Samsung SDS boosts future business competitiveness through startup investments

Singapore, July
18, 2016 – Samsung SDS, a global IT services
company and affiliate of the Samsung Group, will accelerate investments in
global startups to boost business competitiveness as well as secure future
growth.

Samsung SDS announced
investments in Darktrace, a U.K. based cyber security company, and Blocko, a
Korean blockchain platform company through a new technology investment fund.

Samsung SDS commented:
“Through these investments, Samsung SDS will be able to retain leading-edge
technology in cyber security[1] and
blockchain. The company plans to collaborate closely with these startups to
drive business growth. Samsung SDS will increase competitiveness of its
cybersecurity business and services by promoting sales of the differentiated
cyber threat defense solution by Darktrace to Korean companies, as well as work
with Blocko to support commercialization of emerging blockchain technology in
various sectors including IoT.”

Samsung SDS as a
global ICT service company considers securing differentiated core technology as
very important[2], and is therefore
investing in global startups with promising technologies through a new
technology investment fund, managed by Samsung Venture Investment Corporation
(“SVIC”).

Based in the UK,
Darktrace is one of the fastest-growing cyber security companies in the world,
using advanced machine learning technology for detecting and responding to
cyber threats. Named ‘Best Security Company of the Year’ 2016 by Info Security,
Darktrace is capable of identifying new, emerging threats within computer
networks in real time including insider attacks, ransomware, machine-based
attacks, and unknown threat scenarios that may bypass other security systems.

Blocko is a blockchain
company in Korea that provides a proprietary blockchain platform to leading
enterprises in Korea, enabling them to easily adopt this emerging technology.
Blockchain is a technology which maintains a shared digital ledger of transaction
data on a distributed network of computers so as to prevent the data from being
hacked or corrupted. This emerging technology is expected to be applied in
fintech and other fields such as IoT and healthcare.

Samsung SDS will
continue to invest in global startups in sectors such as AI, analytics, IoT,
etc. to secure disruptive technologies and drive future growth through
innovation.