Saemin Ahn is a partner at multi-stage venture capital firm 500 Global for its Southeast Asia growth initiatives.Prior to 500 Global, Saemin was Founding Managing Partner of Rakuten Ventures, Rakuten Group’s US$285 million corporate VC fund, from 2013 to 2022. He has led investments in over 25 tech companies, including GoTo Group (IDX: GOTO), Carousell, Epic! (acquired by Byju’s), Coda Payments, ViSenze, Algorithmia, and Polymorph (acquired by Walmart) while advising them on their product roadmap and growth strategy. Along with his VC practice, Saemin managed a diverse range of instruments, including public equities, debt and derivatives. He has deep expertise in advising companies on public listings and acquisitions, and helping institutional investors capture the upside of assets while managing volatility. Saemin has also held management roles at Google in Korea and Singapore.Saemin takes a hands-on approach in helping founders and management teams build durable strategies by taking into account competitive dynamics and relevant, timely macroeconomic trends. He shares his investing and company-building insights on international and regional media platforms.
The GCC Club