BPLANT, a Korean commerce startup developing and scaling in-house brands, has secured approximately USD 5 million(KRW 7 billion) in Series A funding from Altos Ventures, which participated as the sole investor in the round.

BPLANT initially grew through its curated commerce platform Bronte, which started by selling carefully selected branded products. More recently, the company has shifted focus toward developing its own brands based on consumer data, emphasizing end-to-end customer experience — from product promotion design to everyday convenience before and after use.

BPLANT is now developing its own brands, including the wellness healthcare brand Serene and skincare brand Kurved. Both were designed with direct input from consumer needs. Kurved’s flagship product, the Aqua Toner Pad, sold out 20,000 units shortly after launch. Kurved’s direct-to-consumer(D2C) platform has achieved a repurchase rate of over 80%, and within the first quarter of 2025, it posted triple the sales compared to all of 2024, despite only launching that year.

As for Serene, the brand has rapidly expanded its presence, entering department store pop-ups, becoming a top seller on KakaoTalk Shopping Live, and being listed on KakaoTalk Gifts — all within six months of launch. Recently, Serene was named a winner in the Communication Design category at the 2025 Asia Design Prize, reflecting BPLANT’s excellence in design and brand communication. This recognition demonstrates the company’s differentiated brand-building speed and direction layered on top of strong customer loyalty from its influencer commerce roots.

CEO Soyeong Kim, a former content creator, commerce operator, and brand strategist, has maintained a consistent brand philosophy rooted in closely understanding customers’ shopping behaviors. She has launched four brands over eight years — beginning with the offline bookstore Chaekbaljeonso in 2017, followed by e-commerce platform Bronte in 2020, and most recently Serene and Kurved in 2024. Through operating Bronte Shop, the team gained end-to-end experience in product planning, sourcing, development, fulfillment, and customer service — laying the foundation for BPLANT’s transition into full-scale brand manufacturing.

Rather than merely operating influencer commerce, BPLANT aims to build lasting trust with consumers and sustainable brand growth. Its strength lies in designing products and brands based not on fleeting trends but on the founder’s deep-rooted problem-awareness and customer empathy.

CEO Kim stated, “This funding allows us to carry forward the strong persona and loyal core audience from influencer commerce while building a more R&D- and expertise-driven organization. Our goal is to establish strong brands that can expand into both domestic and international markets.”

An Altos Ventures representative added, “BPLANT may have started in influencer commerce, but its brand development capability, product quality, and customer retention point to long-term growth potential. The founder has a unique ability to understand customer taste and translate her identity authentically into the brand. We believe this strength will resonate even in global markets, which is why we chose to invest.”