SparkLabs Global Ventures

The firm sources through two primary channels: the SparkLabs Korea accelerator program in Seoul, which funnels startups to the global fund after a three-month accelerator cycle, and the traditional Silicon Valley venture networks of its four general partners. The accelerator has produced more than 160 companies since 2013 and provides a proprietary pipeline that competitors cannot replicate without a similar on-the-ground presence in Korea. The global fund also draws from the partners' direct relationships in Singapore, Tel Aviv, and the Bay Area.

SparkLabs Global Ventures and SparkLabs Korea are separate legal entities with overlapping general partners — specifically Bernard Moon, HanJoo Lee, and Jimmy Kim. SparkLabs Korea operates as an accelerator program in Seoul that invests in early-stage Korean startups, while SparkLabs Global is a seed-stage venture fund that invests globally. The accelerator feeds the global fund's pipeline: companies that perform well during the accelerator program are evaluated for follow-on investment by the global fund, creating a structured deal-flow advantage.

SparkLabs Global focuses on seed and pre-Series A rounds, with initial checks typically ranging from $50,000 to $250,000. The firm reserves capital for follow-on investments in later rounds, usually through Series A. It does not participate in growth-stage rounds directly but maintains its pro-rata rights in portfolio companies that reach later stages, as demonstrated by its position in SendBird through multiple funding rounds.

The firm invests primarily across the United States and Asia, with concentrated deal activity in the Bay Area, Seoul, Singapore, and Tel Aviv. This geographic distribution reflects the personal networks of its four general partners rather than a formal country-mandate strategy. Unlike funds that allocate fixed percentages by region, SparkLabs Global pursues opportunities wherever its partners have direct sourcing relationships.

Investment decisions are made by the four co-founders and general partners: Bernard Moon, HanJoo Lee, Jimmy Kim, and John Lee. Moon, based in Silicon Valley, serves as the firm's primary public face and deal lead on US investments, while Lee and Kim anchor the Korean and broader Asian sourcing operations. The partnership structure is flat — all four GPs participate in investment committee decisions without a single managing partner controlling allocations.

SparkLabs Global exclusively makes direct equity investments in operating companies. The firm does not act as a limited partner in other venture funds, nor does it operate a fund-of-funds strategy. Its model is purpose-built for early-stage direct investing, with the SparkLabs Korea accelerator providing additional deal flow that substitutes for the diversification some family offices achieve through fund commitments.

SparkLabs Global routinely coinvests alongside other seed and Series A investors, particularly US-based funds entering Asian deals or Asian funds seeking Silicon Valley co-investors. The firm's cross-border positioning makes it a natural syndicate partner — it can lead or follow depending on the geography and the lead investor's local presence. In SendBird, for example, SparkLabs invested alongside ICONIQ Capital and Tiger Global in later rounds, maintaining its position as the company scaled to unicorn status.