Fandom-based community platform Pending (CEO Se-Hyeon Eom) announced on the 28th that it had completed "Creator Venture Seoul 2025 (CVS 2025)" held at the Textile Center Texpa Hall in Gangnam, Seoul on the 24th. Over 400 people attended the event, where domestic creator industry officials gathered to share fandom business expansion strategies and case studies.
CVS 2025, co-hosted by Pending and accelerator Primer, drew attention for its strategy-focused sessions on "The Direction of Fandom-Based Creator Businesses." In his keynote, Story Protocol CEO Seungyoon Lee stated, "Content creators are all like individual entrepreneurs," adding, "We need a strategy that transforms content from one-time consumption into branding and intellectual property (IP)."
The creator session presented specific strategies for transforming content into businesses. Lee Seong-gyu, CEO of Hemeco Lab, better known as YouTuber "Kiwoo," explained, "Content is created through individual sensibilities, but businesses are built on structure and people." He added, "Team capabilities are key to startup growth." Jo Seong-woo, CEO of Subingsusan, cited the case of the crab marinated crab business, stating, "We must define consumer inconveniences and develop products through process research." He added, "Creators are no longer mere models, but entrepreneurs at the center of industry change."
The fan platform session discussed the role of platforms and the sustainability of the fandom economy. Eom Se-hyun, CEO of Panding, stated, "Fandom-based membership is a structure where creators and platforms grow together through continuous fan participation." He added, "The core of a sustainable fandom is not simply content, but the rhythm of emotions." Kim Hyung-il, former CEO of Naver Webtoon, stated, "In the AI era, it's crucial to transform the explosively increasing quantity of content into quality. Platforms that build trust and an ecosystem and provide IP infrastructure will be competitive."
In the session "How Creators Become Entrepreneurs," Primer CEO Kwon Do-gyun presented strategies for growing into a sustainable entrepreneur. He stated, "A corporation is an independent entity, and individual success should lead to the creation of social value." He added, "To evolve beyond mere trading into a business, we must systematically establish core elements such as a model, capital, and organization."
Starting with CVS 2025, Pending plans to regularize its creator business conferences. Through these conferences, it aims to build an industry ecosystem where creators, startups, and investors can grow together, establishing itself as a central platform for domestic creator businesses.
CEO Eom Se-hyeon said, “It is very meaningful to hold this event at a time when the domestic creator economy has not yet received sufficient attention,” and added, “We will create a sustainable growth environment so that domestic creators can become globally competitive.”
Seol Eun-seo, a partner at Primer, said, “The interplay between fandom, startups, and the investment ecosystem is creating new markets and opportunities,” and added, “We hope that this conference will serve as an opportunity for creators and the venture industry to collaborate and create innovative business models.”
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