Insights from Korea – Why Global Capital is Pivoting Toward Europe

Chris Wade spoke at the Global Alternative Investment Conference (GAIC) in Seoul. As global capital markets respond to shifting geopolitical dynamics, Europe is emerging as a prime destination for venture investment, and Chris was front and centre to explore why.

Chris:
Joined Yunji Kim (EDAILY) for a fireside conversation on how global capital is pivoting toward Europe in a changing geopolitical landscape
Moderated a powerhouse panel featuring Pierre Socha (Amadeus Capital), Andrew Hinkly (AP Ventures), Jerry Yang (HCVC), and Solomon Moos (Eurazeo), discussing the future of unlisted companies and the next wave of unicorns

Why the Momentum Has Been Moving to Europe

Venture momentum in Europe has been accelerating, and the data tells a compelling story:

Ownership in European startups has been 20-25% less expensive than in the US, yet over the last five years, European VC returns have outpaced the US (Cambridge Associates).

Europe became home to over 400 unicorns, in cities like London, Berlin, Paris, and beyond.

There is a growing number of European startups were founded by serial entrepreneurs, over 500 companies have been started by alumni of Spotify, Revolut, DeepMind, and others.

This unique mix of lower entry costs, strong exits, and a maturing founder ecosystem has made Europe an increasingly attractive market for global LPs, including those from Korea.

A New Era of Access for Korean LPs

Europe has become more open to international capital. It is a region of rapid innovation and growth, yet in many cases, access has remained unconstrained (for now). This window won’t last forever, and Korean LPs are particularly well-positioned to benefit.

At Isomer, we have actively partnered with Asian LPs because of the strategic value they bring in helping European startups expand into Asia. As the world has adapted to a more fragmented geopolitical order, we’ve seen two major trends accelerating in 2025; the rise of European tech champions and an increasing inflow of scientific and entrepreneurial talent from the US.

How Isomer Capital Has Helped LPs Invest in European VC

Isomer Capital is a Fund-of-Funds. For over a decade, we have invested in the leading VC funds across Europe and helped institutional LPs gain access to top-tier opportunities.

We also offered direct co-investment opportunities alongside our VCs in 2024 alone; we provided 15 co-investments to our LPs. This model helped investors access high-performing startups while building strong, long-term GP relationships.

Betting on Deep Tech: Europe’s New Edge

European startups have made major strides in frontier sectors like AI, biotech, defence tech, and quantum computing.

AI: London has been second only to the US in capital deployed into AI startups. Companies like Synthesia (video avatars) and Eleven Labs (text-to-speech) both surpassed €100M in revenue in under three years.

Biotech: We backed three biotech-focused funds and recently co-invested in Latent Labs, whose Nobel Prize winning founders are pioneering protein design.

At Isomer, we positioned ourselves ahead of the curve through thematic fund strategies, close co-investment collaboration, and early exposure to science based innovation across the continent.

Advice for Korean Investors

For those looking to enter the European VC market, we encouraged building a 1-2 year plan to understand the landscape and form strong relationships. Isomer Capital remains a strategic partner to help guide investors through that journey, aligning objectives with the right strategies, GPs, and opportunities.

If you were also in Korea and didn’t get the chance to connect, feel free to reach out, we’d still love to hear from you. You can reach Chris at cw@isomercapital.com