Korean entertainment tech startup BIGC has secured 5 billion KRW in a pre-Series A bridge round of funding. This round saw participation from new investors Primer Sazze Partners and Daesung Private Equity, alongside existing investor Pearl Abyss Capital. With this latest round, BIGC’s total investment to date amounts to 14.5 billion KRW, following its 4.5 billion KRW seed round and 5 billion KRW pre-A round. Additionally, the company plans to raise around 10 billion KRW from the fourth quarter of this year through the first half of next year.

Founded in 2021 by CEO Kim Mi-hee, a former Samsung Electronics employee who previously created the live-based edutech platform ‘Tutoring,’ BIGC was established after the M&A of Tutoring. Co-founder and CTO Kim Jung-woo, along with Kim Mi-hee, has over seven years of experience in live and SaaS technology, which they bring to the entertainment tech industry.

BIGC aims at the global entertainment market by delivering various concerts, showcases, and secondary IP content worldwide using its unique video technology to connect artists and fans. The company offers a differentiated concept called the ‘All-In-One Digital Venue,’ providing integrated features such as concert and artist-exclusive homepages, voting, live streaming, VOD, commerce, and data analytics, thereby assisting entertainment companies and broadcasters in generating revenue. BIGC’s major strengths lie in its AI-integrated live technology and its ability to analyze fandom data from over 200 countries.

Since its launch, BIGC has attracted a fandom from over 200 countries, focusing on the global K-pop and K-culture fanbase, with more than 60% of its revenue coming from overseas. In its first year, the platform successfully executed online projects for CJ ENM’s KCON and MAMA AWARDS, making a significant impact.

Subsequently, BIGC expanded its reach to international fans through live broadcasts of major K-pop concerts from leading broadcasters like MBC, MBC+, and SBS. In the first half of this year, they collaborated with top K-pop artists such as Infinite, Taemin, BamBam, and Cha Eun-woo, as well as leading K-drama actors like Park Eun-bin and Park Hyung-sik.

BIGC plans to extend its reach from K-pop and K-culture to Japan, the U.S., and Europe, aiming to solidify its position as the No.1 global entertainment tech platform. The funds from this investment will be used for aggressive global business expansion, particularly focusing on establishing local subsidiaries in Japan and the U.S., where their user base is concentrated. They also plan to pursue strategic partnerships and M&As with local professional partners to ensure stable overseas business growth.

Lee Kiha, CEO of Primer Sazze Partners, expressed confidence in BIGC’s potential for further recognition on the global stage, citing their growth around K-pop artist IPs and their global fanbase. Yoonseok Heo, Director at Daesung Private Equity, highlighted BIGC’s innovative technology and business model as reasons for his confidence in their future prominence in the global E&M market.

Kim Jinkyun, Director at Pearl Abyss Capital, which continued its investment in this round, mentioned the team’s relentless passion and business growth as reasons for their continued support, expressing high expectations for BIGC’s future endeavors.

Kim Mihee, CEO of BIGC, expressed gratitude for the investors’ support for the team’s mission to connect artists and fans worldwide through their products and technology. She stated, “Having validated a new model in the K-pop and K-culture field over the past year and a half since our launch, we aim to solidify the foundation of our vision to become the No.1 global entertainment tech company with this investment, focusing on overseas business expansion.”