• funding Stage : Pre-Series A
• Raising Amount : KRW 1.5 B
• Desired Fundraising Timeframe : 1Q 2025

As digital transformation accelerates, digital culture—including games, social media, and streaming services—has become a significant part of daily life. However, increased time spent on digital devices has led to side effects like reduced physical activity, sleep disorders, and social isolation. LIFE FESTA is a startup dedicated to driving healthy, positive changes in the digital culture and environment we live in.

With its vision of a “healthy and vibrant lifestyle,” LIFE FESTA offers more than a simple health app by using gamification to make real-world activities more engaging and enjoyable. Shin Jae-chan, CEO of LIFE FESTA, stated, “Our goal is to help people find more value in the real world, rather than being confined by the digital.”

The company is developing a location-based platform that connects online and offline experiences by combining realistic maps with gamification. Its flagship service, ‘Actively’, rewards users for offline activities like walking, visiting places, and sharing daily experiences. It also helps users expand their personas and social networks by linking these activities to social interactions.

What sets Actively apart from typical reward apps is its multidimensional functionality. Users can redeem rewards for tangible goods, grow their personal social maps, and use rewards for various activities and exchanges. This approach aims to give offline activities deeper meaning while fostering mutual support and social interaction.

Actively also features a visually appealing pedometer integrated with a realistic map. This goes beyond basic step tracking, allowing users to visually explore and connect with offline locations and people. The map includes 3D objects and stickers, encouraging frequent use. LIFE FESTA plans to build on this platform to develop and expand various business models.

Since launching the MVP version of Actively in October last year, the app’s monthly active users (MAU) have grown by over 45% each month, with average daily usage exceeding 30 minutes. These metrics reflect strong user enthusiasm for a service that combines health, daily activity, and fun.

LIFE FESTA uses ‘Mapbox’, a global mapping solution used by popular apps like Pokémon Go and Strava, to implement its location-based platform. By combining Mapbox’s vector-based API with a game engine, the company creates realistic maps that power advanced location-based services.

Founded in February 2020 by Shin Jae-chan, who has 25 years of experience in the gaming industry, LIFE FESTA initially focused on offline community-building but later pivoted to its gamification-based model. Shin’s expertise in gaming has been instrumental in creating a service that bridges online and offline worlds.

Shin Jae-chan shared his vision: “Through gamification, we aim to deliver not only fun but also a more meaningful daily life. Using realistic maps and our location-based platform, we want to make every day feel like a festival.”

After launching its pilot service in Singapore, LIFE FESTA plans to expand into Japan, Australia, and Canada, marking the beginning of its global growth. The company was selected for the global POC verification project by Bigbang Angels and conducted business meetings with investors and institutions in Singapore.

As LIFE FESTA prepares for its Pre-Series A funding round to support growth and global expansion, Shin remarked, “We’ve developed expertise in merging reality and virtuality through our technology R&D. Our team excels in delivering seamless B2C services without compromising user experience. With ‘Actively’, we’re now ready to scale up quickly.”

He added, “Our team’s extensive experience in global gaming expansion gives us a competitive edge. While scaling a platform globally is challenging, LIFE FESTA has the know-how and capabilities to succeed in the global market.”

What is the problem that LIFE FESTA is trying to solve?  

I founded LIFE FESTA with the goal of fostering healthy joy, both mentally and physically. Over the past 20 years, the explosive growth of digital transformation through gaming and social media has significantly increased the time we spend in the digital world. This has led to digital overload, causing various challenges in daily life, such as reduced physical activity and insufficient sleep. LIFE FESTA aims to free people from being confined solely to the digital realm by providing services that encourage real-world activity, helping individuals lead balanced, healthy, and enjoyable lives through a mix of online and offline experiences.  

How do we solve this problem?  

LIFE FESTA uses a concept called Gamifying Reality to make daily physical activities more engaging and fun, motivating people to step outside every day. We assign quests to daily activities, which evolve into personalized goals through AI to improve achievement rates. This approach reimagines real-life experiences, making them more immersive and enjoyable. Our focus is on fostering habitual engagement through gamification. Unlike professional fitness apps like Strava, LIFE FESTA targets the general public, making the experience widely accessible and scalable.  

What are our competitive and technological advantages over competitors?  

Since its inception, LIFE FESTA has been dedicated to researching and developing innovative technologies that bridge real and virtual experiences. Our main strength is creating a user-generated content-based social map where users can actively create and engage with content. This is made possible by integrating life-logging, augmented reality (AR), AI, and blockchain technology into an immersive map platform.  

Unlike conventional map services, our vector-based realistic maps offer more than just location information. They allow users to interact with experiential brand advertisements and explore nearby activities. This unique approach enhances user engagement, fosters partnerships, and generates new revenue models.  

What products or services does LIFE FESTA provide, and what is the current status?  

Our primary product is ‘Actively’. It offers users the fun of achieving multiple benefits at once, including health, social connections, and financial rewards. Users earn rewards for offline activities such as walking, visiting locations, and sharing daily experiences, as well as for various online social activities. These rewards can be exchanged for real-world products.  

The MVP version of Actively was launched in Korea in October of last year. In 2024, the app achieved an average monthly MAU growth rate of 45.2%. The average daily engagement time exceeds 30 minutes, indicating strong potential for the business model.  

What is our target market size, and who are the target customers?  

The gamification and location-based market, which is the foundation of Actively’s experience, is growing at an annual rate of 20% and is expected to reach $127 billion (170 trillion KRW) by 2032.  

Our main target audience includes active digital natives in their 20s to 40s who enjoy outdoor activities, are open to new technologies and experiences, and are avid users of social media. They also tend to enjoy gaming and prefer immediate feedback and rewards.  

What is our business model?  

Actively operates on a B2B2C model that integrates content-based and platform-based business models.  We generate revenue through digital advertising, monthly subscriptions, and content sales, driven by an average of six daily app interactions and over 30 minutes of user engagement time.  In the future, we plan to expand into map-based local advertising, brand collaborations, and B2C commerce. Starting in 2025, we will strengthen sales in travel commerce and wellness product categories. 

What have been the achievements of the Life Festa team so far?  

We laid the foundation for growth by securing $750,000 (1 billion KRW) in seed investment during the early stages of our startup. We were selected for the highest tier in Microsoft’s global accelerator program, further validating our technological prowess. Additionally, we won the grand prize at the Location-based Excellent Project Contest hosted by the Korea Communications Commission. We have also achieved significant advancements in sales and technology through our collaboration with JCDecaux.

What is our team’s competitive edge?  

Our team boasts advanced technology and development capabilities, with members hailing from leading domestic companies such as Krafton. Leveraging our experience in successfully launching and operating products in the global market, we are well-positioned to achieve stable and scalable growth.

What are three reasons why we need investment?  

First, we have strong user metrics. We currently maintain a stickiness (DAU/MAU) rate of over 45%, which demonstrates strong user engagement and scalability as we expand our user base. We also deliver updates more than three times a month, showcasing our robust development capabilities and significant growth potential.  

Second, we are pioneering a new type of business that blends online and offline experiences through technologies like realistic maps, AI, and lifelogging. Our proof-of-concept (PoC) with JCDecaux for outdoor brand advertising aligns with this innovative approach. This positions us as a hyperlocal platform offering a unique daily travel-like experience, setting us apart from traditional fitness services.  

Lastly, the global market holds immense potential for us. The entertainment-oriented reward fitness platform market is still in its infancy, and the fitness market itself is valued at approximately $18 billion (25 trillion KRW). This presents vast opportunities for growth. With team members who have a proven track record in gaming and social platforms, we are confident in our ability to compete successfully in the global arena.  

What efforts are LIFE FESTA making to expand overseas?  

Actively was showcased at CES 2023 and was selected for the Overseas Demonstration PoC Support Project by the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED). We are currently conducting overseas PoC demonstrations in collaboration with JCDecaux. Our pre-launched version in Singapore achieved a top 30 ranking in the health app category. This year, we aim to expand the service to three additional countries, including Japan.

How does this program help us advance overseas?  

Through Bigbang Angels’ Overseas Demonstration PoC Support Project, we have gained access to a network of international VCs and industry experts. This network has been instrumental in helping us analyze global markets and refine our strategies. Feedback from investors at the Singapore LaunchPad roadshow has strengthened our localization efforts. Life Festa is committed to creating new daily experiences that blend reality with digital innovation. Guided by our Gamifying Reality philosophy, we aim to deliver a healthier and more vibrant lifestyle to users while driving global growth.