Samsung Catalyst Fund
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Venture capital |
| Founded | February 2013 |
| Headquarters | San Jose , United States |
Area served | Global (including Seoul, Tel Aviv, Paris) |
| Parent | Samsung Electronics |
The Samsung Catalyst Fund (SCF) serves as the perpetual venture capital arm of Samsung Electronics, concentrating its investments on startups specializing in deep tech, artificial intelligence, and big data. While its main office is situated in San Jose, California, the fund maintains additional locations in Seoul, Tel Aviv, and Paris.
History
Established in February 2013, the Samsung Catalyst Fund was introduced by Samsung Electronics as a wholly owned investment entity. The announcement took place in Menlo Park, and since its inception, the fund has operated independently from both Samsung Ventures and Samsung NEXT.
Approach
SCF adopts a comprehensive investment approach that spans multiple stages, focusing on emerging companies within sectors such as data center, cloud computing, edge computing, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G, automotive innovation, robotics, and digital healthcare. The fund targets startups that generate significant value and align strategically with Samsung’s corporate goals. Particular attention is given to firms that complement Samsung’s components and semiconductor divisions, especially those advancing cloud infrastructure and the internet of things.
In addition to financial backing, SCF provides its portfolio companies with access to shared resources, networking platforms, corporate development support, and expert mentorship.
Portfolio investments
By May 2021, SCF had invested in over 60 companies, including notable names such as AIMotive, SambaNova, Fungible, Graphcore, SoundHound Inc, Rescale, and Valens Semiconductor. The fund boasts several successful exits where portfolio firms were acquired by major industry players: Argus Cyber Security by Continental AG; Babblelabs by Cisco; Datrium by VMware; Habana Labs by Intel; Mapillary by Facebook; Preventice Solutions by Boston Scientific; Pixeom by Siemens; and Ring by Amazon.
Several of SCF’s investees have gone public, including Innoviz Technologies, which debuted on Nasdaq (INVZ and INVZW) on April 6, 2021, securing $371 million. IonQ also became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker IONQ on March 8, 2021, raising $650 million. Additionally, Valens announced its listing on the NYSE as VLN on May 25, 2021, with plans to raise $240 million.