Building the business together beyond the investment… Grand Ventures completes capital increase and launches second round of investment

In early-stage startup investment, funding is the starting point for growth, but the process of securing markets and customers to apply the technology after the investment is also crucial. In fields like edutech and content, where existing companies' distribution networks and intellectual property (IP) act as competitive advantages, the role of connecting startups with industry partners determines investment performance. Grand Ventures connected C-Math with its portfolio company, Logi Brothers, to create a collaborative model leading to the supply of educational programs, the development of digital products, and overseas expansion. Having completed a paid-in capital increase, Grand Ventures is embarking on its second round of investment based on this experience.

Grand Ventures, a venture capital firm specializing in edutech, content, and impact, has completed a paid-in capital increase for its second round of venture investment. Omega Point, which operates the critical thinking math and gifted education brand 'C-Math,' and Grand Ventures' key partners participated in this capital increase.

Han Jeong-gyu, the founder of Grand Ventures, also made a direct investment, becoming the largest individual shareholder. Based on this capital increase, the company plans to expand investments in early-stage startups possessing AI and digital transformation technologies, and strengthen a structure in which founders are held accountable for management and investment performance.

Grand Ventures, launched in October 2023, has invested in LogiBrothers' coding education platform 'Codemos', IdleLab's children's experience platform 'Igogo', and DVDLab's user research platform 'Userspoon'. It has focused on the edutech, content, and impact sectors, building a portfolio that includes Deotsem Company, Career Day, Jikida, Alt-A, and Mercico, which operates the vegan and clean beauty brand Hubbloom.

A representative example of collaboration following investment is the open innovation between Logi Brothers and CMATH. Logi Brothers supplies CODMOS, a thinking skills and AI education program, to CMATH's directly managed and franchised academies nationwide. The two companies also jointly developed the global brand 'CODMOS CMATH,' which combines CMATH's publishing content IP with Logi Brothers' digital education technology.

'CODEMOS C-Math,' a critical thinking math learning app scheduled for release domestically and internationally this fall, was introduced at 'Bett UK 2026,' an educational technology exhibition held in the UK, and 'ISTE Live 26,' an edtech conference in the US. This is an example of combining the content and academy networks of existing education companies with the technology of a startup to jointly pursue product development, distribution, and entry into overseas markets.

Grand Ventures strategically invested in the vegan and clean beauty brand Herbloom this year, expanding its investment scope from edutech and content-centric to the beauty and manufacturing sectors. Last January, it opened 'Grand Soho,' a startup laboratory in Gangnam, Seoul, providing a space to support business experimentation, collaboration, and open innovation for its portfolio companies.

The company utilizes 'Grandi,' an in-house AI analyst, in the investment screening process. The approach involves the AI organizing market and company information to support the review, allowing analysts and partners to focus on areas requiring qualitative judgment, such as the founder's execution ability, team composition, and market understanding.

The company plans to release its proprietary investment screening criteria as open source and establish an investment screening process that formulates hypotheses regarding a company's growth potential and verifies them during the course of business operations. The aim is to reduce the information gap between founders and investors by disclosing the criteria and processes for determining investment decisions to startups.

Han Jeong-gyu, CEO of Grand Ventures, said, “If the past three years were a time to prove our investment philosophy and vision of ‘Thesis-driven,’ ‘DX Innovation,’ and ‘Back and Build,’ the next three years will be a time to execute that approach on a larger scale and across a wider range of areas.”

He added, “Through the AI investment manager Grandi, we have created an environment where investment partners and managers can focus on the qualitative evaluation of founders,” and stated, “We will attempt an investment approach that works in harmony with startups, such as disclosing investment evaluation criteria and establishing a hypothesis-based evaluation process.”

The significance of this capital increase lies in securing investment funds and strengthening the foundation for business cooperation through the participation of strategic partners, such as Omega Point, as shareholders. The success of the second round of investment depends less on the number of portfolio companies and more on how often cases like the Logi Brothers scenario are repeated—where the IP and distribution networks of established companies are connected with the technology of startups to lead to product launches, revenue, and overseas expansion. Furthermore, the use of AI investment managers and open investment criteria to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the evaluation process, as well as Grand Soho's function as a hub supporting post-investment business experiments, are expected to serve as criteria for gauging Grand Ventures' distinctiveness.