Primer Sazze Partners: Complete Guide to the Cross-Border VC Firm Bridging Korea and Silicon Valley (2025)
Published on FOFs.kr | Korea’s Premier Fund-of-Funds Intelligence Source
What is Primer Sazze Partners? Executive Summary
Primer Sazze Partners is a unique cross-border venture capital firm founded in 2018, specializing in early-stage investments across Korea, Southeast Asia, and North America. With $127 million USD in total fund capacity and over 178 portfolio companies, this San Jose-based firm has emerged as a key bridge between Korean and Silicon Valley startup ecosystems.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Founded: 2018 (7 years experience)
- AUM: $81.5 million USD (with $127M Fund II)
- Portfolio: 178 investments, 118 active companies
- Headquarters: San Jose, California + Seoul, South Korea
- Recognition: Joint venture between Silicon Valley’s Sazze Partners and Korea’s Primer
Primer Sazze Company Profile: Cross-Border VC Innovation
Corporate Overview and Business Model
Company Name: Primer Sazze Partners Inc.
Founded: 2018
Headquarters: San Jose, California (690 Saratoga Ave) + Seoul, South Korea
Legal Status: Joint Venture VC Firm
Investment Focus: Cross-border early-stage investments
Investment Stages: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A (Primary focus)
Primer Sazze’s Mission and Investment Philosophy
Primer Sazze Partners operates on the unique philosophy that “Sazze” represents the student-teacher relationship, emphasizing mutual learning and partnership. The firm’s investment philosophy centers on:
- 🎯 Entrepreneur-First Approach: “We aren’t investors, we are entrepreneurs”
- 📈 Tactical Skills Focus: SEO, product development, content strategy expertise
- 🤝 Long-term Partnerships: Student-teacher relationship philosophy
- 🌏 Global Bridge Building: Connecting East Asia and North America markets
Primer Sazze Leadership: Founders and Team Structure
Kiha Lee | Founding Partner & CEO
- Background: Co-founder of original Sazze, Inc. (2007)
- Experience: E-commerce and advertising technology entrepreneur
- Focus: Cross-border investment strategy
- Email: klee@primersazze.com
Greg Kim | Co-Founder & Partner
- Role: Co-founded Primer Sazze Partners in 2018
- Expertise: Technology investments and startup scaling
- Focus: Portfolio company operational support
- Investment Range: $500K – $3.0M sweet spot
Additional Key Team Members
Co-founder & Partner
Total Team Members
Partners
Venture Partners
Fund Structure and Assets Under Management
$127M
Fund II Target Size
$81.5M
Current AUM (2024)
2
Active Funds
Fund Structure Details
Primer Sazze Fund I
- Size: $42.9 million USD
- Status: Closed and deployed
- Vintage: 2018-2021
Primer Sazze Fund II
- Target Size: $127 million USD
- Status: Active deployment
- LP Base: Korean and international investors
Investment Portfolio: Performance and Statistics
Portfolio Statistics (as of August 2025)
🚀 Recent Notable Investments (2024-2025)
- Liberty Labs: Employee ownership transformation platform
- Dalpha: B2B AI solutions (KRW 12B raised)
- CarbonSaurus: AI-driven carbon accounting
- Upstage: AI services platform ($72M Series B)
💼 Investment Strategy Details
- Check Size: $500K – $3M typical
- Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
- Geography: Korea, US, Southeast Asia
- Role: Usually co-investor, not lead
Investment Strategy: Sectors and Geographic Focus
🤖 Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Focus: AI applications across industries
Examples: Dalpha, Upstage, TainAI
Value-Add: Technical due diligence and scaling support
💰 FinTech & Financial Services
Solutions: Investment platforms, payment tech
Examples: Waiker financial app
Cross-border: Korea-US financial bridge solutions
🛒 E-commerce & Marketplaces
Heritage: Founders’ e-commerce background
Expertise: SEO, content strategy, growth hacking
Support: Operational excellence in digital marketing
🔐 Cybersecurity & Enterprise Software
Focus: B2B software solutions
Stage: Early-stage enterprise startups
Support: Go-to-market strategy and product development
Geographic Investment Distribution
66
South Korea Investments
(Primary market focus)
37
United States Investments
(Silicon Valley bridge)
15+
Southeast Asia Investments
(Regional expansion)
Limited Partners and Fund Structure
Fund II Limited Partner Base
Financial Institutions
- Hana Financial Investment
- Korea Venture Investment (sole LP in Fund I)
- Other Korean financial institutions
Strategic Korean Entrepreneurs
- Saeju Jeong (CEO of Noom)
- Tim Hwang (CEO of FiscalNote)
- John Kim (CEO of SendBird)
- Chang Kim (CEO of Tapas Media)
- Bong-Jin Kim (Founder of Woowa Brothers)
Strategic LP Value-Add
Primer Sazze’s LP structure is designed to provide more than capital. The Korean tech entrepreneur LPs serve as advisors, mentors, and strategic partners, offering:
- 🎯 Market Access: Entry points into both Korean and US markets
- 📝 Advisory Support: Direct mentorship from successful Korean founders
- 🤝 Network Effects: Access to global Korean entrepreneur network
- 🚀 Scaling Expertise: Proven experience in global expansion
The Primer Connection: Korean Accelerator Heritage
Primer Accelerator Legacy
Primer Sazze Partners benefits from its connection to Primer, Korea’s first accelerator, which has been operating since 2010. This heritage provides:
Proven Track Record
- 262 startups invested since 2010
- Major exits: Dailyhotel, Styleshare
- Active portfolio: Myrealtrip, Idus, Soomgo
Operational Expertise
- Batch recruitment and demo day process
- Hands-on accelerator program experience
- Deep Korean startup ecosystem knowledge