Hello Soju is a technology company.
Hello Soju has raised $7.0M across 1 funding round.
Hello Soju has raised $7.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Hello Soju is a Los Angeles-based premium sparkling soju brand launched in 2023 by The Hello Group (THG), an entertainment and media company, offering ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages that blend traditional Korean soju with modern fruit flavors like Lemon Yuzu, Green Grape, Lychee, Asian Pear, and Peach.[1][2][4] It serves soju enthusiasts and a global "next generation" audience seeking stylish, low-sugar alternatives to classic spirits, solving the problem of outdated soju perceptions by providing refreshing, culturally rooted RTD options with real fruit juice and no added sugar.[1][2][4] The brand has shown strong growth momentum, closing a $6.8 million funding round in 2025 led by Ted Schlein of Kleiner Perkins and Ballistic Ventures, enabling production expansion in California, a product relaunch with new packaging and variety packs, and entry into the premium spirits category with a 700ml rice-based soju.[2][3]
Hello Soju emerged from The Hello Group (THG), an award-winning global entertainment firm with 16 businesses in music, live touring, TV/film, marketing, tech, and consumer products, known for working with K-pop acts like BTS, SuperM, and ITZY.[1][4] Co-founders include Nick Schlein and Taylor Jones (chairman), who created the brand to celebrate Korean culture by reimagining the 13th-century distilled spirit—traditionally made from rice, wheat, or barley—for modern tastes, blending Korean heritage with "California cool."[1][3][4] Launched in 2023 as an RTD sparkling soju, it gained early traction as an award-winning product; a pivotal moment came in 2025 with the $6.8m funding round, new CEO Elisabeth Baron (ex-Diageo, LVMH), and board additions like Dan Ginsberg (ex-CEO Red Bull North America) and Sandra ‘Sandey’ Kang (Range Media co-founder).[2][3]
While not a traditional tech company, Hello Soju leverages THG's tech and consumer products arms within its entertainment ecosystem to innovate in the beverage space, riding the global K-culture wave (K-pop, Korean cuisine) and RTD alcohol boom amid rising demand for low-sugar, flavored spirits.[2][4] Timing aligns with post-2023 growth in premium sojus, as seen with Hite-Jinro's overseas expansion, favoring market forces like multicultural consumer shifts and U.S. production scalability.[3][4] It influences the ecosystem by bridging entertainment (K-pop fanbases) with CPG, fostering cultural marketing and community-building in a $100B+ global spirits market increasingly open to Asian innovations.[2][3][4]
Hello Soju is primed for household-name status through its 2025 relaunch, expanded California production, and spirits debut, capitalizing on funding to scale marketing and distribution.[2][3] Trends like RTD premiumization, K-wave globalization, and health-focused beverages (low-sugar, fruit-forward) will propel it, potentially expanding flavors, international markets, or THG-synergized events.[1][2][4] Its influence may evolve by redefining soju for Gen Z/Millennials, blending culture with disruption—echoing its origin as a fresh twist on Korean tradition for California cool.[1][3]
Hello Soju has raised $7.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Hello Soju's investors include Ballistic Ventures, Forgepoint Capital.
Hello Soju has raised $7.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $7.0M Seed in October 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2024 | $7.0M Seed | Ballistic Ventures, Forgepoint Capital |