Hanwha steps up global fintech ties at Davos

From left: Hanwha Life Chief Investment Officer Lee Byung-seo, Hanwha Life Chief Global Officer Kim Dong-won, Liberty City Ventures Managing Partner Murtaza Akbar and Liberty City Ventures co-founder Emil Woods pose for a photo after signing a memorandum of understanding in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday. (Hanwha Life)

Hanwha Group’s financial affiliates — Hanwha Life Insurance, Hanwha General Insurance, Hanwha Investment & Securities and Hanwha Asset Management — are attending the 2026 World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, this week to engage global partners on strategies shaping the future of finance.

The move builds on a vision unveiled at Abu Dhabi Finance Week in December, where Hanwha outlined an approach that blends the stability of traditional finance with the openness of digital platforms. The group said it plans to further develop that framework through discussions in Davos.

As part of its efforts, Hanwha Life Insurance on Wednesday agreed with Liberty City Ventures to pursue joint investments in global fintech firms and expand cooperation in digital finance. The New York-based venture capital firm focuses on Web3 and fintech and manages more than $2 billion in assets.

Hanwha Investment & Securities also agreed to strengthen cooperation with Xangle to improve the provision of investment information and expand its business related to blockchain-based digital asset data. Korean startup Xangle provides market prices, disclosures, research and on-chain data through a global research network, linking financial institutions with the Web3 ecosystem while operating its own digital asset information platform.

During the forum, Hanwha Life Insurance Chief Global Officer Kim Dong-won met with global leaders, including Sir John Chipman, chair of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, to discuss business strategies and potential areas of cooperation amid shifting industrial and geopolitical dynamics.

To broaden its institutional network, Hanwha Asset Management also held meetings with global investors and asset managers, including Danish pension fund PKA, US private equity firm Thoma Bravo and US investment firm HPS Investment Partners.

In addition, key figures including Kim, Liberty City Ventures co-founder Emil Woods and Xangle co-CEO Kim Jun-woo participated in a Hanwha-hosted roundtable to exchange views on the structural changes and challenges digital finance is expected to bring to the global financial industry.