ZD Ventures (ZDVC, CEO Ha-kyung Kim) announced on the 12th that it has conducted a pre-seed investment in Fungus International (CEO Sun-woo Park), a direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand aggregator. The investment amount was not disclosed, and ZD Ventures participated as the lead investor. Lee Woong, CEO of beauty platform Hwahae Global, and Hong Joo-young, CEO of Rapo Labs, operator of 4050 lifestyle platform Queenit, also participated as investors.
Fungus International is a brand aggregator that leverages performance marketing and influencer strategies to discover promising brands and grow them in the D2C market. They provide solutions that help existing companies transition from online channels to IP-centric marketing, and are recognized for their capabilities that directly link advertising creative management to increased sales. Recently, Fungus International partnered with the generative AI startup Generative Lab to strengthen its AI-based marketing automation capabilities.
Fungus International acquired the rights to the dog rehabilitation equipment brand Poveo and restructured to focus on D2C. It is also expanding its business portfolio, launching a nootropics brand in collaboration with the Brainwave Research Institute. It is also expanding its reach by collaborating with established beauty, food, and lifestyle brands, such as infomercial company Infovel and kitchenware brand Frog.
Founder and CEO Park Sun-woo established the student-led accelerator group Y-Ventures after entering Yonsei University early, and gained experience in D2C commerce at major media commerce and brand aggregators. "Like our company's name suggests, we aim to grow into a K-lifestyle brand builder that naturally connects with consumers," Park said. "Based on our investment, we plan to cultivate domestic category leaders and secure competitiveness in the global market in the long term."
GD Ventures focuses on investing in promising startups both domestically and internationally, expanding its global portfolio with initiatives like the hybrid entertainment IP platform "Suerte" and the US-based non-face-to-face clinic "Region Health." CEO Kim Ha-kyung stated, "Fungus International excels at identifying core brand strengths based on internal campaign data. We will continue to support innovative companies with unique business models to achieve growth in the global market."
Recently, the brand aggregator model, which combines D2C and AI-based marketing solutions, has been attracting investment and market attention in the domestic and international startup ecosystems.
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