‘bemyfriends’, a Korean startup operating the global fandom business solution “b.stage,” has raised approximately USD 15.3 million(KRW 21 billion) in funding from Silicon Valley–based venture capital firm Goodwater Capital.

This follow-on investment comes just one month after a strategic investment from BRICKS FUND TOKYO, part of the Mitsubishi Group in Japan. With local hubs established in both Japan and the United States, bemyfriends has secured back-to-back funding from major investors in Asia and North America — further solidifying its global expansion outlook and business sustainability.

Goodwater Capital highly valued the originality and global scalability of b.stage. In particular, the firm highlighted the platform’s core competitive advantage: the ability to build a fully-customized fan ecosystem for any IP while granting 100% platform ownership to the IP holder — a clear differentiator from legacy fandom platforms.

“b.stage is defining a new standard in the global fandom business market,” said Goodwater Capital. “Its Shopify-like B2B strategy allows flexible application across diverse industries, offering complete agility to IP owners. We see significant market potential beyond traditional consumer-facing fandom platforms and are deeply impressed by the traction and business execution to date. We look forward to b.stage shaping the future of global fandom business.”

b.stage operates under a “Fandom Business 360” model, integrating six core pillars ; advertising & marketing, fan club operations, e-commerce, fan communications, concert and live event operations, IP-based business development. 

To date, over 300 global platforms have been deployed on b.stage, enabling more than 900 artists to engage with fans across 230+ countries. Recent initiatives include launching the official fan community for K-pop Demon Hunters, Netflix’s top-performing title of all time, and operating a Seoul pop-up store for Japan’s top idol group “Snow Man,” as b.stage expands beyond K-pop into broader global IP collaborations.

“Back-to-back trust from world-class investors such as Mitsubishi’s BRICKS FUND and Goodwater Capital proves b.stage’s emergence as a leader in the global fan-tech market,” said Wooseok Seo, CEO of bemyfriends. “With strategic backing from both Asian and North American investors, our global expansion will accelerate significantly.”

“Our ultimate goal is to become the world’s first-choice infrastructure for every IP owner launching a fandom business,” he added. “The fresh capital will be used to expand global operations and further scale our Fandom Business 360 initiatives as a core growth driver.”

Since its global launch in 2022, b.stage has recorded more than 3× year-over-year growth for two consecutive years. As of August this year, cumulative GMV surpassed approximately USD 36.5 million(KRW 50 billion), and monthly traffic now exceeds 300 million views — underscoring its steep acceleration.