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§ Private Profile · Seoul, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, South Korea
Spoon Labs is a technology company.
Spoon Labs develops and operates digital content platforms, including global audio streaming applications and short-form video services. The company's core offering, Spoon, provides an interactive environment for live audio content, while its newer platform, Vigloo, focuses on short-form series. Spoon Labs leverages technology to deliver engaging and enriching entertainment experiences to a worldwide audience, fostering communities around various forms of digital media.
The company was established in May 2013 by co-founders Choi Hyuk Jun, Heejae Lee, and Hyukjae Choi. Their founding insight centered on the belief that everyday life could be transformed into a stage for exciting content. This vision led to the creation of platforms designed to empower individuals to share and consume creative audio and visual content, reflecting a commitment to fostering digital self-expression and connection on a global scale.
Spoon Labs' products cater to a broad base of users who seek both to create and consume compelling digital content. The company aims to make the world more exciting through its entertaining offerings, continually expanding its reach and diversifying its content types. Its long-term vision is to provide content that enriches the daily lives of people globally, consistently pushing the boundaries of digital entertainment and engagement.
Spoon Labs has raised $57.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Spoon Labs has raised $57.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Spoon Labs has raised $57.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $40.0M Series B in December 2019.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 2019 | $40M Series B | Wonjin LIM | IMM Investment, Naver, SBI Investment | Announced |
| Aug 1, 2018 | $17M Series B | — | Jonathan Axelrod, Goodwater Capital, Hoxton Ventures, Montauk Ventures, Rainfall Ventures, Scrum Ventures, Seven Seven SIX, Y Combinator, Emmett Shear, Tikhon Bernstam, KB Investment, Softbank Ventures Asia | Announced |
Spoon Labs has raised $57.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Spoon Labs's investors include Wonjin Lim, IMM Investment, Naver, SBI Investment, Jonathan Axelrod, Goodwater Capital, Hoxton Ventures, Montauk Ventures, Rainfall Ventures, Scrum Ventures, Seven Seven Six, Y Combinator.
Spoon Labs is a South Korean technology company that builds global content platforms focused on audio and short-form video, starting with the audio live streaming app Spoon and expanding to the short-form drama video platform Vigloo. Spoon enables anyone to start audio live streams, evolving into a platform enriching daily lives with entertaining content, while Vigloo delivers 2-minute episodic series in seven languages, targeting users worldwide.[1][2][3] It serves global audiences seeking accessible, on-demand entertainment, solving the problem of engaging, bite-sized content amid busy lifestyles, with strong growth including profitability for two consecutive years by February 2024, sales of 80 billion won by 2021, and major funding rounds totaling over $148 million.[2][6]
Spoon Labs was established in May 2013 in South Korea, marking the start of its "endless challenge" in content platforms.[1][2] Led by CEO Hyukjae Choi, the company launched Spoon in Korea in March 2016, positioning everyday life as a "stage" for audio streaming.[1][2] Early traction came quickly, with recognition in May 2017, followed by global expansion: Japan in April 2018, MENA region in November 2018, the US in September 2019, and Taiwan in April 2023.[1][2] Pivotal funding included 19 billion won ($14M equivalent) Series B in July 2018 from KB Investment, Goodwater, and SoftBank, and 45 billion won ($33M equivalent) Series C in December 2019 from KB, IMM, Naver, and others; a massive 120 billion won ($89M) investment from KRAFTON in September 2024 fueled Vigloo's global launch in July 2024.[1][2][3][5][6]
Spoon Labs rides the explosive growth of short-form content, particularly dramatic video series booming in a KRW 7 trillion Chinese market and expanding in the US and Japan, where user preferences favor quick, serialized entertainment over long-form.[3][4] Timing aligns with post-pandemic shifts to mobile-first, on-demand media, amplified by AI tools reducing production barriers—Spoon's experiments in AI dramas position it to disrupt traditional studios.[4] Market forces like global streaming fragmentation and demand for localized, multilingual content favor its experience, while investments from gaming giants like KRAFTON highlight synergies in IP creation and non-gaming diversification; it influences the ecosystem by exporting Korean production expertise worldwide, blending tech with storytelling.[3][4]
Spoon Labs is poised to dominate short-form drama with Vigloo's US/Japan push, leveraging KRAFTON's resources for IP expansion and Arcane's AI-production pipeline for cost-efficient scaling.[3][4] Trends like AI automation, regional content localization, and video-audio convergence will accelerate growth, potentially establishing Korean short-form as a global standard amid a surging market.[3][4] Its influence may evolve from audio niche player to multifaceted content powerhouse, tying back to its mission of making the world exciting through everyday entertainment—watch for blockbuster series and further strategic alliances.