AI Luminaries Gather at Hashed in Gangnam
ICML 2026 Seoul Opening Reception: 100 researchers from Anthropic, DeepMind, and OpenAI convened at Hashed Lounge in Gangnam. An evening that revealed Hashed's expanding stride from crypto to AI.
AI Summary
Hashed, a blockchain investment firm, hosted an opening reception for ICML 2026 Seoul at its Gangnam headquarters, bringing together 100 researchers from leading AI organizations including Anthropic, DeepMind, and OpenAI. The event, co-sponsored by Goodwater Capital, signals a shift in the AI talent and capital map as Asia emerges as a new hub. For SOUTH BRIDGE, this gathering represents a significant moment showing Seoul's growing position in the global AI landscape.
At 4 p.m. on July 5, 2026, lights came on at the 20th floor of Hashed's new headquarters in the heart of Gangnam-daero. During the week ICML 2026—where the world's machine learning researchers gather—was being held in Seoul, Hashed hosted an opening reception for conference participants. Around 100 were invited. It's three subway stops from the main venue at COEX in Samseong Station, a one-minute walk from Gangnam Station.
Why Hashed Welcomed an AI Conference
The event was hosted by Hashed. Though known for blockchain investments, the company has rapidly expanded its investment scope into AI and deep tech in recent years. Silicon Valley venture capital firm Goodwater Capital joined as a co-sponsor. The scene of a crypto-originated investment firm hosting an AI conference opening encapsulates the changes now unfolding in Seoul.
ICML is considered the most prestigious conference in the field of machine learning. The acceptance of a single paper can change a researcher's career. This year, the conference chose Asia—specifically Seoul—as its stage. During the week that global research talent stayed in the city, it was an investment firm, not universities or government, that invited them to its space.
From Anthropic to DeepMind, on One Floor
The attendees who filled the lounge that day represented over 50 organizations. From corporate research labs like Anthropic, DeepMind, OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, and AWS to university research groups at MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, and UC Berkeley. People writing cutting-edge papers and those translating that research into products mingled on the same floor.
Global AI talent will stay in Seoul for a week. The competition for who will claim their time has already begun.
The Moment Asia Becomes a Point on the Map
The reason SOUTH BRIDGE documents this scene is clear. The map of AI talent and capital has long been drawn with San Francisco and London as its axes. ICML's Seoul hosting, and the gestures of Asian investment firms moving to warm themselves by that fire, signal new coordinates being marked on that map. For us looking at Asia from Busan, that evening on the 20th floor in Gangnam is by no means a small event.
ICML 2026 Seoul: Opening Reception
Hashed 주최, Goodwater Capital 후원. 강남 해시드 신사옥 20층, 2026년 7월 5일.
This article was automatically translated from the Korean original by AI. For the authoritative version, read it in Korean.
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