bemyfriends Secures KRW 21 Billion Global Investment from Goodwater Capital
by BEMYFRIENDS10.22.25
- Following a strategic investment from Japan's Mitsubishi-backed BRICKS FUND TOKYO, global investors continue to show interest, accelerating global expansion
- Goodwater Capital, an early investor in Korean unicorns Toss and Daangn, backs b.stage's global growth potential
- Collaborations with Netflix <KPop Demon Hunters> and Japanese idol boy band ‘Snow Man’ have led to rapid expansion of the fandom business beyond K-pop to diverse genres
SEOUL, Korea - October 22, 2025 (Wed) - bemyfriends, which operates the global fandom business solution 'b.stage,' has secured a total investment of 21 billion won from Goodwater Capital, a leading venture capital firm in Silicon Valley, USA.
This investment comes just two months after announcing a strategic investment from Japan's Mitsubishi-affiliated BRICKS FUND TOKYO. With operations in both Japan and the United States, bemyfriends continues to attract investment from both Asia-Pacific and North America, further solidifying the company's global market expansion opportunities and business sustainability.
Goodwater Capital is a leading Silicon Valley-based venture capital fund with a proven track record of investing in some of the most successful Korean tech companies, including Toss, Daangn Market, Coupang, and Kakao. This marks Goodwater's first investment in an entertainment-tech company in Korea, adding to its portfolio of high-growth consumer and prosumer tech companies across the globe.
Goodwater Capital highly praised the uniqueness and global scalability of b.stage. In particular, it cited its structure, which supports the creation of fully customized platforms for any IP and grants 100% platform ownership to IP owners, as key competitive advantages that differentiate it from existing fandom platforms.
A Goodwater Capital representative stated, "b.stage is defining a new standard for fandom businesses across the globe,” and added, “b.stage’s unique B2B fandom business model, which is applicable to various industries and provides complete flexibility to IPs with a B2B business strategy similar to Shopify, has great market potential that goes beyond traditional B2C fandom platforms. We have been very impressed with the service and business performance to date, and we look forward to the future where b.stage defines the global fandom business.”
b.stage operates a 'Fandom Business 360' approach that comprehensively supports six core areas: ▲advertising and marketing ▲fan club operations ▲e-commerce ▲fan communication ▲concert and event management ▲IP-based business. Currently, over 300 platforms globally operate on b.stage, with more than 900 artists communicating with fans based in more than 230 countries, establishing itself as a leading global fandom platform. Recent expansions beyond K-POP include launching the official fan community for Netflix's record-breaking "K-POP Demon Hunters" and operating Snow Man's Seoul pop-up store, showcasing collaborations with diverse global IPs across various genres.
Steve Seo, CEO of bemyfriends, stated, "The continued trust from top global investors like Mitsubishi BRICS Fund and Goodwater Capital demonstrates b.stage's growth as a leader in the global fan-tech market. In particular, receiving support from strategic investors representing the Asian and North American markets has further strengthened our global business expansion."
He continued, "Ultimately, our goal is to become the global infrastructure that all IP holders worldwide turn to first when starting their fandom business. We plan to actively utilize the funds secured through this investment as a growth engine for global market expansion and the expansion of our Fandom Business 360 initiative."
Meanwhile, b.stage has recorded more than threefold year-over-year growth for two consecutive years since its global launch in 2022, surpassing KRW 50 billion in cumulative transaction volume by August this year and recording over 300 million monthly page views, continuing its rapid growth trajectory.