RIDI

Digital Content Platformridicorp.com

RIDI Corporation is a Seoul-headquartered Korean content platform operating RIDI (domestic webtoons, web novels, manga, e-books), Manta (global webtoon subscription in 175+ countries), and Kanta (short drama streaming in Japan), serving global consumers with a hybrid subscription and transaction model.

Company typePrivate
Founded2009
HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What RIDI does

RIDI Corporation is a Seoul-headquartered, privately held Korean content platform founded in November 2009 that operates a multi-format digital reading and entertainment business anchored on three flagship platforms. The core domestic platform, RIDI, offers webtoons, manga, web novels, and e-books to Korean consumers through mobile apps, the ridibooks.com web platform, and the RIDI PAPER e-reader hardware line, monetized via per-title transactions, the RIDI Select all-you-can-read subscription, and RIDIcash gift vouchers distributed through KakaoTalk Gifticon, Naver Plus Store, and 11th Street. The company extends this portfolio globally through Manta, a webtoon and web novel subscription service launched in November 2020 that now serves 175+ countries with a hybrid subscription-plus-transaction model (and added manga in April 2026), and Kanta, a vertical short drama streaming platform launched in Japan in April 2025, supported by a Tokyo regional office in Roppongi.

Underlying these platforms is a proprietary technology stack: a server-driven UI system called RiGrid (GraphQL-based, separating business logic from UI data for rapid front-end iteration), an MLOps pipeline on AWS SageMaker featuring BERT4Rec sequential recommendation models served via TensorRT/Triton with a dedicated Feature Store, a transactional outbox messaging pattern on Kafka for inter-service reliability, and AI-driven operational tooling including Slack-based anomaly detection and LLM-powered finance-ops bots. The content value chain is vertically integrated — RIDI develops original web novels, adapts them into webtoons and manga, produces short dramas through Kanta, and extends into animation via its Studio Shelter investment, creating a cross-format IP cycle (web novel → webtoon → manga → short drama → animation) that the company describes as the core of its long-term moat.

RIDI's customer base is consumer-only (no disclosed B2B contracts), with 19M+ cumulative Manta downloads and global reach demonstrated by the #1 Google Play manga ranking across 31 countries and the November 2024 New York Times bestseller status of 'Under the Oak Tree' (Penguin Random House English edition). Following a KRW 120 billion (~USD 99M) funding round led by GIC in February 2022, RIDI reached a KRW 1.6 trillion (~USD 1.3B) valuation, becoming Korea's first content platform unicorn; revenue reached KRW 251.6 billion in 2025 with 50 consecutive quarters of growth. Leadership is stable under founder and CEO Bae Gi-sik (배기식), and the company continues to expand internationally with new products, channel partnerships such as the April 2026 KEB Hana Bank MOU, and ecosystem investments.

RIDI firmographics

Firmographics

Name: RIDI
Legal name: 리디주식회사 RIDI Corporation
Website: https://ridicorp.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2009
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: RIDI Corporation is a Seoul-headquartered Korean content platform operating RIDI (domestic webtoons, web novels, manga, e-books), Manta (global webtoon subscription in 175+ countries), and Kanta (short drama streaming in Japan), serving global consumers with a hybrid subscription and transaction model.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

RIDI industry classification

Industry

Product category: Digital Content Platform
NAICS: Book Publishers (513130), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Periodical Publishers (513120)
SIC: Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
akta.pro primary industry: E-book Subscription & Bundling Services (MPAJAMAB)
akta.pro secondary industries: E-books, Digital Content & Licensing Distribution (CRAOALAE), Subscriber Identity, Entitlements & Access (SSO, IAM, Paywall) (MPAHAJAB)

Keywords

Digital content platform
Webtoon streaming service
Web novel publishing
E-book reader device
Short drama platform

Where RIDI is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Seoul
HQ country: South Korea
HQ region: Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

RIDI business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Manta Subscription: Global webtoon subscription service combining subscription and single-transaction payment (hybrid model) serving 175+ countries with 19M+ cumulative downloads
RIDI Platform Transactions: Webtoons, web novels, manga, and e-books sold through individual transaction purchases and rentals on RIDI platform
RIDI Select Membership: All-you-can-read subscription service for general books launched in 2018
Kanta Premium Content: Short drama streaming service with premium content access

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	Manta subscription plans for global webtoon platform
Subscription	Monthly	RIDI Select flat-rate subscription for general books
Transaction based/ take rate	Pay-as-you-go	RIDI Cash gift vouchers for content gifting

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

RIDI product offering

Product offering

Core offering

RIDI Corporation operates a portfolio of digital content platforms delivering webtoons, web novels, manga, and e-books to Korean consumers via its RIDI platform, and to global audiences via Manta (webtoon/web novel subscription in 175+ countries) and Kanta (short drama streaming launched in Japan in 2025). The company also sells the RIDI PAPER e-reader device, operates the RIDI Select all-you-can-read subscription, the Dirito free serialization platform, and distributes RIDIcash gift vouchers through third-party channels.

Product overview

RIDI Corporation is a Korean content platform company operating a multi-platform portfolio across digital reading and entertainment. The core domestic platform (RIDI) provides webtoons, web novels, manga, and e-books alongside the RIDI PAPER e-reader device. Two global platforms extend the portfolio internationally: Manta (webtoon/web novel subscription, 175+ countries, now expanded with manga) and Kanta (short drama streaming, launched Japan 2025). The company also offers subscription (RIDI Select), free serialization (Dirito), and gift voucher (RIDIcash) products, plus an internal localization tool (prodifi). The platforms are linked through a cross-content strategy where web novels, webtoons, and manga IPs are developed together, enabling IP cross-pollination and multi-format expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

RIDI: Korean content platform offering webtoons, manga, web novels, and ebooks
Manta
Kanta
RIDI PAPER
RIDI Select (리디셀렉트)
Dirito (디리토)

Products and services

RIDI (Domestic Content Platform) Korean content platform offering webtoons, web novels, manga, and e-books to domestic consumers in Korea; the company's primary flagship platform supporting individual purchases, rentals, and subscriptions.
Manta (Global Webtoon Platform) Global webtoon and web novel subscription platform serving 175+ countries, offering multilingual content (Korean, English, Spanish, Japanese) under a hybrid subscription and single-payment model. Expanded in 2026 to include manga, becoming an all-in-one story platform.
Kanta (Global Short Drama Platform) Global short drama streaming service delivering immersive, high-quality vertical short dramas; launched first in Japan in April 2025 with premium content access.
RIDI PAPER (E-book Reader Device) RIDI's proprietary e-book reader hardware device with multiple generations (1st gen 2015, Pro 2017, 3rd gen 2019, RIDI PAPER 4 in 2022) featuring high-resolution displays and reading-optimized interfaces.
RIDI Select (Subscription Service) All-you-can-read monthly subscription plan for general books and e-books, allowing unlimited access to enrolled general book titles for individual consumers.
Dirito (Free Serialization Platform) Free web novel serialization platform launched in August 2021, enabling creators to publish web novels without upfront costs and readers to access serialized content.
RIDIcash (Digital Gift Vouchers) Digital gift certificate/cash voucher product redeemable across RIDI content categories (webtoons, manga, web novels, e-books), available in KRW 10,000/30,000/50,000 denominations and distributed via KakaoTalk Gifticon, Naver Plus Store, and 11th Street.
prodifi (Webtoon Localization Tool) Webtoon localization tool released in 2025 to streamline content translation and adaptation for global markets, supporting RIDI's international expansion across Manta and other platforms.

Companies that use RIDI

Customer profile

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

RIDI technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: Yes
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

RIDI partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

KEB Hana BankmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026MOU for financial-content cooperation: Hana Bank mobile app 'Hana 1Q' will feature RIDI space, joint promotions with IP goods, expanding customer touchpoints through digital finance platform
Penguin Random HousemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Exported English publishing rights for 'Sangnali Tree Below' webtoon and web novel to world's largest publisher
Studio ShelterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021Strategic investment in animation production company

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

RIDI competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Naver Webtoon (WEBTOON Entertainment): Naver's global webtoon subsidiary operating the WEBTOON platform across 60+ countries; the most direct competitor to RIDI's Manta and a Korea-domestic webtoon rival. Both target English-speaking and Spanish-speaking readers globally with serialized comics and web novels.
Kakao Entertainment (Kakao Page, Piccoma): Korea's largest digital content platform with webtoons, web novels, and short-form video (Piccoma leads Japan's mobile manga market). Competes with RIDI in Korean webtoons/web novels and increasingly in Japan via Piccoma vs Kanta.
Tappytoon: Global webtoon and web-novel platform translating Korean titles into English, Spanish, and other languages; comparable to Manta in genre mix (isekai, romance, fantasy) and target demographic of English-language readers.
Tapas Media: US-based webtoon and web-novel platform serving English readers with serialized comics; a comparable subscription-and-coin hybrid model and similar cross-format (webcomics + novels) offering to RIDI's Manta.
Lezhin Comics: Korean webtoon platform with a mature paid-per-episode and subscription model and strong presence in Japan and North America; competes with RIDI for premium Korean webtoon readers globally.
Piccoma: Japan's #1 mobile manga app operated by Kakao; the most direct head-to-head for RIDI's short-form drama and Japanese-market webtoon ambitions via Kanta.

Broad incumbents

Wattpad (Wattpad Webtoon Studios / Naver): Global web-novel and community reading platform now part of Naver's webtoon business; comparable to RIDI on serialized web novels and IP-incubation angle, with significantly larger English-language user base.
Crunchyroll: Sony-owned anime and manga streaming platform with a large paid subscriber base; overlaps with RIDI on manga reading and increasingly on short-drama/anime-to-original content cycles.

Emerging players

GoodNovel: Global web-novel reading platform with freemium and coin-based monetization; competes with RIDI's web-novel arm and Manta's web-novel subscription in English-speaking and emerging markets.
Comikey: English-language manga and webtoon platform focusing on simultaneous releases and creator-friendly terms; an emerging direct competitor to Manta for licensed-English manga and indie webtoons.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

RIDI financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

RIDI leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

RIDI subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

RIDI funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors15 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

RIDI M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RIDI

What does RIDI do?

Is RIDI a public or private company?

RIDI is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.

When was RIDI founded?

RIDI was founded in 2009. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is RIDI based?

RIDI is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.

How does RIDI make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Manta Subscription is the primary driver. The others are RIDI Platform Transactions, RIDI Select Membership and kanta Premium Content.

Who are RIDI's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Naver Webtoon (WEBTOON Entertainment), Kakao Entertainment (Kakao Page, Piccoma), Tappytoon, Tapas Media, Lezhin Comics and Piccoma. Broad incumbents are Wattpad (Wattpad Webtoon Studios / Naver) and Crunchyroll. Emerging players are GoodNovel and Comikey.

Does RIDI have an API?

Yes. RIDI uses GraphQL as its API interface (BFF pattern) for the RiGrid project, which manages UI layout and data binding between frontend and backend. The GraphQL schema defines standard interfaces for Grid and Cell structures (e.g., BookListCell, GridCell) and includes backward-compatibility strategies for schema evolution. API documentation and specific endpoint/portal URLs are not explicitly provided.

What industry is RIDI in?

RIDI's product category is Digital Content Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAMAB, E-book Subscription & Bundling Services, with a secondary code of CRAOALAE, E-books, Digital Content & Licensing Distribution. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 7822.