About Shield Investment
Shield Investment is a venture capital firm founded in 2018. It is primarily based out of Seoul, South Korea. It primarily invests in South Korea based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from Life Sciences to High Tech and Enterprise Applications. Overall, Shield Investment portfolio has seen 2 unicorns, 28 IPOs and 4 acquisitions including key companies like Yanolja, OliX Pharmaceuticals and SM Entertainment.Key Metrics
Portfolio Sectors
Portfolio Locations
Portfolio IPOs
Portfolio Acquisitions
Portfolio Unicorns
Portfolio Soonicorns
Shield Investment's List of Top Investments
Shield Investment has a portfolio of 52 companies, including 2 unicorns. Their most notable investments include Yanolja and Naver.Their portfolio spans across South Korea, United States, India and 1 more locations. They have invested in Life Sciences, High Tech, Enterprise Applications and 18 other sectors. Here is the list of top investments by Shield Investment:
1. Yanolja
Yanolja is an online marketplace for hotel rooms, love motels, B&Bs, and other accommodations. Users can search, compare & book hotels and other accommodations after providing relevant details. Maintains separate portals/apps for last-minute deals and B&Bs. Its mobile app is available for iOS and Android devices.
Key facts about Yanolja
- Founded Year: 2005
- Location: Seoul (South Korea)
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series E
- Total Funding till date: $1.94B
- Investors: GIC, SoftBank Vision Fund and 9 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series E, Jul 15, 2021, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
2. Naver
Provider of a keyword based search engine platform. The platform enables users to search for various information by providing keywords. Also, users can get daily news, weather forecasts, entertainment data, and more. It also offers other solutions such as communication and online shopping.
Key facts about Naver
- Founded Year: 1999
- Location: Seongnam-si (South Korea)
- Stage: Funding Raised
- Investors: Shield Investment, Partners Investment and 8 Others
3. True Balance
Provider of personal loans and prepaid payment instruments via mobile wallet. It facilitates personal loans to salaried and self-employed individuals, with loan limits determined by credit score and income. It also provides a mobile wallet that facilitates recharges and bill payments.
Key facts about True Balance
- Founded Year: 2014
- Location: Gurugram (India)
- Annual Revenue: ₹500 - ₹1,000 Cr as on Mar 31, 2025
- Stage: Series D
- Total Funding till date: $67M
- Employee Count: 119 as on Mar 31, 2025
- Investors: ICICI Bank, SBVA and 44 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Conventional Debt, Mar 09, 2026, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
Developer of RNAi therapeutics for dermal, ophthalmic, and pulmonary diseases. Its drug pipeline includes OLX101 for the treatment of Skin Scar (licensed out to Huge Inc.), OLX201 for the treatment of Lung fibrosis, OLX301 for the treatment of Wet AMD/Retinal Fibrosis, OLX701 for liver fibrosis. Other products include OLX102 for skin whitening and OLX105 to get rid of wrinkles. The company's technology is based on three types of RNA: Small interfering RNA (siRNA), Asymmetric siRNA (siRNA), and Cell-penetrating asymmetric siRNA (cp-siRNA).
Key facts about OliX Pharmaceuticals
- Founded Year: 2010
- Location: Suwon-si (South Korea)
- Stage: Public
- Employee Count: 60 as on Aug 31, 2026
- Investors: Weiss Asset Management, Solidus Investment and 16 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Post IPO, Jun 02, 2026, $*****
- Highlight: Public
Key facts about SM Entertainment
- Founded Year: 1991
- Location: Seoul (South Korea)
- Stage: Acquired
- Employee Count: 181 as on Aug 31, 2026
- Investors: Kakao, Shield Investment and 1 Other
- Latest Funding Round: Post IPO, Nov 03, 2022, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
Unicorns in Shield Investment's Portfolio
Shield Investment has 2 unicorns in its portfolio - Yanolja and Bluehole Studio. The most recent unicorn in their portfolio is Yanolja. It became a unicorn in 2019, 7 years before Shield Investment first invested in it.Here is a list of unicorns in Shield Investment's portfolio:
Filter this listTracxn Score | Company | Short Description | Founded year | Sector | Location | Company Stage | First Investment/ Acquisition Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
76 | Online Agency for Accommodations | 2005 | Seoul | Series E | kszrgza | ||
45 | Video game developer specializing in MMORPG | 2007 | Seongnam-si | Series C | iyc{uci |
IPOs and Publicly Listed companies in Shield Investment's Portfolio
28 of Shield Investment's portfolio companies have become public. Dowooinsys got listed on the Korea Exchange (KRX), in Jul 2025 at marketcap of $250M and Ecoeye got listed on the Korea Exchange (KRX) at marketcap of $264M.Here are Shield Investment's portfolio companies that went public:
Company | IPO Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jul 23, 2025 | - | - | 7858 | |
Nov 21, 2023 | - | - | 7503 | |
May 18, 2023 | - | - | 8462 | |
Mar 16, 2021 | - | - | 9662 | |
Feb 03, 2021 | - | - | 2633 |
Acquired companies in Shield Investment's Portfolio
4 companies from Shield Investment's portfolio have been acquired. The most recent acquisition was Remember in Aug 2025 by EQT for $*****.Here are Shield Investment's portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aug 10, 2025 | - | - | 8033 | |
Feb 16, 2023 | - | - | 1228 | |
Feb 13, 2023 | - | - | 7343 | |
Dec 16, 2021 | - | - | 2175 |
