The Financial Times (FT) has recognized a significant number of South Korean startups in its “High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2025” list.  

Released on the 18th (local time), the ranking is compiled by FT in collaboration with global research firm Statista. It evaluates companies from 13 Asia-Pacific countries based on total revenue growth, compound annual growth rate (CAGR), and business model, selecting the top 500 companies with the highest growth rates. This year’s ranking was based on data from 2020 to 2023.  

Each year, FT and Statista publish a list of high-growth companies in the Asia-Pacific region, using three years of data to identify firms that have demonstrated strong revenue growth. The ranking includes companies headquartered in 13 regions, such as South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Australia.  

The highest-ranking South Korean company this year is Library Company, an entertainment live content provider, which secured the 4th spot. It was followed by Habitfactory in 5th place. In total, 91 South Korean companies made the list.  

FT noted that “the minimum CAGR among companies in this year’s ranking is 8.1%,” adding that “this is about half of the 15.1% growth rate recorded in the 2024 ranking.”  

Singapore had the highest number of companies on the list, with 108 firms, making it the top-ranked country and city. Japan and South Korea followed, each with 91 companies. Among cities, Seoul had 75 companies, while Tokyo had 71. The IT and software sector accounted for 27% of the listed companies, followed by financial services at 10%, and advertising and marketing at 5%.