South Korean AI startup WRTN Technologies has raised about ₩100 billion, or $72.2 million, in a Series C round. The new capital gives the company a value of more than ₩1 trillion, or about $722 million. WRTN says this makes it the first Korean AI service startup to cross the ₩1 trillion value mark.
The deal is a major step for a company that was founded only in 2021. WRTN has built a name in consumer AI, with services that focus on AI tools, character chat, and digital entertainment. Its latest results show that users are not only trying these products but also paying for them at a fast pace.
The Series C also takes WRTN’s total capital raised to about ₩230 billion, or $166 million. New investors in the round include Coreline Ventures and Eugene Asset Management. Existing backers such as Goodwater Capital, Antler Global, Woori Venture Partners and Korea Development Bank also took part.
A New Level for Korean Consumer AI
WRTN’s new value matters because much of its business comes from consumer AI. Many AI startups focus on enterprise software, cloud tools, or services for large companies. WRTN has taken a different path. It has placed more focus on products that people use for writing, chat, entertainment, and online social experiences.
That model has helped the company create a large user base while also testing several ways to earn revenue. Its AI portal WRTN and character chat service Crack form part of this wider product group. Crack lets people talk with AI characters and create their own characters. The service has also expanded outside South Korea.
WRTN has now gained attention as a rare Korean AI company with strong consumer sales and a value above ₩1 trillion. ChosunBiz reported that the company’s value has risen sharply from the mid-₩300 billion range at its Series B round in March 2025.
OOC Gives WRTN a Global Push
One of the biggest reasons for the new investor interest is OOC, WRTN’s AI entertainment platform for North America.
WRTN launched OOC in North America in May 2026. Within only three months, the service passed ₩10 billion, or about $7.22 million, in monthly revenue. Even more important, revenue from overseas markets became larger than revenue from South Korea.
That result gives WRTN a strong sign that its products can work beyond its home market. South Korean startups often have to prove that local success can turn into global demand. OOC now gives WRTN a clear example of that path.
The speed of OOC’s sales is also notable. Reaching ₩10 billion in monthly revenue within three months gives the company a much stronger base as it plans its next stage. It also gives investors a direct example of how WRTN can turn AI entertainment into a real business.
Revenue Could Rise More Than Four Times
WRTN expects its total revenue for 2026 to exceed ₩200 billion. That would be a major rise from ₩47.1 billion in 2025. Reuters reported the same forecast and said the company plans to use its new capital for overseas expansion and better services.
The gap between the two years is large. A move from ₩47.1 billion to more than ₩200 billion would mean revenue above four times last year’s level. OOC is a key part of that growth story, but WRTN also has its wider AI service business.
This revenue goal will now be one of the main tests for the company. A high startup value can attract attention, but long-term success depends on whether sales can stay strong as the company enters more markets and faces larger rivals.
New Investors See Global Potential
Coreline Ventures is one of the new names in WRTN’s Series C round. The firm has offices in Silicon Valley and Tokyo and has investments across consumer and business technology in Korea, the United States, and Japan.
Osuke Honda, co-founder and managing partner at Coreline Ventures, described WRTN as a company that is fast becoming a global force. He pointed to its rapid growth, strong revenue results, and effect on the AI ecosystem in Korea, Japan, and the United States.
The investor mix also gives WRTN access to more than capital. With backers that have links to major technology markets, the company can gain useful networks as it expands its products outside South Korea.
Safety Is Also a Key Focus
WRTN’s growth comes with a major responsibility because some of its AI entertainment products attract younger users.
About 10% of Crack users are minors, according to Digital Today and other Korean reports. WRTN is now reviewing stronger safety rules for these users. These plans include limits on use time, stronger parental consent rules, and lower spending limits.
In July, WRTN also created a User Committee with outside experts in areas such as AI ethics, philosophy, psychology, and law. The company is also part of work with the Korea Internet Self-Governance Organization, or KISO, on self-regulation rules for AI character chat services.
These steps matter because AI character services can create new risks that do not exist in the same way with basic AI tools. Users may form strong emotional links with AI characters, while younger users may also face risks from long use or high spending. WRTN’s next phase will therefore require both fast growth and careful product control.
What the New Capital Means
The ₩100 billion Series C gives WRTN more room to build its global business. The company has said that overseas expansion is a major use for the new capital. It can also use the funds to improve its products, add more features, and build stronger services for users in different markets.
The biggest opportunity may be the United States and Japan. WRTN already has a presence in both markets through its wider consumer AI business, while OOC gives it a strong base in North America.
The company must now show that its early success can last. Fast sales can be hard to maintain once a product becomes larger. Competition in AI entertainment is also intense, with many companies trying to build products that mix chat, characters, stories, and social use.
A Major Moment for WRTN
WRTN’s Series C is more than a large capital deal. It shows how quickly the consumer AI market can change when a company finds a product that users want to pay for.
The company has raised ₩230 billion, or about $166 million, in total capital, reached a value above ₩1 trillion, and built a product that passed ₩10 billion in monthly revenue within three months of its North American launch. At the same time, it expects more than ₩200 billion in 2026 revenue, compared with ₩47.1 billion in 2025.
For South Korea’s AI sector, WRTN’s rise is a notable signal. It shows that a local AI company can build consumer products, find strong revenue, and gain users outside its home market.
The next chapter will be even more important. WRTN now has the capital, investor support, and global sales base to aim much higher. Its challenge is to turn that early success into a durable global AI business while keeping its products safe, useful, and trusted.
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