The ten companies in this roundup were called “hot” in a TechCrunch article published August 31, 2024—not ranked as the fastest-growing companies in South Korea today. They span travel, fintech, groceries, crypto, fashion, resale, home services, advertising, real estate and small-business software. Their reported results come from different years and use different measures, so this is a guide to what each business does and what evidence is available, not a current performance ranking.
What “hot” means in this South Korean startup list
TechCrunch’s August 31, 2024 article named ten companies: Yanolja, Viva Republica (Toss), Kurly, Dunamu, Musinsa, Danggeun Market (Karrot), Bucketplace (OHouse), Moloco, ZigBang and Korea Credit Data (KCD). The article’s financial, user, funding and valuation figures largely refer to 2023 or earlier. Any IPO discussion in it should be read as a plan or possibility reported at that time, not evidence that a listing later happened or remains planned. TechCrunch’s original article is the source for the list and its historical claims.
The businesses are not directly comparable. A consumer app’s users, a marketplace’s gross merchandise volume (GMV), an adtech company’s revenue and a crypto exchange’s results describe different kinds of activity. Funding valuations are not the same as current market values, and employee opinion is not a measured growth rate.
The 10 companies, by business model
1. Yanolja: travel booking and hospitality technology
Yanolja began as a travel platform and has expanded into international operations and hospitality technology. TechCrunch discussed historical funding and 2023 revenue, along with a U.S. IPO plan reported at the time. That plan should not be treated as current or completed without a confirmed filing. Yanolja’s investor-relations index now lists annual, quarterly and half-year disclosures, including a half-year report dated August 14, 2026; the details of that report are not reproduced here. Yanolja investor relations
#1 Best Overall
- BEST KOREAN LEARNING BUNDLE FOR BEGINNERS: Official TTMIK Level 1 Complete Set includes Grammar Textbook, Workbook, and 3 Bonus Essentials (Progress Tracker, Stickers, Postcards). Learn Hangul, basic grammar, and conversational Korean with Talk To Me in Korean.
- COMPREHENSIVE WORKBOOK FOR PRACTICE: Strengthen your Korean with the official TTMIK Workbook featuring 100+ grammar and vocabulary exercises, writing practice, and review quizzes with answers. Ideal for adult beginners to build confidence through structured self-study.
- INTEGRATED LEARNING SYSTEM: Master Korean through 25 structured grammar lessons, writing, vocabulary building, and real-life examples. Free MP3 audio resources available online for full comprehension and pronunciation practice.
- BONUS STUDY GIFTS INCLUDED: Progress Tracker, motivational stickers, and Korean-themed postcards make learning fun and engaging. Perfect for K-drama fans, K-pop lovers, or language enthusiasts.
- OFFICIAL TTMIK QUALITY YOU CAN TRUST: Trusted by 10M learners worldwide. Experience TTMIK’s authentic materials that guide you from Hangul basics to natural Korean conversation with confidence- start your Korean journey today!
2. Viva Republica (Toss): a broad financial app
Viva Republica operates Toss, a Korean financial app whose roots include payments. TechCrunch cited historical revenue and monthly active user figures and described a contemplated Korean listing; those are dated claims, not current operating metrics or confirmation of a listing. A separate 2024 survey asked 200 startup employees which Korean startup they thought showed the fastest growth. Toss was selected by 16.5% of respondents. This records perception, not the company’s actual growth rate. Startup Alliance Korea
3. Kurly: grocery delivery and adjacent categories
Kurly is a grocery delivery company that TechCrunch described as expanding into beauty, personal care and other categories. The article reported 2023 revenue and discussed a possible listing after profitability milestones. Kurly’s investor-relations index includes earnings presentations through the second quarter of 2026, with a presentation dated August 12, 2026. Those newer figures are not included here, so the 2023 figure should not be used as a statement of current performance. Kurly investor relations
Rank #2
- THE ULTIMATE KOREAN LEARNING SYSTEM: All-in-one pack with 6 TTMIK books (Textbooks & Workbooks 1–3) plus Writing Notebook. Learn Hangul and reach intermediate fluency through a proven structured curriculum.
- MASTER KOREAN WRITING: Practice Korean writing and pronunciation with stroke guides, 100+ exercises, and online audio available for accurate pronunciation. Build grammar and vocabulary with TTMIK’s official self-study materials.
- STRUCTURED 75-LESSON CURRICULUM: Follow TTMIK’s proven system from beginner to confident speaker. Designed by certified Korean teachers, this program builds grammar foundation, real-life communication skills, and essential vocabulary mastery. FREE MP3 audio is available online for accurate pronunciation practice.
- 9-PIECE PREMIUM STUDY GIFTS: Includes 9 study items—Progress Trackers, Stickers, and Postcards for each level. Stay motivated, track your journey, and enjoy a fun, rewarding study experience with this all-in-one gift set.
- OFFICIAL TTMIK QUALITY YOU CAN TRUST: Trusted by 10M learners worldwide. Experience TTMIK’s authentic materials that guide you from Hangul basics to natural Korean conversation with confidence - start your Korean journey today!
4. Dunamu: operator of the Upbit crypto exchange
Dunamu operates Upbit and shifted from stock trading into cryptocurrency. TechCrunch covered historical valuation changes and 2023 results. Crypto-market cycles can substantially affect an exchange’s results, so an old annual figure is especially poor evidence of current performance. Use a dated financial disclosure for any present-day comparison.
5. Musinsa: fashion marketplace
Musinsa connects shoppers with fashion brands. The company’s business page reports the following 2025 figures; these are company-reported and retain the units and periods stated by Musinsa:
Recommended Free Tools
| Measure | Company-reported 2025 figure |
|---|---|
| Partner brands | 20,000+ |
| Members | 24 million+ |
| Monthly active users | 10 million+ |
| GMV | More than KRW 5 trillion |
| Revenue | KRW 1.4679 trillion |
| Operating profit | KRW 140.5 billion |
GMV represents the value of transactions through a marketplace; it is not revenue. The revenue and operating-profit figures are separate measures. MUSINSA Corporation business information
6. Danggeun Market (Karrot): neighborhood resale
Karrot is a hyperlocal peer-to-peer marketplace for used goods. TechCrunch linked its growth to overseas markets and reported historical revenue and profitability. Karrot also appeared in the 2024 Startup Trend Report’s employee-perception results, but that is not a measure of revenue growth or user growth.
Rank #4
- 10 G-DRAGON STORIES: YOUR NEXT STEP INTO REAL KOREAN READING Most beginner Korean books stop at short, unnatural example sentences. This book gives you 10 full-length, must-read stories and fun facts about G-DRAGON, written in beginner-level Korean with vocabulary support on every page, so you can build real reading skills step by step. If you've learned basic Korean grammar but still struggle to find engaging reading material at your level, this book is your next step.
- EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND EACH STORY Read each story as natural, flowing Korean, then check each sentence against a numbered English translation, so there's no guessing what a sentence means. Each chapter also includes a targeted vocabulary list and comprehension questions. Perfect for self-study or group study.
- READ ALOUD, SHADOW, AND REVIEW YOUR WAY Tricky pronunciations are marked in Hangeul so you always know how words actually sound. Scan the QR code to listen to native-speaker audio and practice shadowing at your own pace. Trace, transcribe, translate, or mark challenging sounds—and use it however works best for you.
- COMPLETE LEARNING KIT: POSTCARDS & EXPRESSION STICKERS Includes G-DRAGON-inspired collectible postcards and an expression sticker sheet featuring key Korean phrases from the stories. Decorate your notebook or planner with expressions you've learned, or write fan letters in Korean with the postcards. Take your Korean off the page and into your everyday life.
- KEEP PRACTICING BEYOND THE BOOK: ONLINE & OFFLINE Download printable vocabulary quiz sheets and self-review pages to repeat as many times as you need—on paper or digitally on your tablet. Visit FlowKorean, an online platform where you can type the stories from the book, listen to audio playback, and reinforce everything you've learned—all in one place.
7. Bucketplace (OHouse): home inspiration and services
Bucketplace’s OHouse began as a home-interior community and broadened into home-related commerce and services. TechCrunch described offerings that include repairs, maintenance, furniture delivery and moving. Its historical funding and valuation should be treated as dated; no newer company financial update is established here.
8. Moloco: advertising technology for businesses
Moloco provides mobile advertising technology using machine learning for user acquisition and monetization campaigns. Its customers include businesses and app developers, making it adtech infrastructure rather than a consumer shopping platform. TechCrunch’s revenue, valuation and potential-listing discussion are historical.
9. ZigBang: real estate and smart-home technology
ZigBang has real-estate brokerage and listing services, smart-home products and Soma workspace, according to its corporate website. Its news list includes 2025 announcements about an AI door lock and AI lobby phone, as well as a report that Q1 2025 returned to profit after the 2024 operating loss narrowed sharply. These updates indicate product activity and a reported period-specific result; they do not establish ZigBang’s financial position in 2026. ZigBang corporate website
10. Korea Credit Data: tools for small businesses
Korea Credit Data (KCD) provides financial and bookkeeping tools for small and medium-sized Korean businesses, including its Cashnote service, as described by TechCrunch. The 2024 article cited historical merchant reach, funding and a reported IPO plan. No current filing or updated operating metric is established here, so those historical claims should not be presented as current scale or listing progress.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare these companies without mixing up the numbers
For an investor, job seeker or reader tracking Korean startups, the useful question is not simply which company is “hottest.” Compare like with like and date every figure:
- Business activity: Identify whether the company sells to consumers, merchants, app developers or other businesses.
- Scale: Label the measure—users, merchants, transactions or GMV—and state its period. GMV is not revenue.
- Financial performance: Keep revenue and operating profit distinct and attach each to the fiscal period reported.
- Capital and valuation: Treat funding and private-round valuations as historical financing information, not a current share price or market capitalization.
- Expansion and plans: Distinguish an announced product launch or reported IPO intention from evidence that the plan has been completed.
- Disclosure quality: Note when companies provide different levels of current information instead of forcing a single ranking.
The evidence is uneven. Musinsa publishes company-reported 2025 operating measures. Kurly and Yanolja have newer investor-relations materials, but their indexes alone do not supply the figures needed for an apples-to-apples comparison. For the other companies, the cited historical claims should not be substituted for current financial disclosures.
What the list says about South Korea’s startup ecosystem
The ten businesses span consumer platforms and business infrastructure rather than one shared industry. They sit within a much larger venture ecosystem: Korea Venturein, associated with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, reports 38,598 venture-certified companies in 2025. Separately, its 2024 statistics report 985 billion-revenue venture companies. These are ecosystem figures for different reference years, not evidence about the current status or performance of the ten companies. Korea Venturein statistics
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
