The day always starts at the field. He goes to universities, associations, and institutions to get a feel for new technologies and hear about the dreams of entrepreneurs. He walks briskly, wearing a jumper with the company logo engraved near his heart.
“Movement is health. If you move around the field, it becomes exercise naturally.”
He looks so young that his age belies his age of over 50. When asked about his secret to staying healthy, he added with a smile, “These days, I’m even cutting down on carbohydrates.”
“Because I’m interested in AI and healthcare, I often come across news about new technologies like DeepMind, and the world is changing at a frightening pace.”
▲ Investing is about reading opportunities.
SparkLabs has created growth opportunities by investing in over 300 startups over the past 13 years since its establishment in 2012. CEO Kim Ho-min says that the growth of startups is not a sudden explosion, but a process of taking a leap forward by seizing a specific opportunity.
He cited H2O Hospitality as an example, saying, “H2O started out as a cleaning company, then grew to operate an Airbnb Superhost business in Japan, then pivoted to building management and developed a digital hotel backend SaaS solution.” He added, “It was an experience that taught me that a strong vision and execution ability of a company’s CEO ultimately leads a company to success.”
“Our goal is to help technology-based startups grow rapidly on the global stage. It’s rewarding to watch founders challenge and grow. Like a swan, it looks elegant on the water, but it’s constantly moving its feet under the water. You have to meet 100 companies to discover one.”
▲We are the supporting actors, startups are the main characters
CEO Kim Ho-min treats the companies he has invested in like his children.
“How can parents oppose what their children want to do? They trust and support us. The startup is the main character, and we are the supporting characters. More precisely, we are like the parents we meet in society.”
The case of 'Specter' illustrates this. It started as a college student group purchasing platform and failed, but then transitioned to a successful talent verification platform with 160,000 cumulative reputation registered members and a reputation check in 10 seconds.
“Even when I was on the verge of personal bankruptcy, I decided to reinvest after seeing the CEO pay off all his debts and start anew. Now, the company is on a roll, attracting large-scale investments from Vietnamese global VC Do Ventures, U.S. Silicon Valley-based VCs Storm Ventures and Stick Ventures, and domestic companies such as Strong Ventures, Base Investment, and Spark Labs.”
▲'AI·Healthcare', two axes to improve quality of life
“We dream of living a long and healthy life, so as AI technology advances, healthcare will also grow and accelerate medical innovation.” What he is focusing on is the combination of AI and healthcare.
Recently, SparkLabs attracted a 67 billion won AI fund from Saudi Arabia. It is also expanding its business into the healthcare sector, including operating Mediopen Lab and establishing a specialized clinical hospital in Pohang.
“We are focusing on AI and healthcare, and are operating Mediopen Lab, which promotes new drug development and validation research using AI. Although our country has excellent medical infrastructure and technological capabilities, clinical research is highly dependent on overseas countries. We are planning to establish a clinical specialty hospital to supplement this. Through the convergence of AI and healthcare, our country will play an important role in the global bio and healthcare market.”
▲Technology fusion, the power of self-replication
What CEO Kim Ho-min emphasizes is the convergence of technology and ‘self-replication.’ “We need to look at the market broadly. One of the technology trends is the use of hyperspectral cameras for eye examinations. Technology is also being developed to detect early dementia and confirm the possibility of prevention by taking pictures of the eyes, which are close to the brain.”
Entering the global market requires an understanding of each culture.
“Entering overseas markets requires long-term preparation. You need to analyze culture, language, and consumption patterns to succeed. It is important to establish a strategy that suits each market and think about ‘where is the biggest market and where you can grow the fastest.’”
SparkLabs' strength is its strong global network.
“We are supporting the overseas expansion of Korean startups through our global network in Saudi Arabia, the US, Taiwan, and Australia. H2O Hospitality was also able to expand quickly by being recommended the Middle Eastern market instead of the US. In the Middle East, there are many cases where one owner operates dozens or hundreds of hotels. This is because a single contract can provide a big opportunity.”
▲Regulation should be the foundation for innovation
He cited the regulatory environment as a challenge for our country's startup ecosystem. "The U.S. is 'don't do this,' while our country is 'do this.' It stems from differences in legal philosophy."
But I am not pessimistic. “Regulations are a stepping stone for innovation. The government is also trying to change through sandbox systems and other means.”
Unlike 10 years ago when people overseas asked, “Are you from North Korea?”, our companies are now being recognized in the global market. “Now is the time to ask, ‘Can we capture the Korean market first and then have a successful model work overseas?’ Furthermore, we are now in a position to share our experience. Taiwan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and other countries want to benchmark our demo days.”
Looking back on the 13-year journey, “In the past, Korea mainly used B2C clone models that adopted successful overseas models, and the investment environment was also limited. However, now, entrepreneurs have a good understanding of investment terms as well as the global market, and many of them are aiming to enter the global market.”
He said, “We will discover innovative startups centered on AI and healthcare, and support Korean startups to grow in global markets such as the US and the Middle East,” and emphasized, “What is important in the startup ecosystem is mentoring and networks that help founders overcome their difficulties. SparkLabs will be a true partner that helps founders succeed.” 
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