Korean tech company Himaroo secured $5.48 million in funding from SB Partners and Smart Study for ReverseTok, its AI-based influencer communication platform, per WoW Tale. SB Partners committed $1.37 million total, with $410,000 included in the current round, while Smart Study committed $4.11 million total, with $2.05 million in this phase. The company plans to raise the remaining investment amounts in stages.

According to the announcement, the funds will support AI technology advancement, creator network expansion, and global market entry. 

Himaroo appointed Jaeil Seo, former Vice President of Samsung SDS, as CEO to lead the expansion. Seo holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan. At Samsung SDS, Seo oversaw AI, cloud, and big data business divisions, leading enterprise AI solution development and digital transformation projects.

During seven years heading overseas subsidiaries, Seo secured more than 30 clients across 26 European countries and more than 10 clients across nine Southeast Asian nations. His experience includes building AI infrastructure for Samsung Group affiliates and operating large-scale AI models.

“Based on my AI technology development and commercialization experience at Samsung SDS, I will grow ReverseTok into a globally competitive AI platform beyond the Korean market,” Seo said in a statement. “ReverseTok is not just a simple chatbot but a next-generation communication platform that precisely implements influencer personas.”

Platform Features

ReverseTok allows fans to converse with influencers through AI technology that implements speaking styles, tendencies, and personalities. The platform supports voice conversations beyond text chatbots and operates 24/7 without time or space constraints.

Users can purchase paid content and sponsor items for intensive interactions. The platform offers realistic or 2D animated AI character styles and includes a fan ranking system. Himaroo partnered with in2x, a Japan-based AI storytelling and character chatting app, to enhance conversation quality and immersion.

Himaroo plans to secure creators from genres including K-pop idols, sports stars, beauty influencers, and virtual influencers. The company targets overseas markets in Japan, Southeast Asia, and North America. Through AI advancement, Himaroo will apply multimodal AI technology supporting text, voice, images, and video communication.

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