Top 50 Emerging Leaders 2021 continued (in alphabetical order by CVC unit): Michael Falcon, managing director, LG Technology Ventures
“Michael demonstrates true leadership in every aspect – as a managing director within our investment team, he not only provides guidance and advice on venture investing, but also exhibits professional and emotional maturity to lead by example,” said Dong-Su Kim, chief executive of LG Technology Ventures (LGV), the South Korea-listed diversified conglomerate’s corporate venture capital (CVC) arm.
“Also, leveraging his technical expertise, Michael have worked on deep technology deals, including Element Energy and Forge Nano which helped forge a collaborative relationship with our research and development teams,” Kim added.
Michael Falcon joined LGV in 2018 and helps manage and lead the entire investment process, including sourcing deals, conducting due diligence, closing investments, managing portfolio companies and helping to harvest them.
Falcon said: “I was attracted to CVC and to LG Technology Ventures, because LGV is a relatively new CVC team that was set up by Dong-Su Kim, who is an experienced and proven CVC leader. I was particularly attracted to LGV to help it grow as a new LG organisation started in May 2018. My team and I have been given a significant opportunity to shape and influence a new CVC group for long-term success.”
LGV is managing over $400m of fund assets and invests in early-stage startups in artificial intelligence, mobility, advanced materials, life-sciences, next generation display, mobile and 5G. The unit strives to create value to its portfolio companies by helping them develop strategic partnerships with various LG Companies.
“My greatest successes so far have been to help build the processes and procedures of LGV, given that it is a new CVC organisation,” continued Falcon. “I am also proud of my current deeptech investments, particularly the ones related to battery-related technologies including leading the investment into Element Energy and investing in Forge Nano.”
Falcon has over 12 years of deeptech and IT-focused venture capital experience. He had been a managing partner at Bandgap Ventures, which targets physical science technology investing in advanced materials, manufacturing and electronics. He began his VC career at Alara Capital (formerly Guggenheim Venture Partners), financial services firm Guggenheim Partners’ VC group.
