Over 10 unicorn startups are founded in South Korea and here is the complete list of these unicorn companies.
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Once a company crosses the USD 1 billion mark, it becomes part of a rare and exclusive club: The Unicorn Club.
This next list contains 12 companies in South Korea that have achieved a valuation of more than $1 billion dollars; or in other words, have reached a so-called “Unicorn” status.
Aprogen is a biotechnology company delivering innovative and cost-effective solutions to patients.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.04
B (
May 2019
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Seongnam
Started in:
2000
Founders:
No Data
Industries:
Biotechnology
Number of employees:
10-50
Funding Amount:
₩20,000,000,000
Number of funding rounds:
1
Number of investors:
1
GP Club, one of the leading cosmetics manufacturing and distribution companies, offers a wide range of products in the health and beauty industry.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.32
B (
October 2018
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Seoul
Started in:
2003
Founders:
Jung-Woong Kim
Industries:
Beauty, Cosmetics, Lifestyle, Manufacturing
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
$67,000,000
Number of funding rounds:
1
Number of investors:
1
Kakao Mobility provides online taxi-hailing and parking services through a user-friendly reservation system.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$3.09
B (
February 2021
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Seongnam
Started in:
2017
Founders:
No Data
Industries:
Internet, Taxi Service
Number of employees:
No Data
Funding Amount:
$731,309,925
Number of funding rounds:
4
Number of investors:
4
Krafton is an independent game developer focused on creating legendary PC and mobiles games.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$5.00
B (
August 2018
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Seongnam
Started in:
2007
Founders:
Chang Byung-gyu
Industries:
Android, Consumer Electronics, Gaming, iOS, Mobile, Mobile Apps, Video Games
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
$574,280,722
Number of funding rounds:
4
Number of investors:
4
L&P Cosmetic is a dedicated team of cosmetic scientists and formulators dedicated to designing and creating the highest quality skin care products.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.19
B (
January 2016
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Seoul
Started in:
2009
Founders:
Kwon Oh-sub
Industries:
Beauty, Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
₩40,000,000,000
Number of funding rounds:
2
Number of investors:
2
Musinsa is a fast-growing online fashion store and marketplace that offers stylish clothes, accessories, shoes, and bags from over 200 global fashion brands and designers.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$2.20
B (
November 2019
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Seoul
Started in:
2001
Founders:
Cho Man Ho
Industries:
E-Commerce, Fashion, Retail
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
No Data
Number of funding rounds:
1
Number of investors:
1
Socar is the Kora Eco-friendly car sharing community. It allows travelers to share ecologically friendly vehicles with others who are going on the same trip as them.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.00
B (
October 2020
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Busan
Started in:
2012
Founders:
Jimahn Kim
Industries:
Car Sharing, Communities, Transportation
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
₩294,000,000,000
Number of funding rounds:
7
Number of investors:
13
TMON (Ticket Monster) is an integrated e-commerce platform for selling tickets, digital contents and CPA deals.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.30
B (
April 2017
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Seoul
Started in:
2010
Founders:
Christopher Cynn, Daniel Shin, Kihyun Kwon, Tommy Donghyun Kim
Industries:
E-Commerce, Information Technology, Mobile
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$801,931,601
Number of funding rounds:
6
Number of investors:
10
Toss is a team of talented South Koreans who started to develop mobile applications at early age. Now, they bring their experience to create the most convenient and secure financial application.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$2.60
B (
December 2018
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Seoul
Started in:
2011
Founders:
Seunggun Lee
Industries:
Financial Services, FinTech, Mobile Apps, Mobile Payments, Personal Finance
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
$434,200,000
Number of funding rounds:
9
Number of investors:
19
Wemakeprice is an innovative money saving platform that allows consumers to obtain the best deals on products from online shops.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$2.34
B (
September 2015
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Seoul
Started in:
2010
Founders:
Huh Min
Industries:
Advertising, Advertising Platforms, E-Commerce
Number of employees:
250-500
Funding Amount:
₩476,000,000,000
Number of funding rounds:
3
Number of investors:
2
Klook has been acclaimed as the world’s top travel unicorn in the Asia Pacific region, with our user-friendly booking platform and award-winning customer support.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.00
B (
June 2019
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Seoul
Started in:
2005
Founders:
Lee Sujin
Industries:
Hotel, Information Technology, Leisure, Travel, Travel Accommodations
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$248,500,000
Number of funding rounds:
3
Number of investors:
4
Yello Mobile aims to build a world-class, horizontally integrated business platform under its flagship Yello Digital Marketing.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$4.00
B (
November 2014
)
Country:
South Korea
City:
Seoul
Started in:
2012
Founders:
Sanghyuk Lee
Industries:
Internet, Marketing, Mobile, Shopping, Travel
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$187,200,000
Number of funding rounds:
4
Number of investors:
3
