Latest on Korean Startups

E-commerce
Luxury fashion platform Balaan files for court receivership amid slump
South Korea’s top luxury goods e-commerce platform Balaan Co. said on Monday it has filed for corporate rehabilitation with a Seoul court as the cash-strapped startup has been hard hit by the rapidly cooling fever for upscale fashion brands in
Mar 31, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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E-commerce
Korea’s beauty wholesaler to invest $10 mn in fashion platform Balaan
South Korea’s cosmetics wholesaler Silicon2 Co. is set to invest $10 million in financially troubled luxury fashion e-commerce platform operato...
Mar 04, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Hyundai Motor spins off 4 in-house startups in energy, AI, mobility
South Korea’s auto behemoth Hyundai Motor Group has spun off its four in-house startups with innovative technologies in mobility, automation an...
Mar 04, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
South Korea loses tech startups at rapid clip amid dwindling funding
Concerns are growing that the tech startup ecosystem in South Korea, home to global tech household name Samsung Electronics Co., would be trapped in ...
Mar 03, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Funding to Korean tech startups at 7-year low; seed funding soars
New funding to South Korean tech startups dropped to its lowest level in seven years in 2024. But seed funding soared 142% led by semiconductor, heal...
Feb 03, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
AI agent Gentoo poised to revolutionize online shopping
South Korean artificial intelligence startup Waddle Corp. is gearing up to reshape the online retail industry with artificial intelligence-powered in...
Jan 24, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Bio & Pharma
Partners Investment, GordonMD eye $150 mn biotech fund launch
South Korean venture capital firm Partners Investment said on Thursday it will raise up to 215.5 billion won ($150 million) in a biotech fund jointly...
Jan 23, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Allsale, K-beauty's leading ambassador to the US
Allsale Corporation, a South Korean startup operating an influencer marketing platform, is in talks with investors to further support Korean cosmetic...
Jan 21, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Robotics
Neubility, Samsung C&T offer robot delivery service
South Korea's autonomous robot startup Neubility and Samsung C&T Corp. said on Wednesday that they began to offer door-to-door delivery in apart...
Jan 15, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Artificial intelligence
Naver D2SF invests in N.American AI startup
South Korea's online giant Naver Corp.'s startup nurturing organization D2SF (D2 Startup Factory) invested in North American AI ad tech startup Rembr...
Jan 14, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
DOR sets sights on TikTok-like virtual world for gamers
South Korean startup DOR Corporation has thrown down the gauntlet to Discord, a popular global social platform for gamers, with its TikTok-like socia...
Jan 13, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Korea's No. 1 fitness app Planfit eyes bigger market beyond home in 2025
A new year has arrived, and with it come the New Year’s resolutions. However, if you are one of those who feel you've already failed to keep yo...
Jan 09, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Hyundai Motor to introduce 10 startups in robotics, AI at CES 2025
Hyundai Motor Group, which has been promoting open innovation through generous investment in startups with promising technologies, will lead 10 cherr...
Jan 06, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Imagoworks raises $15.6 mn in Series C funding
Imagoworks, South Korea's AI-based digital dental service startup, said on Tuesday it raised 23 billion won ($15.6 million) in Series C funding.Found...
Dec 31, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Upcoming IPOs
Rosy outlook for South Korean fintech IPOs in 2025
The South Korean fintech industry, which bloomed a decade ago, is poised to take the next step for the coming 10 years after prominent players began ...
Dec 30, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Fleetune continues evolving for smarter route optimization
Fleetune Inc., a South Korean transportation management service (TMS) platform-developing startup, is gearing up for a big leap next year with relent...
Dec 30, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Korean startup M&As halve in 2024 with smaller deals
Mergers and acquisitions of South Korean startups halved in value in 2024 as conglomerates and Big Tech firms such as Naver Corp. and Kakao Corp. sna...
Dec 27, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Catchtable to offer restaurant reservation service in Japan
Wad Corp., the developer and operator of South Korea’s most popular restaurant reservation app Catchtable, launched the beta service for offer...
Dec 27, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Yanolja launches NOL Universe after merging OTA platforms
SoftBank-backed Yanolja Co., South Korea’s top travel and accommodation booking platform operator, on Friday introduced a new platform called N...
Dec 27, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
TALOS dives deeper into brain aneurysm icebergs
A single neurosurgeon dedicates his or her entire professional career to performing surgeries on an average of fewer than 10,000 patients with brain...
Dec 23, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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E-commerce
S.Korea's dawn delivery pioneer Kurly sells luxury goods to uplift profit
Kurly Inc., South Korea's dawn delivery service market pioneer, has invited a third-party online retailer to sell luxury goods on its platform to boo...
Dec 20, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
CLO Virtual Fashion raises $35 mn
South Korea's 3D digital fashion solution startup CLO Virtual Fashion said on Monday it raised 50 billion won ($35 million).Atinum Investment Co. and...
Dec 16, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Artificial intelligence
SK Telecom invests $3 mn in AI-powered video analysis startup Twelve Labs
South Korea’s top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. said on Friday it will invest $3 million in Twelve Labs Inc., a Korean AI-powered video analysi...
Dec 13, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Language learning app Speakeasy joins ranks of unicorn startups
Speakeasy Labs Inc., a South Korea-focused language learning app operator, has joined the ranks of unicorn startups after raising $78 million at a va...
Dec 12, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Asan Nanum to offer Silicon Valley residence to Korean startups
The Asan Nanum Foundation, a South Korean startup accelerator program operator, said on Thursday it will open a residency space for Korean venture fi...
Dec 05, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Artificial intelligence
Bespin Global, Upstage to co-work on AI platform
South Korea's cloud solution provider Bespin Global said on Monday it signed with Upstage, the domestic artificial intelligence (AI) startup, to buil...
Dec 02, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Rebellions · Sapeon Korea merger, the first domestic AI chip unicorn
Rebellions Inc., a South Korean artificial intelligence chip design startup, officially merged with Sapeon Korea to form the first domestic AI chip ...
Dec 02, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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E-commerce
China’s Alibaba acquires 5% of Ably in 1st equity investment in Korean firm
Chinese online shopping giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has invested 100 billion won ($71.4 million) in South Korea’s top women’s clothi...
Dec 02, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Venture capital
S.Korean startup accelerators to boost overseas biz
South Korean accelerators (ACs) are turning to Southeast Asia and the Middle East market to support startups and expand their reach.ACs, companies th...
Nov 29, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
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Artificial intelligence
DeepBrain AI to introduce AI anchor for Japanese terrestrial TV
South Korea's generative AI startup DeepBrain AI said on Thursday it partnered with Japan-based Nippon Electric Company (NEC) to introduce AI anchor...
Nov 28, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
1 Min read
Latest News
- 1 BMW Surpasses Mercedes in Sales – Imported Car Market 'Shake-Up'
- 2 Seoul appeal: Korean art captivates Indonesia’s affluent connoisseurs
- 3 CJ CheilJedang scraps $3.5 bn green bio sale, shifts gears to expansion
- 4 Trump Jr. meets Korean business chiefs in back-to-back sessions
- 5 Samsung in talks to supply customized HBM4 to Nvidia, Broadcom, Google