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Bumsoo Kim

Global VC Partner / Vice President
at Translink Investment, Seoul / Silicon Valley

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Expertise / Investment Focus

  • B2B SaaS, AI (ML), Digital Healthcare, cross-border investments between Korea & the U.S., growth capital, tech startups.

Education

  • Yonsei University, B.S. Electrical Engineering (1988-1995)

Career Timeline

  • 1995-1999: Business Development Manager, Samsung Corporation

    • Defined next-generation IT product strategies and created worldwide business opportunities by connecting startups with Samsung’s capital and global sales network.

  • 2000-2003: Director, KTB Network

    • Focused on global IT investments and built partnerships between U.S. portfolio companies and Korean corporations such as Samsung and LG.

  • 2003-2008: Principal, KTB Ventures

    • Led investments in semiconductor, wireless, and consumer electronics companies including Beceem (Broadcom), Inphi (NASDAQ IPO), Magnum (GigPeak), Bitfone (HP), and Berkana Wireless (Qualcomm).

  • 2008-2017: Founder & CEO, Brightstorm

    • Built and scaled an online education platform providing engaging video-based study tools for high school students, reaching 300k monthly visitors.

  • 2017-2025: Managing Partner, Translink Investment

    • Invested in software companies across Korea and the U.S., helping founders adopt Silicon Valley practices such as data-driven decision-making and global scaling strategies.

Interview Summary

In this Future Funders:
Career Spotlight interview, I spoke with Bumsoo Kim, Vice President at Translink Investment, about his career in venture capital and startup investing.

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The conversation covers:

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  • General Questions about VC / Startups:
    What it takes to become a good venture capitalist, whether VCs focus on specific industries or maintain diverse portfolios, and the differences between the Korean startup ecosystem and Silicon Valley.

  • Questions Related to Startups:

    The most important factors he considers when selecting a company to invest in, the qualities of a successful founder or CEO, and the differences between investing in early-stage versus later-stage startups.

  • Questions Related to Industry Trends:

    The industries he is paying close attention to in the current venture capital market, trends in autonomous vehicles and robotics, and his outlook on the growth potential of the autonomous driving market.

  • Questions for Teenagers Interested in Startups or VC:

    Advice for teenagers starting their own businesses, tips for those wanting to work in venture capital, and guidance for young investors learning about companies and stocks.

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