Unicorns in South Korea
Dealroom tracks 44 unicorns headquartered in South Korea — companies that reached a verified $1B+ valuation — worth $186.5B combined, plus 12 thoroughbreds generating $100M+ in annual revenue. Updated August 2026.
Every unicorn in South Korea
All 44 companies headquartered in South Korea that reached a verified $1B+ valuation, ranked by latest valuation. Click a company for its full Dealroom profile.
| # | Company | Sector | HQ | Founded | Valuation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celltrion | Biotech & Life Sciences | Incheon | 2002 | $39B | IPO 2005 |
| 2 | NAVER | AI | Seongnam-si | 1999 | $21B | IPO 2002 |
| 3 | Kakao Corp | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Jeju | 2010 | $13B | IPO 2003 |
| 4 | Dunamu | Fintech | Seoul | 2012 | $13B | Private |
| 5 | Korea Aerospace Industries | Space | Sacheon-si | 1999 | $12B | IPO 2011 |
| 6 | Yanolja | Other | Seoul | 2005 | $9B | Private |
| 7 | Krafton | Consumer Services | Seongnam-si | 2007 | $7.5B | IPO 2021 |
| 8 | Toss | Fintech | Seoul | 2011 | $7B | Private |
| 9 | Rainbow Robotics | Robotics | Daejeon | 2011 | $6B | IPO 2021 |
| 10 | Yello Mobile | Consumer Services | Seoul | 2012 | $4B | Private |
| 11 | Woowa Brothers | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2011 | $4B | Private |
| 12 | GP Club | Other | Seoul | 2003 | $3.4B | Private |
| 13 | Gentle Monster | Other | Seoul | 2011 | $3B | Private |
| 14 | Danggeun Market | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2015 | $2.7B | Private |
| 15 | Musinsa | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2001 | $2.6B | Private |
| 16 | ABLY | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2018 | $2.5B | Private |
| 17 | Rebellions | Semiconductors | Seoul | 2020 | $2.3B | Private |
| 18 | NCSOFT | Consumer Services | Seoul | 1997 | $2.3B | IPO 2003 |
| 19 | Zigbang | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2010 | $2.1B | Private |
| 20 | Ligachem Bio | Biotech & Life Sciences | Daejeon | 2006 | $2B | IPO 2013 |
| 21 | Megazone Cloud | Other | Seoul | 1998 | $2B | Private |
| 22 | TMON | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2010 | $2B | Private |
| 23 | WeMakePrice | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2010 | $2B | Private |
| 24 | Hyperconnect | Consumer Services | Seoul | 2014 | $1.7B | Private |
| 25 | IGAWorks | Marketing | Seoul | 2006 | $1.7B | Private |
| 26 | Market Kurly | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2015 | $1.6B | Private |
| 27 | LegoChem Biosciences | Other | Daejeon | 2006 | $1.6B | Private |
| 28 | OliX Pharmaceuticals | Biotech & Life Sciences | Suwon | 2010 | $1.5B | IPO 2018 |
| 29 | Pearl Abyss | Consumer Services | Anyang-si | 2010 | $1.4B | IPO 2017 |
| 30 | Ohouse | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2014 | $1.4B | Private |
| 31 | RIDI | Consumer Services | Seoul | 2008 | $1.3B | Private |
| 32 | L&P Cosmetic | Mediaheal | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2009 | $1.1B | Private |
| 33 | NHN Corporation | Other B2B Software | Seongnam-si | 1998 | $1.1B | IPO 2013 |
| 34 | Korea Credit Data | Fintech | Seoul | 2016 | $1.1B | Private |
| 35 | Good Choice Company | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2015 | $1B | Private |
| 36 | Oasis Market | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2011 | $1B | Private |
| 37 | Upstage | AI | Yongin-si | 2020 | $1B | Private |
| 38 | Aprogen | Biotech & Life Sciences | Seongnam-si | 2000 | $1B | Private |
| 39 | Shiftup | Consumer Services | Seoul | 2013 | $989M | IPO 2024 |
| 40 | Tridge | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2014 | $733M | Private |
| 41 | Lunit | Biotech & Life Sciences | Seoul | 2013 | $621M | IPO 2022 |
| 42 | Socar | Transportation | Seoul | 2012 | $547M | IPO 2022 |
| 43 | Rznomics | Biotech & Life Sciences | Yongin-si | 2017 | $449M | IPO 2025 |
| 44 | FADU | Semiconductors | Seoul | 2015 | $47M | IPO 2023 |
Thoroughbreds — the $100M+ revenue tier
Dealroom's revenue milestone: 12 South Korea companies past $100M in annual revenue, proof of traction beyond paper valuations.
| # | Company | Sector | HQ | Founded | Valuation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hugel Control | Biotech & Life Sciences | Seoul | 2001 | $1.6B | IPO 2016 |
| 2 | JYP Entertainment | Other | Seoul | 1997 | $847M | IPO 2001 |
| 3 | BRANDI | eCommerce & Marketplaces | Seoul | 2014 | $671M | Private |
| 4 | Com2uS | Consumer Services | Seoul | 1998 | $266M | IPO 2007 |
| 5 | Digital Daesung | Edtech | Seoul | 2000 | $197M | IPO 2010 |
| 6 | Worldex Industry & Trading Co. | Semiconductors | Seongnam-si | 2000 | $193M | IPO 2008 |
| 7 | Vieworks | Robotics | Anyang-si | 1999 | $158M | IPO 2009 |
| 8 | Joycity | Consumer Services | Seongnam-si | 1994 | $131M | IPO 2010 |
| 9 | Amicogen | Other | South Korea | 2000 | $109M | IPO 2013 |
| 10 | devsisters | Consumer Services | Seoul | 2007 | $76M | IPO 2014 |
| 11 | Gravity | Consumer Services | Seoul | 2000 | $4M | IPO 2005 |
| 12 | It's Skin | Other | Seoul | 2014 | — | IPO 2015 |
Frequently asked questions
How many unicorns are there in South Korea?
Dealroom tracks 44 unicorns headquartered in South Korea as of August 2026, worth $186.5B combined. 5 of them are valued at $10B or more.
What are the biggest unicorns in South Korea?
The three most valuable are Celltrion, NAVER, Kakao Corp. Seoul is the top hub with 30 of them.
What counts as a unicorn — and what is a thoroughbred?
A unicorn is a company that reached a $1B+ valuation, verified by Dealroom. A thoroughbred is Dealroom's revenue-based tier: a startup-era company generating $100M+ in annual revenue — traction, not just paper valuation.