at Late Stage (Series C+), Series A and Seed, writing tickets of $10-50 m.

Where is Kona Venture Partners located?

Kona Venture Partners is located in Seoul, Seoul, South Korea.

When was Kona Venture Partners founded?

Kona Venture Partners was founded in 2018.

What sectors and industries does Kona Venture Partners invest in?

Kona Venture Partners invests in companies and startups in AI, Media and Entertainment, Gaming.

What is Kona Venture Partners geographical focus of investments?

Kona Venture Partners invests in companies and startups in Asia.

At what stages of companies and startups does Kona Venture Partners typically invest in?

Kona Venture Partners invests in companies and startups at Late Stage (Series C+), Series A, Seed.

What is the usual amount of Kona Venture Partners investment?

Kona Venture Partners usually invests $10-50 m on average.

What is the amount of assets of under management (AUM) for Kona Venture Partners?

Kona Venture Partners has around $179m assets under management.

When was Kona Venture Partners last fund created?

Kona Venture Partners last fund was created/launched in 2026-08-22

What are the contacts of Kona Venture Partners?

Kona Venture Partners can be reached through its website globalventuring.com and its LinkedIn page. Its general enquiries address is [email protected]. Cold-mailing a general inbox rarely reaches a partner, so Private Equity List also lists the investment-team contacts for Kona Venture Partners — names, roles, verified work emails and LinkedIn profiles — available on a Pro plan from $129/month (see pricing). Contacts are sourced from the firm's website and LinkedIn and re-verified on a rolling cycle. Spot a stale contact, or none at all? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.

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Yes. Every field on this page — profile, funds, investment criteria, portfolio and investment-team contacts — is available programmatically through the Private Equity List REST API and MCP server, so AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT can query Kona Venture Partners directly instead of scraping this page. One subscription covers both the web app and machine access — see API & MCP.

When was the Kona Venture Partners profile last updated?

Private Equity List re-verifies investor profiles on a rolling cycle, pulling from the firm's own website and LinkedIn rather than a one-off import. This profile was last updated on 25 August, 2026. Something out of date here? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.