The Korea Playbook for Bay Area Physical AI Founders

Antler Korea and US Teams are bringing together founders, investors, and operators working across physical AI, robotics, hardware, and emerging technology in San Francisco to discuss the state of physical AI in Asia/South Korea and what it means for US startups. We'll explore where Korea fits into the global physical AI landscape, what makes an Asia strategy credible, and how founders can turn technical advantage into real deployment, commercial partnerships, and scale. Speakers Taehong HuhManaging Partner, GS Futures Taehong is Managing Partner at GS Futures, the corporate venture capital arm backed by the $57b South Korean conglomerate GS Group. Based in the Bay Area, he works with global startups across physical AI & robotics, energy, the built environment, and industrial technology, connecting venture investment with commercialization opportunities across the GS ecosystem. He brings a corporate investment perspective on what it takes for emerging technologies to move beyond technical promise and into real industrial partnerships and deployment.Sungjoon Cho Founder & Managing Partner, Fortitude Ventures Sungjoon is an early-stage investor focused on AI, robotics, and autonomy. An electrical engineer by training, he previously worked on Samsung's mobile processors and has invested across Formation8, Amasia, D20 Capital, and now Fortitude Ventures. Diane Choi Investor, Samsung Next Ventures Diane is an investor at Samsung Next Ventures, investing across emerging technology. She brings a corporate venture perspective on evaluating frontier technology companies and how startups can engage with global technology and industrial ecosystems. Jiho Kang Partner, Antler Korea Jiho is a serial entrepreneur and investor who has built companies across Seoul and Silicon Valley. He cofounded YC backed Soomgo(acquired 2024), and BxB which was acquired by Binance. Today, he backs globally ambitious founders at Antler Korea and works with international founders navigating Korea's startup and industrial ecosystem. What we'll get into The Asia / Korea LandscapeWhere Korea is genuinely underrated next to Japan and Taiwan as US hardware manufacturing shifts away from China - and where it isn't. Capturing the OpportunityWhat makes an Asia strategy credible to an investor versus simply another slide in the deck, what founders need to demonstrate when approaching industrial partners, and why Korean capital, including corporate venture arms like Samsung Next and GS Futures, tends to be more willing to underwrite the multi-year, capex-heavy path physical AI often requires. From Technology to DeploymentWhere founders lose six months, what it takes to move from technical validation to real-world deployment, and whether founders need to be on the ground in Asia or can succeed with the right network and presence. Who this is for Founders building physical AI, robotics, hardware, semiconductor, and industrial technology companies Technical leads and operators responsible for manufacturing, deployment, or business development Investors and ecosystem operators tracking applied deep tech in the Bay Area Founders exploring Korea or Asia for customers, manufacturing, deployment, or expansion This is not designed as a beginner-level AI overview or general mixer. Event Details Date: Monday, September 21, 2026Time: 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM PDTLocation: Antler San Francisco, 144 Townsend StFormat: Panel discussion, food, drinks & networkingLanguage: English Food and drinks will be provided! What Happens 5:00 PM - Doors open, food, drinks & networking 5:15 PM - Welcome & Korea ecosystem introduction 5:30 PM - Panel discussion 6:20 PM - Audience Q&A 6:30 PM - Open networking 7:30 PM - Official close About Antler Antler is a global venture capital firm that helps exceptional founders build Further, Faster. Operating across 27 locations worldwide, Antler has supported and invested in more than 1,800 startups and was ranked the world's most active early-stage investor by PitchBook in both 2024 and 2025. Its global portfolio includes Airalo, Lovable, PixVerse, Wrtn, Sona, Salmon, Reebelo, Reditus Space, Imitation Machines, Standard Electron, and Type I Compute, spanning AI, enterprise software, robotics, semiconductors, aerospace, and other frontier technologies. Antler supports founders from initial investment through customer introductions, market validation, global expansion, and follow-on funding.