Naver: Funding, Team & Investors

Naver Corporation operates a comprehensive online platform, initially centered on its foundational search engine. Its services now encompass e-commerce, cloud computing, fintech, and digital content. Naver integrates advanced technologies, including its large-scale AI model HyperCLOVA X, spatial intelligence, and robotics, into its expanding service ecosystem.

Lee Hae-jin founded Naver in June 1999. He observed existing global search engines poorly handled the Korean language. As a former Samsung SDS engineer, Lee envisioned a tailored internet experience, establishing Naver to provide superior local search results and integrated community services.

Naver serves a vast South Korean user base for daily information, communication, and commerce. Its integrated services support consumers seeking news, entertainment, and shopping, also empowering small businesses. Naver’s vision focuses on expanding technological capabilities to connect people with possibilities, enhancing everyday life and business via digital offerings.

Date	Company	Round	Lead Investor(s)	Co-Investor(s)
Jan 26, 2026	Cashmere	$5.0M Seed	James Kim	Fortitude Ventures, Founders Future, Ingram Content Group, LightShed Ventures, Pearson Ventures
Dec 18, 2025	GravityLabs	$17.0M Series A	—	Peter Na, DSC Investment, Goodwater Capital, SoftBank Ventures Asia
Mar 23, 2023	KREAM	$171.0M Series C	Altos Ventures	Axiom Asia Private Capital, Mirae Asset Capital, Samsung Securities, SoftBank Ventures Asia
Jan 18, 2023	Wallapop	$87.6M Series G Extension	Fleur Pellerin, Naver	14W, Accel, Insight
Oct 26, 2021	Plask	$2.6M Pre-Series A	Smilegate Investment	KT Investment, Sanghwan Yang, Timewise Investment
Apr 15, 2021	Bukalapak	$234.0M Other Equity	EDBI, Emtek, GIC, Microsoft	BRI Ventures, SC Ventures
Nov 19, 2020	MORAI	$1.8M Series A	—	Kakao Ventures, Korea
Nov 18, 2020	True Balance	$28.0M Series D	—	BonAngels, Daesung Private Equity, Shinhan Capital, SoftBank Ventures Asia
Oct 21, 2020	Syte.ai - Visual Search Engine	$40.0M Debt / Series C	Ronen Nir	Axess Ventures, Commerce Ventures, KDC Media Fund, Kreos Capital, La Maison, Anshul Agarwal, Magma Venture Partners, MizMaa Ventures, Remagine Ventures, Storm Ventures
Dec 23, 2019	Spoon Labs	$40.0M Series B	Wonjin Lim	IMM Investment, SBI Investment
Nov 7, 2019	Furiosa AI	$6.9M Other Equity	—	DSC Investment, Korea Development Bank, Sanghwan Yang, Truston Asset Management
Nov 5, 2018	Dynamic Yield	$5.0M Other Equity	Naver	—
Oct 31, 2018	LetinAR	$3.6M Series A	—	DSC Investment, Kakao Ventures, Korea Asset Investment Securities, Platinum Technology Investment
Oct 1, 2018	Foursquare	$33.0M Series F	Naver, Simon Ventures	Altos Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Costanoa Ventures, General Atlantic, Molten Ventures, Owl Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Mike Lee
Jun 1, 2018	CoHive	$20.0M Series A	SoftBank Ventures Asia	Insignia Ventures Partners, Christopher Angkasa, Michael Widjaja, East Ventures, H&CK Partners, Intudo Ventures, LINE Ventures, Sinar Mas Land, SMDV, STIC Investments, Tigris Investment
Aug 29, 2017	Appier	$33.0M Series C	—	AMTD Group, Swee Yeok CHU, PBM, In Joon Hwang, Ren Tanaka
Jul 18, 2017	Syte.ai - Visual Search Engine	$8.0M Series A	Woo Kim	KDC Media Fund, Line, Magma Venture Partners, NBM Ventures, Remagine Ventures
Feb 1, 2017	Fauna	$25.0M Series A	—	Afore Capital, Bowery Capital, BoxGroup, Brainchild, Broadway Angels, Conversion Capital, Curie.Bio, Firework Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Freestyle Capital, IA Ventures, ICONIQ Capital, Lazerow Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Mayfield, Operator Partners, Scout Ventures, Scribble Ventures, SYN Ventures, Threshold Ventures, Ulu Ventures, Wildcat Ventures, Ben Porterfield, Chris Ahearn, Freada Kapor Klein, Marc Benioff, Moshe Lifschitz, Pau Gasol, Venkatesh Seetharam, Neill Occhiogrosso, Google Ventures, Line, NHN, Daniel Gwak
Jun 1, 2015	Tumblbug	$2.0M Series A	Osuke Honda, Naver, Kihong Bae	DCM

Date	Company	Round	Lead Investor(s)	Co-Investor(s)
Jan 26, 2026	Cashmere	$5.0M Seed	James Kim	Fortitude Ventures, Founders Future, Ingram Content Group, LightShed Ventures, Pearson Ventures
Dec 18, 2025	GravityLabs	$17.0M Series A	—	Peter Na, DSC Investment, Goodwater Capital, SoftBank Ventures Asia
Mar 23, 2023	KREAM	$171.0M Series C	Altos Ventures	Axiom Asia Private Capital, Mirae Asset Capital, Samsung Securities, SoftBank Ventures Asia
Jan 18, 2023	Wallapop	$87.6M Series G Extension	Fleur Pellerin, Naver	14W, Accel, Insight
Oct 26, 2021	Plask	$2.6M Pre-Series A	Smilegate Investment	KT Investment, Sanghwan Yang, Timewise Investment
Apr 15, 2021	Bukalapak	$234.0M Other Equity	EDBI, Emtek, GIC, Microsoft	BRI Ventures, SC Ventures
Nov 19, 2020	MORAI	$1.8M Series A	—	Kakao Ventures, Korea
Nov 18, 2020	True Balance	$28.0M Series D	—	BonAngels, Daesung Private Equity, Shinhan Capital, SoftBank Ventures Asia
Oct 21, 2020	Syte.ai - Visual Search Engine	$40.0M Debt / Series C	Ronen Nir	Axess Ventures, Commerce Ventures, KDC Media Fund, Kreos Capital, La Maison, Anshul Agarwal, Magma Venture Partners, MizMaa Ventures, Remagine Ventures, Storm Ventures
Dec 23, 2019	Spoon Labs	$40.0M Series B	Wonjin Lim	IMM Investment, SBI Investment
Nov 7, 2019	Furiosa AI	$6.9M Other Equity	—	DSC Investment, Korea Development Bank, Sanghwan Yang, Truston Asset Management
Nov 5, 2018	Dynamic Yield	$5.0M Other Equity	Naver	—
Oct 31, 2018	LetinAR	$3.6M Series A	—	DSC Investment, Kakao Ventures, Korea Asset Investment Securities, Platinum Technology Investment
Oct 1, 2018	Foursquare	$33.0M Series F	Naver, Simon Ventures	Altos Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Costanoa Ventures, General Atlantic, Molten Ventures, Owl Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Mike Lee
Jun 1, 2018	CoHive	$20.0M Series A	SoftBank Ventures Asia	Insignia Ventures Partners, Christopher Angkasa, Michael Widjaja, East Ventures, H&CK Partners, Intudo Ventures, LINE Ventures, Sinar Mas Land, SMDV, STIC Investments, Tigris Investment
Aug 29, 2017	Appier	$33.0M Series C	—	AMTD Group, Swee Yeok CHU, PBM, In Joon Hwang, Ren Tanaka
Jul 18, 2017	Syte.ai - Visual Search Engine	$8.0M Series A	Woo Kim	KDC Media Fund, Line, Magma Venture Partners, NBM Ventures, Remagine Ventures
Feb 1, 2017	Fauna	$25.0M Series A	—	Afore Capital, Bowery Capital, BoxGroup, Brainchild, Broadway Angels, Conversion Capital, Curie.Bio, Firework Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Freestyle Capital, IA Ventures, ICONIQ Capital, Lazerow Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Mayfield, Operator Partners, Scout Ventures, Scribble Ventures, SYN Ventures, Threshold Ventures, Ulu Ventures, Wildcat Ventures, Ben Porterfield, Chris Ahearn, Freada Kapor Klein, Marc Benioff, Moshe Lifschitz, Pau Gasol, Venkatesh Seetharam, Neill Occhiogrosso, Google Ventures, Line, NHN, Daniel Gwak
Jun 1, 2015	Tumblbug	$2.0M Series A	Osuke Honda, Naver, Kihong Bae	DCM

Naver

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Financial History

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