Requests for Startups

I’m looking to meet consumer brand founders with tech startup experience. The market conditions are perfect for K-consumer brands to go global, and I believe the classic tech startup playbook still works well in categories like beauty and fashion.

If you’re someone who builds data-driven sales strategies even before launching a product, makes decisions based on measurable insights rather than pure branding or creativity, or comes from a background in product management or development and is now exploring a consumer venture — I’d love to hear from you.

I’m looking to connect with K-brands that focus on Muslim women. I see strong opportunities in both beauty and fashion.

At the core of this target market is the hijab. It’s been less than a decade since Muslim women began working out at gyms, and I’m confident this trend will continue to grow. That’s why we’re interested in investing in K-fashion brands that reinterpret functional, modest fashion—like sporty hijabs—through a uniquely Korean design lens.

As more women exercise while wearing hijabs, scalp health will naturally become a growing concern. This opens up meaningful opportunities for K-beauty brands developing hair-related products. Makeup for women who wear hijabs also calls for a different approach, creating another emerging space worth exploring.

There’s one more positive shift in the beauty sector: starting October 2026, only halal-certified consumer products will be allowed for sale in Indonesia—one of the largest Muslim women’s markets globally. We’d love to meet K-brands that recognize these dynamics and are building for this fast-evolving market.

The idea I’d like to share today is what I call “IRL,” short for In Real Life. In Korean, it roughly translates to “real-world” or “offline” experiences—a term also widely used in the U.S.

Koreans have always excelled at creating engaging experiences within small spaces. A great example is the escape room café trend. But if we look at Korea today, young people are struggling with a lack of excitement, while many regional towns are fading away. I believe there’s an opportunity to expand these creative ideas far beyond a single room—to the scale of an entire town or village. There’s plenty of underutilized land in rural areas, and if we can turn these spaces into immersive, experience-based content, we could create not just events, but an entire system.

We’ve already seen examples like MrBeast’s Squid Game project and other games adapted into offline events. But what if we made that a recurring, structured process—something people could visit regularly, attracting not only domestic but also international visitors? This could evolve into a scalable, global model for offline entertainment.

If this vision resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts and support.

I believe the next big opportunity for K-beauty lies in scalp care. Thinning, dry hair is a growing concern for many, and nearly 50% of adults worldwide experience dandruff. Up to 80% of men and 50% of women face hair loss, and this concern is rising among younger generations. Yet effective solutions remain limited. While skincare has evolved into highly segmented categories by skin type, ingredient, and texture, scalp care still centers on basic cleansing and conditioning.

K-beauty startups already excel with world-class ODM/OEM infrastructure, advanced formulations, and strong global marketing capabilities. Applying this proven formula to scalp care could redefine the category—treating the scalp with the same depth and innovation as facial skin.

There are many ways to approach this market: through new functional ingredients, cosmeceutical concepts that bridge dermatology and cosmetics, or product routines designed for pre-, during-, and post-shower care. I’d love to meet the team ready to bring the K-skincare success playbook to the scalp care space and lead this next wave of innovation.