#16 - Corporate Venturing Backing the AI Transformation w/ Ji Hoon Kwon (Samsung Ventures)
🎙️ AI Infrastructure, minus the buzzwords. In this episode, Ji Hoon Kwon (Managing Director, Samsung Ventures ) explains where AI data centers really choke ( power, thermal, and networking) why baseload energy matters,…
🎙️ AI Infrastructure, minus the buzzwords.
In this episode, Ji Hoon Kwon (Managing Director, Samsung Ventures) explains where AI data centers really choke (power, thermal, and networking) why baseload energy matters, and how a CVC can move at VC speed while creating value beyond capital. He also pressure-tests “future” ideas like floating and space data centers with an operator’s lens.
Highlights
🔌 Power is bottleneck #1. GPU draw jumped to ~1–1.2 kW per chip; racks push ~120 kW, and lost power turns into heat.
🌡️ Thermal follows power. More watts mean more heat; rethink electrical and cooling together.
⚙️ Next wave: power electronics. Efficiency in conversion and distribution becomes the lever.
🔋 Baseload beats intermittency. 24/7 AI favors SMR nuclear and geothermal over variable-only supply.
🧪 Diligence that saves time. Run technical and financial checks in parallel; decide fast or pass fast.
🤝 Value after the check. Open doors across BUs—manufacturing, customers, and design-ins—not just capital.
🛟 Future formats, reality check. Floating and space DCs have promise, but corrosion, maintenance, connectivity, and launch costs are tough.
📈 What makes a “good” CVC deal. Strategic fit matters, but financial returns still keep the engine running.
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