The Asan Nanum Foundation (Chairperson Eom Yun-mi) officially opened "MaruSF," its first overseas base and short-term global community hub, in San Mateo, California, on the 12th (local time). MaruSF, established by the foundation to provide practical support for startups entering the US market, is expected to serve as a crucial bridgehead for companies targeting the global market.
The MaruSF opening ceremony was attended by approximately 100 guests, including Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-joon of the Asan Nanum Foundation, Chairman Eom Yun-mi, the foundation's board of directors, Consul General Lim Jeong-taek of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco, and domestic and international investors and entrepreneurs. The event consisted of welcoming and congratulatory remarks, project introductions, sharing of membership startup case studies, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a house tour.
In his congratulatory remarks, Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-joon stated, "MaruSF will serve as a solid foundation for entrepreneurs seeking to unleash their limitless potential on the global stage." Consul General Lim Jeong-taek also expressed his consulate's commitment to support, saying, "It is significant in that it provides housing and community space to startups entering the US market early on."
Jeong Nam-i, Executive Director of the Asan Nanum Foundation, emphasized, "MaruSF will serve as a bridgehead for establishing a practical connection with the Silicon Valley ecosystem." The foundation collaborated with approximately 20 partners to operate MaruSF, and a total of 53 membership startups participated during the pilot period.
At the event, representatives of membership startups shared their experiences entering the US market and how they leveraged MaruSF. Cho Yong-won, COO of Wardle, cited his experience winning first place in the OpenAI GPT-5 Hackathon to explain the impact of MaruSF's support. Kim Hyo-jun, CEO of @, stated, "Localization is essential for entering Silicon Valley, and MaruSF is fulfilling that role."
A house tour following the ribbon-cutting ceremony showcased the main and annex residential and community facilities, designed to support entrepreneurial collaboration and growth. Representatives from startups Skin Seoul and Libotics also announced plans to expand into the US market.
“MaruSF is a core infrastructure connecting the Korean and U.S. startup ecosystems, and will become a global community hub that realizes the ‘frontier entrepreneurship spirit,’” said Eom Yun-mi, president of the Asan Nanum Foundation, adding that the foundation will continue to expand its membership partner network and support startups entering the U.S. market.
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