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• Period : 13 Oct., 2025 ~ 19 Oct., 2025

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

Headline

2025 Tourism Global Challenge: 14 Startups Chart Course to Global Markets
The 2025 Tourism Global Challenge, operated by CNTTech, helps 14 travel-tech startups enter global markets via roadshows in Vietnam, Dubai, and China, providing mentorship, investment networking, and market access, resulting in international expansion.

Latest Funding News

Check out the latest funding news for Korean startups 

AutoHands Secures $11 Mil. Pre-IPO Funding to Accelerate KOSDAQ Listing and AI-Based Mobility Expansion
Korean mobility startup AutoHands raised USD 11 million in pre-IPO funding to enhance its AI-driven mobility platform and prepare for a 2026 KOSDAQ listing.

MOFAC Studios Raised $4.2 Mil. Investment to Expand AI-Driven Production and Global Distribution of Feature Animation
Korean VFX studio MOFAC Studios secures USD 4.2 million investment to advance AI and virtual production R&D and expand its North American distribution network.

Halfmore Secures USD 2.51 Million in Additional Funding, Expanding Across US
Halfmore, a Korean fintech startup, secured USD 2.51M (KRW 3.5B) in funding, led by DEEPCORE, with plans to expand its AI-based family financial management platform across the US.

CTRL-M Secures $1.8 Mil. Pre-Series A Funding to Advance AI-Driven Restaurant Management Platform
Korean AI foodtech startup ControlM raised USD 1.8 million in pre-Series A funding to enhance its AI restaurant platform “Resto-Genie” and expand globally.

Naver D2SF Invests in U.S.-Based Startup ‘Summer Robotics’ to Advance Robotic Vision Sensors
Naver D2SF joins Applied Ventures in Summer Robotics’ Series A to back its laser event sensor technology enabling ultra-fast, high-precision vision for next-generation industrial robots.

Crosshub Secures USD 590,000 in Seed Investment for Blockchain-Based Identity Verification
Crosshub, a blockchain-based identity and payment solution company, secured USD 590,000 (KRW 800 million) in seed funding. They achieved 270,000 MAU in Southeast Asia and USD 369 million (KRW 500 billion) in cumulative payments, with a 2026 service launch planned.

Rovoroad Secures USD 153,846 Seed Investment from SNU Holdings
Rovoroad secured USD 153,846 (KRW 200 million) in seed funding from SNU Holdings to advance its AI-based road repair robot platform for efficient and safe road maintenance.

Yeji X Raises Seed Funding to Reduce Heart Failure Readmissions with Multimodal AI
Yeji X raised seed funding from Kakao Ventures and Schmidt to develop multimodal AI predicting heart failure readmissions, aiming to reduce U.S. hospital penalties and enhance efficiency.

Korean Startup Interview

Meet startups that are striving for global expansion through exclusive interviews

Splab, “Umoh AI: Fully Automated 10K+ Attendee Conferences Start here.”
Splab Inc.’s Umoh platform uses AI for business matching, real-time operations, and ROI analytics in events. With customers in the U.S. and Japan, ISO certifications, and Korea’s Tourism Global Challenge support, it’s expanding in the $500B events market. 

THE HYUIL: “Building the Airbnb of Workation – Connecting Regions, Companies, and Digital Nomads”
THE HYUIL is a workation platform connecting governments, companies, and digital nomads. It’s expanding globally from Korea to Japan and Southeast Asia, aiming to be the “Airbnb of workation.” 

Hashpurple: “Revolutionizing K-Pop Fan Culture with Transparent Crowdfunding for Global Fandom”
Hashpurple’s KDOL platform revolutionizes K-pop fan advertising by providing transparent crowdfunding for global fandoms, achieving 400,000+ downloads with 70% international users while transforming opaque fundraising into secure O4O campaigns across major venues worldwide.

Solvook: “Building Educational Content Ecosystem with AI”
Solvook is transforming the educational content market with its AI-powered platform, connecting creators and users globally while ensuring legitimate trade.

The Service Platform: “Revolutionizing Travel Shopping with Online E-Commerce and Tax-Free Services”
The Service Platform’s Funchreward allows travelers to shop online and receive tax-free purchases at their hotels. This B2B SaaS solution targets 50M travelers in Korea, Japan, and Europe, launching in 2026 with e-commerce and airline partnerships.

Connect.ED, “Reimagining Study Abroad Through AI and Building a Lifelong Learning Ecosystem”  
Connect.ED is transforming study abroad with an AI-powered platform serving 15,000+ institutions globally, eliminating agency bias and expanding into lifelong learning through GROWTHLOG to create a complete education-to-career ecosystem.  

• VideoMonster, “Expanding to Southeast Asia with 400K Users, Scaling Travel Content API” 
• Go2Joy: “Pioneering Hourly Hotel Bookings to Transform Vietnam’s Hospitality Industry” 
• Haenyeo Kitchen Group, “Transforming Jeju’s Diving Heritage Into Immersive Culinary Theater” 
• LiveAnywhere, “Bridging the Gap Between Short Stays and Long Leases with Flexible Housing Solutions” 
• PLAYLEGEND, “Revolutionizing Indoor Sports Entertainment with Immersive Digital Theme Parks” 
• OhMyHotel&Co: “Transforming Asia’s Hotel Industry with All-in-One SaaS Platform” 
• Daebak: “Transforming K-Culture Fandom into Global Business Opportunities” 
• LBStech: Building Barrier-Free Cities for Everyone Through AI-Powered Pedestrian Data