Venture capital (VC) Smilegate Investment has named Baek In-su, Deputy Minister, as the next CEO.
On the 9th, Smilegate Investment said it has named Baek In-su, head of Investment Division 1 and Deputy Minister, as the next chief and will officially appoint Baek after the regular shareholders meeting. The full term begins in April.
The incoming chief, Baek In-su, previously worked in the semiconductor division at Samsung Electronics and joined Smilegate Investment in 2011 after completing the second class of KAVA (Korea Advanced Venture-capitalist Academy).
Since then, for about 15 years, Baek has led the entire investment process firsthand—from sourcing early-stage startups to forming large funds, public listings (IPOs), and exits—advancing in step with the company's growth.
A signature achievement for the incoming chief is the investment in VUNO, Korea's first AI medical corporations. From the initial investment in 2016 to listing on KOSDAQ, Baek supported the company and achieved a return of more than 10 times.
Centered on Baek, Smilegate Investment plans to deepen investments in industries with strong technological competitiveness and in scale-up stage corporations, while accelerating global expansion anchored by its U.S. subsidiary.
Meanwhile, CEO Nam Gi-mun will step down after the regular shareholders meeting. Nam is expected to remain with the company to provide back-end support for organizational stability and fundraising.