NEXON & Partners Center launches Kona Global IP Investment Fund
What's the deal? NexonDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has launched a long-term investment program worth up to ₩250 billion, aiming to back innovative intellectual property (IP) from early-stage developers and scale it into global brands. Through its new investment subsidiary, Nexon PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the company teamed with game-focused venture capital firm Kona Venture PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to launch a ₩120 billion strategic fund, the "Kona Global IP Investment Fund."
How it's structured: The fund combines ₩60 billion from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and TourismDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s IP account mother fund, giving NexonDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → roughly twice the leverage of its direct contribution. Kona Venture Partners leads early sourcing and development from seed to Series A; Nexon PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → co-invests in parts of Series A and takes over as a direct investor in later rounds.
Why now? Nexon sees the current AI transition as the ideal moment to secure next-generation IP and technology early. "Innovative new developers have emerged at every technology paradigm shift," the company said, framing the timing as optimal.
What's the endgame? Nexon plans to inject large-scale funding when startups need it most, helping them become self-sustaining global studios. It is targeting new IP with global potential, marketing-driven live-service games, and developers using AI technology.
An open model: The program operates as an "open ecosystem model" rather than forcing publishing contracts. Nexon invests even without a publishing deal, helping developers build independent capabilities — extending the philosophy of its Nexon & Partners CenterDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, launched in 2012.
A company representative said the fund will serve "not as a simple financial investment but as a strategic radar to read market trend shifts quickly and discover promising IP early" (translated from Korean).
What's next? First investment reviews are set to begin in the second half of 2026. Chief investment officer Kim Han-jun said securing next-generation IP and technology ahead of rivals is "Nexon's most important task," adding that public-private cooperation will "fill the gap in the early investment market" (translated from Korean).
The signal: With early-stage funding subdued, Nexon is using government backing to prime the market and lock in long-term business allies for the next decade of global gaming.
Read more: Bizwatch
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
