Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) and Korea Venture Investment Corporation (KVIC) co-hosted the K-Global Deep Konnect IR event in San Francisco on the 11th (local time), bringing 30 South Korean startups together with about 100 representatives from Silicon Valley venture capital firms and asset managers. The startups focus on physical artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous driving and related technologies, while investors included Notable Capital and NEA. The event followed a June memorandum of understanding between KIC and KVIC to support the overseas expansion of South Korean startups. KIC and KVIC provided investor networks, the Korea Innovation Center under South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT connected the startups, and Korean-American companies also participated. KIC, South Korea's sole sovereign wealth fund, manages $243.2 billion and is using its overseas network to act as an intermediary between the country's venture ecosystem and U.S. capital markets. Park Yu-mi, head of KIC's San Francisco office, said the event established a bridgehead for cooperation and that KIC would continue supporting the local Korean venture and startup community.