Kyuseung (Keith) Noh, vice-president at Hyundai Motor Group, is one of the 100 leading corporate venturing professionals in our 2026 Powerlist.
When Kyuseung (Keith) Noh was promoted to vice-president at Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) at the end of 2024, he took charge of its integrated open innovation ecosystem where Hyundai Cradle, Zer01ne and affiliate-level units like Hyundai Mobis collaborate to scout, invest in and nurture startups to transform HMG into a future mobility service provider.
This is a vital role. Hyundai has committed KRW14.4 trillion ($1bn) for strategic investments over a 10-year period through 2033 and its pace of investing has accelerated with dozens of deals since the start of 2025, including Qnovo and Video Rebirth so far this year.
Previously, Noh had spent six months as head of Hyundai’s open innovation strategy group in Seoul that organised the integration of the regional Cradles teams with the Zer01ne funds and accelerator in South Korea helping act as a corporate venture builder developing 36 startups. The $90m Zer01ne Fund III announced in May 2025 is a strategic investment fund backed by 10 group affiliates, including Kia Corporation and Hyundai Mobis.
Founded in 2017, Hyundai Cradle, which stands for Center for Robotic-Augmented Design in Living Experiences, acts as the global, early-stage investor and strategic partner focused on disruptive technology in global hubs, including Silicon Valley, Tel Aviv, Berlin, Shanghai and Singapore.
Within HMG, Hyundai Mobis is a tier-one supplier and the group’s core parts and maker, focusing on chassis modules, cockpit systems, electrification and autonomous software.
Three themes have defined the past year for HMG’s corporate venturing strategy following a reorganisation.
First, robotics as infrastructure. Its investment in RoboScience is increasingly positioned not as a showcase asset but as a core capability for logistics, manufacturing and potentially mobility services.
Second, autonomy with discipline. Through its Motional deal, Hyundai has continued to invest in driverless technology, but with a sharper focus on commercial pathways amid an industry-wide reset on timelines and costs.
Third, software-defined everything, from vehicles to fleets, requiring deeper engagement with AI, semiconductors and systems architecture.
But the model is not without tension. The more Hyundai integrates venture assets, the less flexibility it has to pivot away from them. In a market where autonomy and robotics timelines remain uncertain, that is a bold and potentially fragile position.
The GCV Powerlist represents the 100 individuals spearheading the future of the corporate venturing industry.
These individuals excel in terms of their venturing approach and structure, number and quality of portfolio companies and in their contributions to the corporate venturing profession.
Here’s a snapshot of their recent deals:
