Technology has been integral in medical advancement and personal health. Now more than ever, technology is readily available to people of developed countries, mostly in the form of smart phones and devices. Recently, a surge in personal health gadgets and apps has been observed with the likes of Garmin Vivosmart, Fitbit, Samsung S Health and Apple Health gaining momentum in the market. These smart devices have the ability to not only enhance…

Competition in Korea is heating up with the popularity of SPA brands in the fashion industry and big players like Laniege, Sulawhasoo dominating the beauty market. Local and international consumers are thronging to purchase fashion and beauty products coming out of Korea. With the playing field afire with dominant players, new entrants have to differentiate themselves to make a name for themselves. But what can they offer to stand out from among…

DearMissJ, an eCommerce startup marketing accessories and handmade product by Korean designers into the North American market has secured an early development investment from Sazze Partners from Silicon Valley and Primer. Following their start in 2014, they were quickly brought to the spotlight through Instagram of famous celebrities and North American fashion blogs. The platform has experienced continues growth in revenue with monthly subscribers often doubling. Kristy Kim from DearMissJ commented on…

  On the 25th August, it was revealed that Yogiyo a popular food delivery service app in Korea had received further investment of $35 million from DeliveryHero.  DeliveryHero is a German company that provides online food service solutions internationally. This brings the total investments into Yogiyo to approximately US$55 million. Through this investment  Yogiyo will direct their focus towards achieving the total satisfaction of their customers, through continued development and improvement to products and services….

Korean entertainment site Soompi has been acquired by Viki in a deal rumored to be less than US $10M. Viki was a startup that was purchased by Rakuten in a huge US $200M deal. This time, Viki is on the other end of the table and the divestor is Crunchyroll. The combination of Viki and Soompi will make the company the largest English platform for discussion and news on Korean entertainment. Korean dramas…

  Viva Republica, a Fintech startup has developed Toss, an easy money transfer solution that removes cumbersome identity or security card requirements.    On the 21st July, Viva Republica revealed that it had secured total $4.2m (US) investment from KTB Network, Altos ventures and IBK. With this investment, Viva Republica plans to step into the e-transactions with services that offer real time transfers and a deposit service for non account holders. Toss…

Public transportation systems are still clumsy to use. If you are in the stone ages of technology, you are standing in queue to buy your ticket. Then joining another queue to get your ticket verified and enter the station. And not to forget, you are asked to tender exact change at the ticket counter; another hassle. If you are in the more developed world, you need to carry a card that helps…

According to a recent article on Forbes, and indeed my own insight from having worked very closely with Korean startups over the years,  “A new start-up powerhouse is on the horizon – South Korea”. While the US, Israel, and Europe have long led global innovation in the tech industry there is excitement in the startup ecosystem in Korea, with a number of highly notable stories emerging. What is also encouraging is that where…

The Korean ecosystem is buzzing with the news that one of their own, translation service Flitto, has this week been crowned as the best startup in the World at the final of the Seedstars World global startup competition. The team at Seedstars spent almost nine months travelling to 20 different cities across the globe to find the best startups in each region. The regional winners were then invited to the grand final, and offered…