a16z officially establishes Seoul office, initially focusing on the crypto space

# Silicon Valley VC Giant a16z Officially Launches Seoul Office, Puts Crypto as Initial Focus Silicon Valley’s top venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) officially opened its Seoul office on June 15, according to local business outlet Chosun Biz. The move comes roughly six months after the firm unveiled its Asian expansion plan last December. A16z cited South Korea’s global strengths in sectors including AI, manufacturing, defense, crypto, content, and consumer goods, along with its top-tier tech talent pool and robust market adoption, as key factors for choosing Seoul as its strategic hub in Asia. The Seoul-based office will kick off with a focus on the crypto sector before gradually expanding its business scope. As an early-stage investor, a16z has backed global tech heavyweights like SpaceX, Instagram, Facebook, and Airbnb in their formative stages. The firm has named Park Sung-mo as its new Asia-Pacific Go-to-Market (GTM) Lead for Crypto, who will be based in Seoul. Drawing on his experience at Naver and the Monad Foundation, Park will support a16z’s portfolio companies in entering the South Korean and broader Asian markets. A16z emphasized its involvement goes beyond pure investment. The firm will help portfolio companies grow through multiple channels: talent recruitment, business expansion, policy collaboration, media support, and building partner communities.