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Aroundus launches job-searching service for freelancers, students
Korean startup Aroundus has rolled out an eponymous website for the talented, but often underrepresented in the job market, namely students and freelancers.The job-searching service is roughly tailored after existing platforms such as LinkedIn, but the similarities stop at the surface, according to founder and CEO Dan...
[INTERVIEW] Don’t skimp a thing to lose weight, says Dano founder
[THE INVESTOR] Korean weight-loss solutions provider Dano -- short for Diet Note -- is hoping to step outside the country with high-end diet products that have international appeal.Dano is strictly against weight-loss drugs or supplements. Instead, it sells products that look exactly like ordinary food such as cereal, soymilk and yogurt. They are, however, made following four strict rules: low sugar, low sodium, low spice and less processing. Dano CEO Lee Ji-sooAccording to Dano CEO Lee Ji-soo,
Joonggonara receives W5b investment from JB Woori Capital, Kiwoom Securities
[THE INVESTOR] Joonggonara, Korea’s biggest marketplace for secondhand goods, on Aug.21 said it has received 5 billion won (US$4.47 million) in investment from JB Woori Capital and Kiwoom Securities. JB Woori Capital, which has injected 3 billion won, is participating as a strategic investor to conduct joint businesses with Joonggonara in various areas, including used car operations. When combining the latest fund and the Series A round of 8 billion won in 2015, Jonggonara has accumulated 13 bil
Smart hearing aid startup Olive Union raises W500m funds
[THE INVESTOR] Smart hearing aid startup Olive Union said on Aug. 20 that it has raised 500 million won (US$445,590) funding from Japanese social enterprise LitaLico.The investment comes after a previous fundraising campaign on US crowdfunding platform Indiegogo last year, through which the Korean startup attracted preorders worth 1 billion won for its budget smart hearing aid Olive. Owen Song(left), CEO of Olive Union, and Atsumi Hasegawa, CEO of LitaLico“We are grateful that Olive Union’s tec
WeWork gobbles up office leases in Seoul
[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Group acquired K-Twin Tower, 22-story twin buildings in central Seoul, for a whopping 720 billion won (US$620 million) in February. It was a rare purchase for the nation’s largest conglomerate that has been busy selling off its own office buildings in the city center. The central location and big name tenants like Microsoft and Kim & Chang, Korea’s top law firm, were attractive enough but industry sources say it was actually latecomer WeWork, the US co-working giant that h
[INTERVIEW] When startups are nipped in the bud
[THE INVESTOR] With widespread internet connectivity, high receptiveness to new technologies and a trend-conscious public, South Korea is arguably the optimal market for startups to introduce and test new tech-based services. Despite these opportunities, however, Korea can also be one of the most challenging places for startups due to rigid regulations that often shut down or limit the growth of new business models, such as those in high-growth sectors like smart mobility and financial technol
SoftBank Ventures leads W10b investment in Bepro11
[THE INVESTOR] SoftBank Ventures Korea on Aug. 16 said it has led 10.3 billion won (US$9.07 million) funding in Bepro11, a Seoul-based startup that provides video and data analysis for soccer teams. The venture capital arm of the Japanese tech giant has injected 6 billion won, with the remainder coming from other investors such as Altos Ventures and KT Investment. By implementing artificial intelligence, Bepro11 allows amateur teams to use video analysis tool, while assisting global soccer clubs
[INTERVIEW] Making prototypes ‘easy as pie’
[THE INVESTOR] “To Google” has become a generic term that describes searching something on the internet.Seoul-based startup Studio XID hopes, one day, people will say “just ProtoPie it,” when designers need to create a prototype for mobile apps or any other smart devices. “I want ProtoPie to become a tool that all digital product designers know to use and ought to use,” Tony Kim, co-founder and CEO of Studio XID told The Investor in a recent interview in Seoul. “More important, we want designers
Mirae Asset, Naver invest US$150m in Grab
[THE INVESTOR] Seoul-based Mirae Financial Group and Naver have invested US$150 million in Southeast Asia’s ride-hailing giant Grab, according to the firms on August 2. In its first investment through their 50:50 joint venture Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund, the firms have joined the US$2 billion investment round led by Toyota -- which committed US$1 billion in June. Other investors include OppenheimerFunds, Ping An Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Macquarie Capital, among others.“Gr
August 22, 2018
