Spoon Labs
Spoon Labs operates a dual-platform global content business: Spoon (audio live streaming) and Vigloo (short-form K-drama microdramas), serving mass-market consumers across Korea, Japan, US, MENA, and Taiwan via mobile apps with AI-enhanced production and creator analytics.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Spoon Labs does
Spoon Labs (SpoonLabs Inc.) is a Seoul-headquartered global content platform company operating a dual-product portfolio: Spoon, a global audio live streaming platform, and Vigloo, a short-form video drama platform focused on K-drama microdramas. Founded in May 2013, the company launched Spoon in Korea in March 2016 and methodically expanded the audio service to Japan (April 2018), MENA (November 2018), the United States (September 2019), and Taiwan (April 2023). In July 2024, Spoon Labs launched Vigloo globally in 7 languages, featuring approximately 2-minute episodic series and ranking third in domestic Korean short drama app sales by Sensor Tower data. The company has raised approximately $89.3 million from Krafton in September 2024 (its largest non-gaming investment to date), following prior Series B (KRW 19B, July 2018) and Series C (KRW 45B, December 2019) rounds, with prior investors including KB Investment, SoftBank, GOODWATER, IMM Investment, and Naver.
The company applies AI across two layers: production-side, where generative AI is used to create backgrounds and visual effects (deployed in the AI-produced dark romance fantasy drama 'Bloodbound Luna' released March 2026); and creator-side, where the Vigloo Studio Dashboard (launched March 2026) provides AI-powered real-time performance metrics, paid viewership breakdowns, payout tracking, and planned forecasting and benchmark comparisons. The company serves two primary consumer segments — MZ-generation (Millennial/Gen Z) Koreans and US viewers aged 35 and above (representing 70% of US users and 50% of Vigloo revenue) — alongside a creator segment that supplies microdrama content.
Spoon Labs operates a direct-to-consumer product-led growth model through mobile app store distribution, with revenue generated via audio platform services and Vigloo short-form drama microtransactions. The company reported two consecutive years of profitability as of February 2024, with the Spoon audio service achieving approximately 80 billion KRW (~$60M USD) in sales by February 2021. US market expansion has been the primary growth driver in 2024-2025, with Vigloo's US monthly active users increasing fivefold since December 2024.
Spoon Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spoon Labs
- Legal name
- SpoonLabs Inc.
- Website
- https://company.spoonradio.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Spoon Labs operates a dual-platform global content business: Spoon (audio live streaming) and Vigloo (short-form K-drama microdramas), serving mass-market consumers across Korea, Japan, US, MENA, and Taiwan via mobile apps with AI-enhanced production and creator analytics.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spoon Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Short-form Video Streaming
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Tools & Monetization Platforms (Podcasts/Audio) (MPAIADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) & Creator Management (Agencies, Talent Networks) (MPAFAEAD), Social, Community & Creator Platform Feeds (HDAAAGAD)
Keywords
Where Spoon Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Spoon Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Short-form Drama Microtransactions: Vigloo generates revenue through paid viewership of short-form drama content. U.S. users account for 50% of revenue, with monthly revenue reaching highest-ever levels in January. Platform ranked third in domestic short drama app sales.
- Audio Platform Services: Spoon audio platform generates revenue through global service sales, contributing to the company's two consecutive years of profitability. Service achieved around 80 billion won in sales.
- Creator Revenue Sharing: Vigloo shares revenue with creators through the Studio Dashboard, providing transparent payout tracking and revenue sharing based on paid viewership.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Spoon Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Spoon Labs operates two consumer content platforms: Spoon, a global audio live streaming platform launched in 2016 in Korea, and Vigloo, a short-form video drama platform launched globally in July 2024 in 7 languages showcasing approximately 2-minute episodic series focused on K-drama content. The company also offers Vigloo Studio Dashboard, an AI-powered creator-facing analytics tool providing real-time performance metrics, viewership data, paid viewership breakdowns, payout amounts, and AI-generated performance insights for microdrama creators.
Product overview
Spoon Labs operates a dual-product portfolio: Spoon is a global audio content platform for live streaming that has expanded from Korea to multiple international markets; Vigloo is a short-form video drama platform launched in July 2024 featuring approximately 2-minute episodic series available in 7 languages. Vigloo Studio Dashboard is an AI-powered analytics module for Vigloo creators. The company leverages AI across content production (background generation, VFX) and creator tools (performance insights, predictive analytics).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Spoon: Global audio content platform where anyone can easily start an audio live stream. Growing from a platform where anyone can easily start an audio live stream to an audio content platform that makes people's daily lives more colorful.
- Vigloo
- Spoon Radio
Products and services
- Spoon Global audio content platform that started as a service where anyone can easily start an audio live stream and grew into an audio content platform making everyday life more colorful. Distributed globally through mobile app stores across Korea, Japan, MENA, US, and Taiwan. Achieved approximately 80 billion KRW in sales by February 2021 and has been profitable for two consecutive years as of February 2024.
- Vigloo Short-form video drama platform launched globally in July 2024 in 7 languages, featuring approximately 2-minute episodic series focused on K-drama content including AI-produced dark romance fantasy microdramas. Ranked third in domestic short drama app sales with highest-ever monthly revenue, American users account for 50% of revenue and U.S. monthly active users increased fivefold since December 2024.
- Vigloo Studio Dashboard AI-powered creator-facing analytics tool providing real-time performance metrics, viewership analytics, paid viewership breakdowns, payout amounts, and AI-generated performance insights for microdrama creators on the Vigloo platform. Includes planned features for performance forecasting and genre/region benchmark comparisons, serving as an industry-first transparency hub.
Quantifiable outcome
- Third place in domestic short drama app sales with highest-ever monthly revenue
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Spoon Labs
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Spoon Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature3 records
Spoon Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators10 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Spoon Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ReelShort (Crazy Maple Studio): ReelShort is the category-defining mobile microdrama app, producing 1–2 minute vertical serialized dramas monetized via paid unlocks. It is the most direct competitor to Vigloo, with significantly larger content library scale and U.S. user base.
- DramaBox (Storymatrix): DramaBox is a Singapore-headquartered microdrama app offering short-form localized dramas across multiple markets. It directly competes with Vigloo in the paid microtransaction model for serialized short drama content.
- GoodShort: GoodShort is a fast-growing microdrama app competing in the same paid-vertical-drama category as Vigloo, with similar short-episode cadence and mobile-first monetization.
- Pocket FM: Pocket FM is an audio series platform that pioneered the audio microdrama monetization model in India and is expanding globally. It is directly comparable to both Spoon (live audio) and Vigloo (serialized short-form paid content).
- Clubhouse: Clubhouse is the leading live audio conversation platform and the most direct comparable to Spoon Labs' Spoon audio live streaming business, with similar creator-led and global expansion profile.
Emerging players
- ShortMax (ByteDance): ByteDance's microdrama vertical app ShortMax entered the same short-form paid drama category with the strategic and capital advantage of TikTok's distribution engine — a direct emerging competitor to Vigloo.
Broad incumbents
- TikTok (ByteDance): TikTok is the dominant short-form vertical video platform globally and the principal incumbent against which Vigloo must compete for U.S. user attention, despite operating a fundamentally different (paid) content model.
- YouTube Shorts (Google / Alphabet): YouTube Shorts is a major short-form video incumbent with massive content catalog, creator base, and monetization infrastructure. It competes for Vigloo's time-spent and creator-share even though it does not run a paid microdrama model.
- Kuaishou: Kuaishou is a leading Chinese short-form video platform and a relevant comparable for Spoon Labs' video ambitions, given its creator monetization infrastructure and global expansion through Kwai.
- WEBTOON Entertainment: WEBTOON operates a serialized short-form content platform with paid microtransaction monetization (Fast Pass), making it a comparable digital content and creator-revenue-sharing business to Vigloo.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Spoon Labs social profiles
Digital presenceSpoon Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spoon Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Spoon Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors13 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spoon Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Spoon Labs
What does Spoon Labs do?
Spoon Labs operates two consumer content platforms: Spoon, a global audio live streaming platform launched in 2016 in Korea, and Vigloo, a short-form video drama platform launched globally in July 2024 in 7 languages showcasing approximately 2-minute episodic series focused on K-drama content. The company also offers Vigloo Studio Dashboard, an AI-powered creator-facing analytics tool providing real-time performance metrics, viewership data, paid viewership breakdowns, payout amounts, and AI-generated performance insights for microdrama creators.
Is Spoon Labs a public or private company?
Spoon Labs is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Spoon Labs founded?
Spoon Labs was founded in 2013. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Spoon Labs based?
Spoon Labs is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Spoon Labs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Short-form Drama Microtransactions are the primary driver. The others are audio Platform Services and creator Revenue Sharing.
Who are Spoon Labs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ReelShort (Crazy Maple Studio), DramaBox (Storymatrix), GoodShort, Pocket FM and Clubhouse. ShortMax (ByteDance) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are TikTok (ByteDance), YouTube Shorts (Google / Alphabet), Kuaishou and WEBTOON Entertainment.
Does Spoon Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spoon Labs.
What industry is Spoon Labs in?
Spoon Labs's product category is Short-form Video Streaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIADAG, Creator Tools & Monetization Platforms (Podcasts/Audio), with a secondary code of MPAFAEAD, Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) & Creator Management (Agencies, Talent Networks). Its NAICS code is 51621 and its SIC code is 7812.