# SparkLabs Global Ventures

SparkLabs Global Ventures is a Venture Capital based in Palo Alto, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** Palo Alto, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Palo Alto, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 2013
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.sparklabsglobal.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparklabs-global-ventures

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 330129
- **SEC file number:** 802-131647
- **Registration status:** ACTIVE
- **Latest Form ADV filing:** 2024-11-18T06:00:00.000Z
- **Reports private funds:** Yes
- **Private funds reported:** 0
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/330129

## About

SparkLabs Global Ventures is a seed-stage fund. The firm believes business is now truly global and that exceptional entrepreneurs building category-defining companies at advantageous valuations can be found anywhere. Its team finds such talent and helps entrepreneurs develop, grow, network, and scale into other markets throughout the world.

## Sectors

- Enterprise Software
- AI/ML
- FinTech
- Digital Health
- Mobility & Transportation
- Cybersecurity

## Offices

- Seoul, South Korea
- Singapore

## People

- Bernard Moon — Co-Founder & General Partner
- HanJoo Lee — Co-Founder & General Partner
- Jimmy Kim — Co-Founder & General Partner
- John Lee — Co-Founder & General Partner

## Questions

### How does SparkLabs Global Ventures source its deal flow?

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.

### What is the relationship between SparkLabs Global Ventures and SparkLabs Korea?

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.

### Which geographies does SparkLabs Global Ventures invest in?

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.

### Who runs investment decisions at SparkLabs Global Ventures?

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.

### Does SparkLabs Global participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

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.

### What is SparkLabs Global's posture on coinvestments alongside external GPs?

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.

## Related profiles

- [Sparklabs Cultiv8](https://altss.com/profile/sparklabs-cultiv8)
- [SparkLabs Partners](https://altss.com/profile/sparklabs-partners)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:08:11.274Z

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