About Forest Partners
Forest Partners is a venture capital firm founded in 2016. It is primarily based out of Seoul, South Korea. As of May 2026, Forest Partners is an active investor, having invested in 27 companies, with 2 new investments in the last 12 months. It primarily invests in Series A round in South Korea based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from Consumer to High Tech and Enterprise Applications. Most recently it participated in the $***** Series B round of Motiftech Overall, Forest Partners portfolio has seen 2 unicorns and 2 IPOs including key companies like FADU, Tridge and JEJU BEER. A lot of funds co-invest with Forest Partners, with names like Smile Gate Investment sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. Forest Partners has team of 22 people including 7 partners.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Locations
Rounds of Entry
Series A, Series B & 1 more
Portfolio IPOs
Portfolio Soonicorns
Deals in last 12 months
Forest Partners' List of Top Investments
Forest Partners has a portfolio of 27 companies, including 2 unicorns. Their most notable investments are in zero5 and Tridge.Their portfolio spans across South Korea, United States, India and 1 more locations. They have invested in Consumer, High Tech, Enterprise Applications and 19 other sectors, across stages such as Series A, Series B and 1 more. Here is the list of top investments by Forest Partners:
1. FADU
Developer of customizable SSD controllers and firmware. This company designs and builds SSDs, offering both turnkey solutions and components for clients to integrate into their own designs. They provide customized firmware to meet specific customer needs, enabling unique SSD solutions. The company also offers flash consignment services, encompassing design, customization, manufacturing, branding, and packaging.
Key facts about FADU
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: Seoul (South Korea)
- Annual Revenue: $10M - $50M as on Dec 31, 2022
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $32.2M
- Employee Count: 498 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Smile Gate Investment, Positive Investment and 6 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Mar 03, 2023, $*****
2. TagHive
Provider of AI-powered, Bluetooth clicker-based educational solutions for students and teachers. The company offers tools for personalized learning, real-time assessments, and performance tracking. These solutions aim to enhance engagement and provide insights for educators and administrators. The platform provides resources such as assessment questions, concept cards, and videos.
Key facts about TagHive
- Founded Year: 2017
- Location: Seoul (South Korea)
- Annual Revenue: ₹10 - ₹50 Cr as on Mar 31, 2025
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $2.5M
- Employee Count: 22 as on Jul 31, 2025
- Investors: Samsung Venture Investment, Forest Partners and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Dec 21, 2021, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
3. Tridge
B2B platform connecting buyers and suppliers in the food, agriculture, and marine sectors. The platform combines data analytics, market intelligence, and human expertise to streamline cross-border trade. The platform offers tools for supplier matching, pricing insights, import and export data, and logistics support.
Key facts about Tridge
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: Seoul (South Korea)
- Annual Revenue: $100M - $500M as on Dec 31, 2022
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series D
- Total Funding till date: $121M
- Employee Count: 246 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: SBVA, Ericsson and 4 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series D, Aug 24, 2022, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
4. AutoX
AI-enabled platform offering solutions for self-drive vehicles and grocery delivery services. It offers various services like Robotaxi offers autonomous taxi services. Robo trucks for grocery deliveries. It has developed a full-stack level-4 autonomous driving technology combining real-time camera vision, sensors, and AI software. It offers a mobile application through which users can order groceries and get them delivered to their doorstep through its customized Lincoln MKZ car equipped with AutoX's self-driving system.
Key facts about AutoX
- Founded Year: 2016
- Location: San Jose (United States)
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $267M
- Employee Count: 188 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: DHVC, MediaTek and 16 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Apr 13, 2020, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
5. Aizen
Provider of AI-driven banking-as-a-service platform. This platform bridges the credit gap between data-rich businesses and banks. It facilitates lending by processing data into loanable information using AI, enabling banks to make data-driven decisions and expand credit access. The platform offers financing options for e-commerce and e-mobility borrowers, leveraging real-time data analysis to assess risk and determine optimal financing conditions. The AI engine is designed to solve various financial services challenges, improving access to credit and enhancing the efficiency of lending processes. The platform also incorporates embedded finance models, seamlessly integrating financial services into various business operations.
Key facts about Aizen
- Founded Year: 2016
- Location: Seoul (South Korea)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $4.2M
- Employee Count: 33 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Plug and Play APAC, Kite Entrepreneurship Foundation and 6 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, May 15, 2020, $*****
Forest Partners' Year-on-Year Investment Trends
Forest Partners has invested in 27 companies over the last 7 years, with an average of 2 new investments annually in the last 5 years. As of May 2026, it has made 2 investments in this year. Its most recent first time investment was in Motiftech and most recent follow-on round was in Tridge.Year | No. of Investments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1st Round | Follow-on | Total | |
2026 (YTD) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2023 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
2020 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
2019 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Forest Partners' Investments by Stage
Forest Partners has made 5 investments in Series A stage with an average round size of $20.8M, 4 investments in Series B stage with an average round size of $14.3M and 2 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $2M.Stage of entry | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Series A | 5 |
Series B | 4 |
Seed | 2 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Forest Partners' Investments by Sector
Forest Partners has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Consumer, Enterprise Applications, Auto Tech, FinTech and High Tech. Notably, it has invested in 16 Tech companies, 11 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 10 Consumer (B2C) companies and at least 9 companies focusing on Software.Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Consumer | 4 |
Enterprise Applications | 3 |
Auto Tech | 2 |
FinTech | 2 |
High Tech | 2 |
Others | 11 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Forest Partners' Investments by Geography
Forest Partners has made most investments in South Korea (8), followed by United States where it has made 2 investments.Country | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
South Korea | 8 |
United States | 2 |
India | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Forest Partners' recent investments
Forest Partners has made 2 investments in 2026 so far - Motiftech and Aim Intelligence.Here are the most recent investments by Forest Partners:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 27, 2026 | - | Series B | 5383 | ||
Apr 10, 2026 | South Korea | Series A | 5416 | ||
May 15, 2024 | South Korea | Seed | 4570 | - | |
Jul 24, 2023 | South Korea | Series B | 2429 | [+2] | |
Jul 06, 2023 | South Korea | Series A | 5306 | - |
Unicorns in Forest Partners' Portfolio
Forest Partners has 2 unicorns in its portfolio - FADU and Tridge. The most recent unicorn in their portfolio is FADU. It became a unicorn in 2023.Here is a list of unicorns in Forest Partners' portfolio:
Tracxn Score | Company | Short Description | Founded year | Sector | Location | Company Stage | First Investment/ Acquisition Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
71 | Developer of customizable SSD controllers and firmware | 2015 | Seoul | Series B | chqqpdr | ||
61 | B2B platform connecting buyers and suppliers in the food, agriculture, and marine sectors | 2015 | Seoul | Series D | rgijfmp |
IPOs and Publicly Listed companies in Forest Partners' Portfolio
2 of Forest Partners' portfolio companies have become public. JEJU BEER got listed on the Korea Exchange (KRX), in May 2021 at marketcap of $160M and Jcontentree got listed on the Korea Exchange (KRX).Here are Forest Partners' portfolio companies that went public:
Company | IPO Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
May 26, 2021 | - | - | 7537 | |
Mar 23, 2000 | - | - | 6341 |
Team profile of Forest Partners
Forest Partners has a team of 22 members including 7 Partners and 2 Principals located in South Korea and United States. Forest Partners' team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Here is a list of top team members in Forest Partners:
Name | Designation | Location | Board Memberships | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partner | South Korea | - | ||
Partner | - | - | ||
Partner | Seoul | - | ||
Partner | New York City | - | ||
Partner | - | - | ||
Partner | Seoul | - | ||
Partner | - | - | ||
Principal | - | - | ||
Principal | Seoul | - |
Co-investors of Forest Partners
Over the past 7 years, 28 investors have co-invested in Forest Partners's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before Forest Partners: Joon Hyon, SBVA and 10 others have invested in rounds before Forest Partners. There is 1 company where Joon Hyon has invested before Forest Partners and 1 company where SBVA has invested before Forest Partners.
- Top Co-investors of Forest Partners: 12 investors entered a company along with Forest Partners. These include investors like Smile Gate Investment (2 companies).
- Invested after Forest Partners: A total of 4 investors have invested in Forest Partners's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include DS (1 company), LG (1 company) and Hyundai Motor Company (1 company).
Recent News related to Forest Partners
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The day after tomorrow, forms a strategic partnership with AMD and attracts 30 billion won in investment.Venture Square•Oct 26, 2023•Moreh, AMD, KT, Smile Gate Investment and 1 other
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South Korean Ag Hub Tridge Closes on $37M to Remove Barriers in Conventional Ag TradingGlobal AgInvesting•Aug 31, 2022•Tridge, DS, SoftBank Group, Forest Partners and 1 other
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Samsung-backed EdTech TagHive Raises $2.5M In Series A FundingEdTechReview•Dec 22, 2021•TagHive, Forest Partners
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Korean agritech marketplace’s valuation rises to $500m as it bags series C moneyTech in Asia•Jul 12, 2021•Tridge, Forest Partners
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