Key Takeaways
- • Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) managing partner Raghu Raghuram is visiting South Korea with the firm's infrastructure investment team to explore collaboration with local AI hardware and infrastructure companies.
- • The visit is the first major initiative following the September launch of a16z's $1.1 billion (approximately ₩1.5 trillion) Machine Age Fund, which targets semiconductors, computing, memory, networking, power, cooling and data centers.
- • a16z has identified semiconductors and robotics as the primary collaboration areas with South Korea, citing the country's semiconductor, memory and advanced manufacturing strengths.
- • No specific investment deals or amounts were announced during the visit, and any investments are expected to require additional review.
- • The trip extends a16z's South Korean push, following the late-2025 hire of Park Sung-mo as head of Asia-Pacific go-to-market, its first South Korea hire.
Summary
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is sending managing partner Raghu Raghuram and its infrastructure investment team to South Korea to seek out AI hardware and infrastructure companies, according to a16z as reported on October 12. The visit comes roughly one month after the firm raised $1.1 billion for its Machine Age Fund in September, a vehicle the firm has described as aimed at accelerating the physical buildout of AI. The fund's investment scope spans core hardware, including semiconductors, computing, memory and networking, as well as foundational AI infrastructure such as power, cooling and data centers. a16z plans to concentrate on emerging companies with the potential to build differentiated competitive advantages.
Raghuram oversees AI infrastructure investments across the stack, from software to hardware, and leads global strategy for growth-stage portfolio companies. He previously spent approximately 20 years at VMware in product and management roles. During the trip, he and the team will meet key companies and stakeholders in South Korea's AI hardware sector to discuss technology development and commercialization, explore partnerships with a16z portfolio companies, and discuss ways to support new AI-based businesses.
a16z has identified semiconductors and robotics as the primary collaboration areas. The firm cited South Korea's strengths in semiconductors, memory and advanced manufacturing as creating diverse opportunities in AI hardware and computing infrastructure, while robotics is viewed as a growing area as AI adoption expands. In a statement, Raghuram said AI's advancement is rapidly transforming not just software but the entire technology infrastructure stack, and that South Korea possesses world-class capabilities in semiconductors and robotics.
The visit is an extension of a16z's expanding South Korean engagement. In late 2025, the firm hired Park Sung-mo as head of APAC go-to-market, its first hire in the country, to pursue collaboration with the domestic crypto ecosystem, and it has more recently broadened its engagement across South Korea's technology industry, including AI.
No specific investment deals or amounts were disclosed during the visit. Exploration of partnerships and technology opportunities is the stated priority, and additional review would precede any actual investments. Open questions include whether collaborations will emerge between a16z portfolio companies and South Korean firms, and whether any portion of the Machine Age Fund's capital will be allocated to South Korean companies.
Raghuram oversees AI infrastructure investments across the stack, from software to hardware, and leads global strategy for growth-stage portfolio companies. He previously spent approximately 20 years at VMware in product and management roles. During the trip, he and the team will meet key companies and stakeholders in South Korea's AI hardware sector to discuss technology development and commercialization, explore partnerships with a16z portfolio companies, and discuss ways to support new AI-based businesses.
a16z has identified semiconductors and robotics as the primary collaboration areas. The firm cited South Korea's strengths in semiconductors, memory and advanced manufacturing as creating diverse opportunities in AI hardware and computing infrastructure, while robotics is viewed as a growing area as AI adoption expands. In a statement, Raghuram said AI's advancement is rapidly transforming not just software but the entire technology infrastructure stack, and that South Korea possesses world-class capabilities in semiconductors and robotics.
The visit is an extension of a16z's expanding South Korean engagement. In late 2025, the firm hired Park Sung-mo as head of APAC go-to-market, its first hire in the country, to pursue collaboration with the domestic crypto ecosystem, and it has more recently broadened its engagement across South Korea's technology industry, including AI.
No specific investment deals or amounts were disclosed during the visit. Exploration of partnerships and technology opportunities is the stated priority, and additional review would precede any actual investments. Open questions include whether collaborations will emerge between a16z portfolio companies and South Korean firms, and whether any portion of the Machine Age Fund's capital will be allocated to South Korean companies.
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