Investing on the frontier of science carries excessive danger, unsure outcomes, and lengthy commercialization timelines. On the BEYOND Expo 2025 International Funding Summit in Macao, this actuality was on the middle of debate as Asia’s main enterprise traders debated the way forward for deep expertise. Moderated by James Jung, founder and CEO of beSUCCESS Media Group, the panel explored how braveness, failure, and founder evolution outline the trail from breakthrough science to world markets.
International Funding Summit at BEYOND Expo 2025: Betting on Deep Innovation
On Could 23, 2025, the International Funding Summit of BEYOND Expo 2025 hosted a session titled “The Braveness of Betting on Deep Innovation.”
The panel introduced collectively three seasoned traders: Oh Hyoung Kwon of FuturePlay, Harry Wang of Linear Capital, and Harry Man of MPC (previously Matrix Companions China).
Guiding the dialog was James Jung, the founder and CEOof beSUCCESS Media Group, a number one platform connecting Korea’s startup ecosystem with world enterprise networks.
Collectively, the panel framed deep tech as a frontier outlined by synthetic intelligence, semiconductors, robotics, quantum computing, and new supplies. These are areas the place breakthroughs may reshape whole industries, however the place the street from lab to market stays fraught with uncertainty.
Defining Deep Tech: Frontier Sectors and International Funding Realities
Panelists started the BEYOND Expo 2025 session by outlining their respective agency’s philosophies and expertise in backing deep tech startups.
- FuturePlay, energetic since 2013, has invested in 260+ firms, with a concentrate on AI, robotics, and healthcare options tailor-made to Korea’s ageing demographics.
- Linear Capital, with $2 billion beneath administration, began with AI/information startups and has since expanded into frontier biology and supplies discovery.
- MPC, with $10 billion AUM, traditionally a shopper web participant, has transitioned into deep tech, now investing at post-technical inflection factors.
Whereas definitions diversified, a shared view emerged: deep tech is anchored in science-driven, high-barrier innovation. As Harry Man famous,
“Deep tech is deeper than AI… it’s about elementary physics and chemistry.”
FuturePlay’s Oh Younger Kwon cited Korean healthtech corporations VUNO and Neurophet as examples, whereas Harry Wang highlighted Horizon Robotics, an AI chipmaker Linear Capital backed early that went public after 11 years with a $15 billion valuation.
Now, for Harry Wang, success means crossing three chasms,
“From expertise to product, product to commercialization, and commercialization to scale.”
Deep Tech Founder Mindsets: Korea, China, and International Classes
beSUCCESS Media Group CEO James Jung then navigated the BEYOND Expo 2025 dialog towards regional dynamics: how do Korean and Chinese language founders strategy deep tech in a different way?
Oh Younger Kwon noticed that Korean founders function in a restricted home market, which compels them to undertake a global-first mindset. This mentality, he famous, is rooted in Korea’s entrepreneurial legacy, formed by each startups and main companies akin to Samsung and Hyundai.
“Korean founders know Korea isn’t sufficiently big to construct the following decacorn. Their mentality is constructed to increase globally.”
In the meantime, Harry Wang contrasted this with China’s huge unified market, which fosters what he referred to as a “technical romance” — daring ambitions to construct lasting legacies. He then cited DJI and Deepseek as examples of visionary founders, describing Chinese language entrepreneurs as pushed by beliefs the place “the celebs are their vacation spot and the ocean their battlefield.”
Each fashions carry strengths and dangers, however the panel agreed that adaptability and openness to world collaboration will form long-term success.
Managing Danger and Founder Evolution in Deep Tech Funding
Now, if deep tech is inherently high-risk, how do traders determine which bets to make?
Harry Man acknowledged that for MPC, the main focus is later-stage entry, after firms have confirmed their science and began product improvement.
“The primary 5 years are the toughest. But when founders can evolve past their technical roots, they will construct enterprises.”
In contrast, FuturePlay and Linear Capital thrive within the earliest phases. For them, technical mastery is non-negotiable, however administration expertise can come later. Throughout the dialogue, Harry Wang stated,
“We don’t care in the event that they lack administration expertise. What issues is the willingness to be taught and remodel”
Oh Hyoung Kwon agreed, emphasizing that whereas early-stage deep tech founders might not be good, they need to show world-class technical capability and robust talent-scouting expertise.
“Founders should be the perfect of their discipline. Different points — administration, PR, HR — will be supported by traders.”
Lastly, panelists on the BEYOND Expo 2025 session agreed on one key level: a founder’s private evolution units the ceiling for an organization’s progress. As Harry Man summarized the concepts,
“If there’s one single factor we have a look at, it’s the founder’s functionality to evolve and be taught.”
Classes from Failure
Moreover, no deep-tech dialog could be full with out discussing failure. When James Jung turned the dialogue to the challenges and failed experiences, Oh Hyoung Kwon was candid in his statements to the beSUCCESS Media Group CEO,
“For early traders, failure is nearly the norm. Our success charge is about 50%. However the frequent errors we see within the founders come from managing folks: hiring mistaken individual, not prepared to evolve, and not likely understanding their functionality. Much more so after they increase tons of cash.”
Equally, Linear Capital’s Harry Wang described failure as a “frequent buddy”. He revealed that whereas eight out of ten early-stage bets might fail, the uncommon successes usually pay for all the fund. He then added that the actual danger lies on the extremes: founders who’re both too technical or too visionary, with out the stability wanted to construct a sustainable enterprise.
That’s the reason Harry Wang additionally emphasised the significance of nuanced judgment, developed via expertise and formed by previous errors,
“The final rule is data-driven emotional determination. That’s the half that’s so delicate and exhausting to precise. As a result of in the long run, numerous errors we had previously ultimately get us to the place we’re immediately.”
But, different views of failures in deep-tech funding got here from MPC’s Harry Man, who highlighted the price of “misses,” referring to promising firms that slip by as a result of traders select to not interact early sufficient.
“There are folks passing by in entrance of us and also you select to not put money into them for all the fitting motive after which they transform the Mark Zuckerberg.”
Harry Man then mirrored on the turnaround of EV maker Xpeng, which recovered from a steep valuation drop. He credited the corporate’s resilience to its founder, emphasizing,
“The CEO is what brings the corporate to the long run.”
Why This Issues for Korea’s Startup Ecosystem
This session from the BEYOND Expo 2025 – International Funding Summit carried particular weight for Korea’s position in world innovation.
With James Jung on the helm, beSUCCESS Media Group bolstered its position as a bridge between Korean startups and the worldwide enterprise neighborhood. This perform is particularly crucial in South Korea, the place the home market is restricted, and subsequently world scale not only a aim, however a structural necessity.
Classes like this underscore why Korean deep tech ventures should be designed with world ambition from the beginning.
As well as, the dialogue additionally brings clear message for deep tech founders: technical excellence should be matched by management progress, world mindset, and the resilience to navigate lengthy timelines. Constructing world-class firms means evolving past technical expertise and embracing the complexity of world scale.
As for traders, the self-discipline lies in persistence — not dashing returns however recognizing long-term potential, even when it’s not but apparent. As a result of in deep tech, the true reward involves those that keep via the unsure center — backing founders who’re nonetheless turning into the leaders they should be.
This alignment — of imaginative and prescient, danger urge for food, and ecosystem assist — will decide whether or not South Korea produces not simply breakthrough applied sciences, however enduring world firms.
Deep Tech Calls for Persistence, Imaginative and prescient — and Braveness
Finally, the BEYOND Expo 2025 panel on Deep Tech Innovation unveiled one indisputable fact: deep tech breakthroughs include equally daunting timelines and dangers. It signifies that success on this discipline depends upon investor persistence, founder adaptability, and the braveness to assist concepts which will take years — and even a long time — to totally materialize.
And immediately, South Korea stands at a pivotal second. Platforms like Pangyo Techno Valley, KAIST, and the TIPS program are already constructing a brand new technology of frontier startups — not solely advancing core applied sciences but additionally strengthening world competitiveness.
Subsequently, by framing the session round “deep innovation,” beSUCCESS Media Group helped place Korea’s ecosystem on the middle of world funding conversations — connecting native potential with the worldwide networks that can form the following wave of technological transformation.
Watch the complete panel dialogue within the video right here.
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