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• Period : 22 Sep., 2025 ~ 07 Oct., 2025

Catch up on last week’s top stories from the startup ecosystem in the Korean Startup Weekly News. 

Headline

Rebellions Reaches $1.41B Valuation with $250M Series C, Backed by Arm and Global Investors  
Korean AI chip startup Rebellions raised $250M in Series C, reaching a $1.41B valuation, with Arm’s first APAC startup investment marking global recognition.

Latest Funding News

Check out the latest funding news for Korean startups 

RAFIQ Secures $11M Series B Funding to Construct CGMP Plant, Advancing Plant-Based Cosmetic Technology  
Korean beauty startup Lapique raised $11M Series B, totaling $15M, to build a CGMP plant, leveraging proprietary plant-based cosmetic technologies and strong sales growth.

Korea Deep Learning Secures USD 7.4 million Series A Investment, Poised to Lead Global AI Market
Korea Deep Learning secured USD 7.4 million (10 billion KRW) in Series A funding to advance its Vision-LLM technology, expand its AI team, and pursue global market expansion.

Flashbackground Secures USD 9.6 Million Project Financing for Immersive Media Art Venue ‘Gyerim’ in Gyeongju
Dexter’s subsidiary Flashbackground secured USD 9.6 Million financing for Gyerim, Korea’s largest immersive media art venue in Gyeongju, launching ahead of the 2025 APEC Summit.

ASET Secures $2.15 Million in Pre-Series A Bridge Funding  
Korean solid-state battery startup ASET raises $2.15M in Pre-Series A bridge funding from Industrial Bank of Korea & others, advancing electrolyte tech.

Bigmobility Raises $1.6M Pre-Series A to Expand ‘Truck Helper’ Commercial Parking Platform Nationwide
Bigmobility secured $1.6M Pre-Series A to scale Truck Helper, Korea’s first private commercial vehicle parking service, expanding nationwide with profitability and growth momentum.

• Senior-Focused Regular Delivery Service ‘Ongoing’ Attracts Investment from MYSC  
• DeepDivers, Operator of Custom Sales CRM ‘Trackit,’ Secures Seed Investment from Mashup Ventures  
• AbFinder Therapeutics Secures Seed Funding to Advance Next-Generation Biopharmaceutical Platforms 
• MEDISBY Secures Seed Funding to Advance AI-Powered Rehabilitation Robotic Arm and Global Expansion  
• Water Treatment Specialist ‘EcoES’ Secures USD 1.45 Million Investment  
• DFRN, Operator of Textile Recycling ‘Circlo’, Attracts Seed Investment from Korea Investment Accelerator 
• Sofcle, a Natural Mineral Calcium Ball Manufacturer, Attracts Investment from KingoSpring 
• Plant-Based Alternative Meat ‘DaystoCome’ Secures Seed Investment from Series Ventures    
• PEACH Life Science Secures Seed Funding to Advance Next-Generation Electronic Medicine with MPE Technology  

Korean Startup Interview

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Go2Joy: “Pioneering Hourly Hotel Bookings to Transform Vietnam’s Hospitality Industry”
Go2Joy dominates Vietnam’s hourly hotel booking market with 5,500+ hotel partnerships, driving hospitality digitization across Southeast Asia.

VideoMonster, “Expanding to Southeast Asia with 400K Users, Scaling Travel Content API”
VideoMonster transforms travel content with AI-powered video creation, serving 400K+ users through Tourism Global Challenge program support.

Haenyeo Kitchen Group, “Transforming Jeju’s Diving Heritage Into Immersive Culinary Theater”
Haenyeo Kitchen Group transforms UNESCO-recognized haenyeo diving culture into immersive dining experiences, achieving 97% reservation rates in Jeju before expanding to Singapore’s The Arts House with support from Korea’s 2025 Tourism Global Challenge program.

LiveAnywhere, “Bridging the Gap Between Short Stays and Long Leases with Flexible Housing Solutions”
LiveAnywhere is revolutionizing mid-term accommodation with a platform optimized for 1-week to 2-month stays, achieving 44% CAGR and 2.4M downloads while bridging the gap between short-term bookings and long-term leases across Korea and Asia. 

PLAYLEGEND, “Revolutionizing Indoor Sports Entertainment with Immersive Digital Theme Parks”
PLAYLEGEND is transforming indoor entertainment with proprietary content (over 30 titles) as ‘LEGENDHEROES’. Success across +820 systmes in 100 domestic and 20 overseas centers proves our expertise in development, integration, and maintenance. By combining technology and global competitiveness, we are positioned to become the leading sports entertainment platform company.

OhMyHotel&Co: “Transforming Asia’s Hotel Industry with All-in-One SaaS Platform”
OhMyHotel&Co, with 6,200+ hotel partners and USD 100M in 2024 transactions, is transforming Asia’s hospitality industry through integrated SaaS solutions, expanding from Northeast to Southeast and South Asia with 2028 IPO goals.

Daebak: “Transforming K-Culture Fandom into Global Business Opportunities”
Daebak bridges Korean brands and 200M K-culture fans through “Unbox Korea,” leveraging 3,000+ influencers for content-driven market entry. With 400K boxes delivered to 100 countries and 9B KRW in sales, they’re transforming subscription commerce into a cultural platform. 

LBStech: Building Barrier-Free Cities for Everyone Through AI-Powered Pedestrian Data
LBStech is revolutionizing urban accessibility with AI-powered pedestrian data, building the world’s first comprehensive barrier-free navigation system with 7.8M+ data points for smart cities globally.