The Real Group, a South Korean startup operating the global fashion metasearch engine Realry, has secured approximately USD 4.5 million(6.2 billion KRW) in Series A funding, bringing its total investment to around USD 7.1 million(9.8 billion KRW). The round was led by U.S.-based venture capital firm Han River Partners (HRZ) and Strong Ventures.

Last November, The Real Group expanded its product category by acquiring Sneakers123, an Austria-based sneaker search engine. The company also achieved profitability through business model optimization.

With this latest funding, The Real Group plans to accelerate its transition into an AI-powered commerce media platform. Key investment areas include the development of AI-based advertising products, enhancement of user experience, recruitment of AI/ML engineers, and strengthening content, sales, and marketing teams—as well as hiring global top talent.

In Q1 of this year, the company began attracting top-tier professionals, including three founding team members of UK fashion search engine Lyst, the former head of partnerships at Stylight, and a product owner from global adtech firm Taboola.

Realry currently partners with over 2,000 global fashion brands and retailers, including SSENSE, Mytheresa, Net-A-Porter, Yoox, Amazon, and Samsung, with London and New York serving as its key global hubs. Its annual transaction volume in North America and Europe is expected to surpass roughly USD 44 million(60 billion KRW).

The company was also selected for the UK’s Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP), recognizing its innovation and growth potential in international markets.

“Realry is a uniquely positioned fashion commerce platform growing rapidly with AI at its core,” said Juseon Yoon, Partner at Han River Partners. “Its personalized user experience and quick access to branded fashion deals give it strong potential in Western markets.”

An Sungjun, CEO of The Real Group, noted, “From day one, we’ve modeled Realry after global travel metasearch engine Kayak.com—adopting its business model, data operations, and system architecture. Now, with enriched shopping behavior data from both Realry and Sneakers123, we can offer trend forecasting and hyper-personalized recommendations, aiming to evolve into a global commerce media and adtech leader.”

The Real Group continues to solidify its reputation as a leading fashion commerce player, delivering differentiated experiences for consumers and brands alike, and positioning itself as a rising adtech partner in the global fashion ecosystem.