Julie Youngju Choi
personal info
Founder & CEO – Kiaora Ventures
Ms. Julie Youngju Choi is the Founder and CEO of Kiaora Ventures, a Singapore-based early-stage investor and market-access consultancy that fast-tracks global startups into Southeast Asia. In just six years, she has led or contributed over 50 market access programs and supported more than 100 startups. Through strategic partnerships, Kiaora Ventures also offers a private venture-consulting platform that helps growth-stage companies raise capital and scale across the region.
Before launching Kiaora Ventures, Julie bridged Korean innovators and Southeast Asian markets as Program Manager at K-Startup Centre Singapore. She then joined Tenity as Partner Director, leading market access programs, and today continues there as a Venture Partner. Her earlier roles include driving stakeholder engagement and operations for the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Singapore and private investment firms across Switzerland and Singapore.
A sought-after mentor, pitching coach, speaker, and competition judge, Julie holds a BA from Pusan National University and completed MBA Essentials at the London School of Economics. Fluent in Korean and English, with proficiency in German, she brings a multicultural lens and deep regional insight to every initiative, empowering founders with the knowledge, network, and local access they need to thrive in Southeast Asia.