About Seattle Venture Labs
The operational partner for international founders entering the U.S.
Our Mission
Seattle Venture Labs helps international founders succeed in the world's largest market. We're not another accelerator offering advice and introductions—we're operational co-founders who work alongside you to solve the specific problems of U.S. market entry: navigating visa pathways, translating your pitch for American investors, landing enterprise pilot deals, and building the operational foundation for U.S. scale.
The Seattle Advantage
While Silicon Valley is the bank, Seattle is the engine room. This city builds the infrastructure that runs the modern world. For an international founder, Seattle offers a unique strategic advantage: it is the geographic midpoint between the capital markets of the East and the innovation hubs of Asia. It is a city of builders, not just talkers. By basing your U.S. operations here, you gain access to the same talent pool that built AWS and Azure, while maintaining a cost of operation that allows your seed capital to extend significantly further than in the Bay Area.
Enterprise Access
Proximity to Microsoft, Amazon, and other tech giants provides unparalleled opportunities for enterprise partnerships and pilot contracts.
Talent Pool
Access to the same engineering talent that built cloud infrastructure, AI platforms, and enterprise software at scale.
Cost Efficiency
Your seed capital goes further in Seattle than in the Bay Area, allowing you to build more runway and hire more aggressively.
Geographic Bridge
Strategic location between Asian markets and East Coast capital, making it ideal for cross-border operations.
Our Hubs
Seattle Venture Labs operates across three strategic hubs, each designed to accelerate a different stage of growth for international founders.
Seattle
Your operating base for building the core team, product, and enterprise traction with access to world-class engineering talent and cloud infrastructure leaders.
Silicon Valley
The capital and partnership hub where founders deepen investor relationships, refine fundraising narratives, and plug into the Bay Area venture ecosystem.
Detroit
The industrial and manufacturing corridor for pilots in mobility, logistics, and advanced hardware—connecting founders to operators who scale real-world deployments.
Leadership Team
Ed Lee
Co-Founder, CEO
Ed has founded and co-founded multiple startups with two successful exits. Former CEO of KY Ventures in Korea, he specializes in identifying high-impact solutions for cross-border programs.
Jaehee Song
Co-Founder, Managing Partner
With over 20 years in data engineering and AI, Jaehee has scaled platforms for multiple successful startups as a founder and investor, helping companies navigate the U.S. market.
Jim Choi
Associate Advisor
A business strategist with 12+ years in eClinical solutions and M&A, Jim bridges diverse business cultures across the U.S., EU, and Asia to foster growth for emerging companies.
Our team combines deep venture capital experience with operational expertise in scaling international startups. We've been in your shoes—navigating visa complexities, understanding cultural nuances, and building bridges between markets.
What Makes Us Different
Fractional Co-founder Model
Traditional accelerators offer advice and introductions. We work alongside you as operational partners: joining your weekly standups, making calls on your behalf, helping close deals, and navigating the complexities of U.S. market entry. Think of us as a U.S.-based co-founder who's done this before.
International Founder Expertise
Y Combinator, Techstars, and 500 Global treat all founders the same. We specialize in the unique challenges of cross-border expansion: visa pathways (B1/B2, O-1), corporate "flipping" to Delaware, cultural translation for American enterprise buyers, and positioning your story for American investors.
Seattle Operating Base
Silicon Valley is where capital lives—but it's expensive and competitive. Seattle offers world-class enterprise talent (AWS, Microsoft), 40% lower operating costs, and access to the same investor networks through our Bay Area partners. Build here, raise there.
Selective Cohorts
We work deeply with a small number of founders rather than broadly with many. This means real operational support, not just curriculum and demo day. Every accepted founder gets meaningful partner time and attention.