KoreaTechDesk | Korean Startup and Technology News

Wed, August 06, 2025

Sign in

Virtual Demo Day
Menu
  • Home
  • Startup News
    • AI & Big Data
    • AR & VR
    • Blockchain
    • Clean Technology
    • Content & Games
    • Cybersecurity
    • Enterprise & SaaS
    • FinTech
    • Gadgets & Electronics
    • Health & Bio
    • Manufacturing
    • Press Release
    • IoT
    • Marketplaces & E-commerce
    • Robotics
    • Transportation
    • Investments
    • Ecosystem & Lists
  • Governments
    • Artificial Intelligence Industry Cluster Agency
    • Daegu Technopark
    • GANGNAM-GU
    • Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator
    • Hwaseong Industry Promotion Agency
    • Invest Seoul
    • Korea Creative Content Agency
    • Korea Internet & Security Agency
    • Korea Information Security Industry Association
    • Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development
    • Korea Tourism Organization
    • Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency
    • Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
    • Ministry of SMEs & Startups
    • National IT Industry Promotion Agency
    • Pangyo Techno Valley
    • Seoul Business Agency
    • Seoul FinTech Lab
    • South Gyeongsang Province
    • Seoul Metropolitan Government
  • Events
    • COMEUP
    • Korea Fintech Week
    • K-Content Expo
    • NextRise
    • Try Everything
  • Interviews
    • Investors’ interviews
    • Founders’ interviews
  • Programs
    • Asan Voyager
    • CAPA Global Program
    • Campus Town Program
    • SGSC Global Bootcamp
    • Gangnam-gu Global Roadshow
    • Global SaaS Marketplace Support Project
    • LAUNCHPAD
    • COMEUP STARS 120
    • K-Startup Grand Challenge
    • TIPS X beSUCCESS Global Project
    • SFL Global Program
    • KTO Global Showcase
    • Yonsei Univ Global Class
    • KOSME Global Program
  • Partner With Us
    • Press Release
    • Startup Scouting
    • Business Agencies
    • Global Mentorship Program
    • Investment Opportunities
    • K-Scouter Program
  • Lists
  • Virtual Demo Day
  • Home
  • Startup News
    • AI & Big Data
    • AR & VR
    • Blockchain
    • Clean Technology
    • Content & Games
    • Cybersecurity
    • Enterprise & SaaS
    • FinTech
    • Gadgets & Electronics
    • Health & Bio
    • Manufacturing
    • Press Release
    • IoT
    • Marketplaces & E-commerce
    • Robotics
    • Transportation
    • Investments
    • Ecosystem & Lists
  • Governments
    • Artificial Intelligence Industry Cluster Agency
    • Daegu Technopark
    • GANGNAM-GU
    • Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator
    • Hwaseong Industry Promotion Agency
    • Invest Seoul
    • Korea Creative Content Agency
    • Korea Internet & Security Agency
    • Korea Information Security Industry Association
    • Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development
    • Korea Tourism Organization
    • Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency
    • Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
    • Ministry of SMEs & Startups
    • National IT Industry Promotion Agency
    • Pangyo Techno Valley
    • Seoul Business Agency
    • Seoul FinTech Lab
    • South Gyeongsang Province
    • Seoul Metropolitan Government
  • Events
    • COMEUP
    • Korea Fintech Week
    • K-Content Expo
    • NextRise
    • Try Everything
  • Interviews
    • Investors’ interviews
    • Founders’ interviews
  • Programs
    • Asan Voyager
    • CAPA Global Program
    • Campus Town Program
    • SGSC Global Bootcamp
    • Gangnam-gu Global Roadshow
    • Global SaaS Marketplace Support Project
    • LAUNCHPAD
    • COMEUP STARS 120
    • K-Startup Grand Challenge
    • TIPS X beSUCCESS Global Project
    • SFL Global Program
    • KTO Global Showcase
    • Yonsei Univ Global Class
    • KOSME Global Program
  • Partner With Us
    • Press Release
    • Startup Scouting
    • Business Agencies
    • Global Mentorship Program
    • Investment Opportunities
    • K-Scouter Program
  • Lists
  • Virtual Demo Day
Home Startup Ecosystem & Lists

South Korea now has 15 unicorn startups, ‘Baby Shark’ wins the case and other news

by KoreaTechDesk Writer
July 25, 2021
in Ecosystem & Lists
1
South Korean women archers team that won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo on July 25, 2021. Source: Yonhap

South Korean women archers team that won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo on July 25, 2021. Source: Yonhap

0
SHARES
5
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Korean startup ecosystem gets some motivating news from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups as it adds three new startups to the list of unicorns, making the total 15. Also, SmartStudy wins plagiarism case against an American composer, Naver D2SF invests in more startups, and Toss Insurance was praised for innovation by Finance Commission. Check the news that happened.

S.Korea now has 15 unicorn companies

Source: Korea Herald 

Fifteen local startups have officially reached unicorn status, according to the Ministry of SME and Startups on Tuesday. The ministry said that three startups — Zigbang, Dunamu, and Market Kurly — have joined a select group of firms with a valuation exceeding $1 billion. Not all companies with high valuations are given the unicorn status.

Unicorn companies should neither be listed on the stock exchange nor merged with another company. Coupang, for instance, was excluded from the group of local unicorns since it went public on the New York stock market earlier this year.Korea had six unicorns at the end of 2018. The number increased to 10 in 2019, and to 13 at the end of 2020.

Court rules against U.S. composer in plagiarism suit over ‘Baby Shark’

Source: Yonhap Agency

 A screenshot of the video "Baby Shark Dance" on YouTube by SmartStudy.
 A screenshot of the video “Baby Shark Dance” on YouTube by SmartStudy.

A Seoul court on Friday ruled against an American composer in a plagiarism suit he brought against the producer of the popular South Korean children’s song “Baby Shark” two years ago. The Seoul Central District Court rejected a claim by New York-based composer Johnny Only that “Baby Shark,” a world-famous song released by South Korean education startup SmartStudy in 2015, copied his 2011 song.

The rhythmic two-minute song featuring a shark family and their underwater hunt for small fish has gone viral in cyberspace and on the small screen at home and abroad. “Baby Shark Dance,” a sing-and-dance video for the megahit children’s song, has racked up more than 9 billion views on YouTube. Only, whose legal name is Jonathan Wright, filed a lawsuit with the Seoul court in March 2019, claiming that the South Korean song plagiarized his own song “Baby Shark” remade in 2011 with a unique rhythm to an orally transmitted folk song.

Naver D2SF invests in two metaverse technology startups

Source: Platum

 

Naver D2SF's new investments.
Naver D2SF’s new investments.

Naver D2SF (D2 Startup Factory) made a new investment in two metaverse technology startups.

Pixelity Games, which is developing an efficient high-quality 3D content authoring solution, has real-time interaction technology between multiple users in a virtual flow and VR environment.

Virtual Flow is developing a solution that can easily create high-quality 3D content based on the ‘Unreal’ engine without professional development knowledge. The advanced 3D engine ‘Unreal’ is used in movies, dramas, and games such as <Game of Thrones> because it can implement the highest quality content, but it requires high skill development capabilities. Virtual Flow is developing a content authoring solution that does not require coding or scripting by significantly improving the usability and accessibility of Unreal Engine, and plans to release a beta version in early 2022.

Toss Insurance “Increasing customer understanding with innovative mobile technology instead of 30-minute voice recording”

Source: Toss 

 

Toss Insurance’s ‘mobile standard product description service’ designated as innovative financial service by the Financial Services Commission

Toss Insurance’s innovative financial service enables customers to use the audiovisual elements of the mobile app to explain the product, instead of having the insurance analysis manager read the standard product description script from start to finish and record the process to customers who want to purchase insurance. It is designed to make product contents easier to recognize.

The key is to replace the voice recording of the standard product description script with a mobile app, which was essential when signing up for insurance through telephone consultation (TM) .

Tags: Baby SharkKorean StartupsNAVERSmartStudyToss InsuranceUnicorn startups
Previous Post

‘TIPS Global Pre-accelerator 2021’ six-week program for Korean startups begins with lessons in building community

Next Post

PUBG creator Krafton shares the future vision & expansion plans ahead of IPO 

Next Post
Krafton Building in Seoul.

PUBG creator Krafton shares the future vision & expansion plans ahead of IPO 

Please login to join discussion

POPULAR POSTS

NEXVERS Secures Series A to Scale TopReels, Korea’s F...
South Korea is advancing its next wave…
by Zee Cindy . 30 Jul 2025

GPTKiller’s Muhayu: First in AI Hiring Tech to Achiev...
Another innovative Korean startup has made history. Muhayu, the company behind AI-powered plagiarism detection service CopyKiller and GPTKiller, is now…
by Chloe kim . 30 Jul 2025

Korean Startup Medipal Enters Vietnam’s $2.5B Digital...
Korean healthtech startup Medipal has entered into a strategic partnership with H+ Yangji Hospital to expand its patient care SaaS…
by Chloe kim . 30 Jul 2025

Strategic EdTech Startup Alliance: Sajagaonda and MEA E...
Korean EdTech startups Sajagaonda and MEA have joined forces in a strategic alliance to reshape student career planning and personalized…
by Zee Cindy . 30 Jul 2025

Mobidoo’s Sauce Powers South Korea’s Rise i...
As the global e-commerce landscape continues to shift toward video-first experiences, South Korean startup Mobidoo Co., Ltd., widely recognized by…
by Aditi Dave . 2 Aug 2025

Register for Event

MOST READ ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

1.
South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups Unveils $2.23 Billion Support Plan for Startups in 2025
3 Jan 2025
2.
South Korea Shines at CES 2025: Global Innovation Champion, Record-Breaking K-Startup Pavilion, Award-Winning Innovations
10 Jan 2025
3.
South Korea Opens Applications for the 10th K-Startup Grand Challenge 2025 – Korea’s Flagship Market-Entry Program Offering ₩950M (US$633K) in Government Support 
7 May 2025
4.
K-Startup Grand Challenge : Empowering Global Startups and Driving Innovation in South Korea
28 Apr 2025
5.
AI in South Korea: Startups Leading the Generative AI Revolution
1 Apr 2025

List Article

1.
6 Reasons Why Seoul Is Poised to Become a Top 5 Global Economic Hub by 2030
20 Aug 2024
2.
Top Co-working Spaces for Startups & Companies to Explore in South Korea
3 Apr 2024
3.
Top Accelerators in South Korea Shaping Startup Success
29 Nov 2023
4.
Top Korean Venture Capital Firms Backing Startup Success
26 Oct 2023
5.
Top Apps for Seamless Korean to English Translation
14 Aug 2023

Similar Articles

Top Accelerators
Ecosystem & ListsLists

Top Accelerators in South Korea Shaping Startup Success

More
COMEUP 2023
COMEUPEcosystem & ListsEvents

Unveiling Key Lessons for Korean Startups Eyeing Global Expansion from COMEUP 2023

More
Content & GamesEcosystem & ListsLists

Top Apps for Seamless Korean to English Translation

More

Topics

Menu
  • AI & Big Data
  • AR & VR
  • Blockchain
  • Clean Technology
  • Content & Games
  • Cybersecurity
  • Enterprise & SaaS
  • FinTech
  • Gadgets & Electronics
  • Health & Bio
  • IoT

Program

Menu
  • Asan Voyager
  • CAPA Global Program
  • SGSC Global Bootcamp
  • LAUNCHPAD
  • COMEUP STARS 120
  • K-Startup Grand Challenge
  • TIPS X beSUCCESS Global Project
  • SFL Global Program
  • KTO Global Showcase
  • Yonsei Univ Global Class
  • KOSME Global Program

About

Menu
  • About Us
  • all articles
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • Cookie-policy
  • twitter

Subscribe and be informed first hand about actual Korean startup news.

All the day’s headlines and highlights, direct to you every morning.

Contact us : [email protected]

Topics

Menu
  • AI & Big Data
  • AR & VR
  • Blockchain
  • Clean Technology
  • Content & Games
  • Cybersecurity
  • Enterprise & SaaS
  • FinTech
  • Gadgets & Electronics
  • Health & Bio
  • IoT

Program

Menu
  • Asan Voyager
  • CAPA Global Program
  • SGSC Global Bootcamp
  • LAUNCHPAD
  • COMEUP STARS 120
  • K-Startup Grand Challenge
  • TIPS X beSUCCESS Global Project
  • SFL Global Program
  • KTO Global Showcase
  • Yonsei Univ Global Class
  • KOSME Global Program

About

Menu
  • About Us
  • all articles
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • Cookie-policy
  • twitter

Subscribe and be informed first hand about actual Korean startup news.

All the day’s headlines and highlights, direct to you every morning.

© 2023 Koreantech News & Media Korea Zrt. All rights reserved.

Our Spring Sale Has Started

You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/

Our Spring Sale Has Started

You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/

We hope you enjoy our content, May you please give us Feedback regarding our website!

Single Post Feedback

dgdfgfdgdf

What you think about Koreatechdesk, Share your idea with us!

feedback popup

Invitation submission has been closed

Insert/edit link

Enter the destination URL

Or link to existing content

    No search term specified. Showing recent items. Search or use up and down arrow keys to select an item.