UPRISE

What UPRISE does

UPRISE, Inc. (업라이즈 주식회사) is a South Korea-based, venture-backed consumer fintech founded in 2018 and headquartered in Yeoksamdong, Seoul. The company operates two distinct mobile-first consumer products under a multi-product platform strategy: bitbunny (비트버니), a walk-to-earn "app-tech" service that rewards users for walking with points exchangeable for products or cryptocurrency, and dndn (든든), a robo-advisor investment service that helps retail users build long-term portfolios spanning lump-sum investing to pension planning. The firm was previously associated with the Heybit brand and now positions itself as a financial wellness platform combining gamified activity rewards with professional investment services.

Underlying technology consists of mobile applications (distributed via Google Play and the iOS App Store) with an integrated robo-advisory engine on the dndn side that handles asset selection and portfolio construction for retail clients. The firm has accumulated multiple Korean government certifications — Baby Unicorn designation and Technology Innovation Innobiz (Ministry of SMEs and Startups), Family-Friendly Certification, and Best Job Company designation (Ministry of Employment and Labor) — signaling regulatory standing within Korea's fintech ecosystem. No disclosed patents, APIs, AI/ML capabilities, or third-party integrations were identified in the available data.

The business model centers on investment management and robo-advisory subscription fees generated through the dndn platform, with bitbunny functioning primarily as a user-acquisition and engagement layer. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. UPRISE targets individual Korean consumers exclusively, with no B2B or enterprise customers named. The firm is privately held and has raised approximately 46 billion KRW (~$34-38M USD) cumulative across six disclosed rounds between 2018 and 2022, with notable participation from Hashed, Kakao Ventures, KB Investment, Neoplux, Capstone Partners, KTB Ventures, DAOL Investment & Securities, and Seoul Investment Partners. Geographic scope is single-country (South Korea), and headcount is reported at 11-50 employees.

Name

UPRISE

Legal name

업라이즈 주식회사

Website

https://uprise.financial

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UPRISE is a South Korea-based consumer fintech operating two mobile products: bitbunny, a walk-to-earn rewards app, and dndn, a robo-advisor investment service. Founded in 2018, it serves individual Korean retail consumers seeking financial wellness and long-term investment solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeoksamdong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Investment Management / Robo-Advisory Services: Revenue generated from investment advisory and wealth management services through the dndn platform. Users accumulate and grow assets through the robo-advisor.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

UPRISE operates two consumer mobile platforms: bitbunny, a walk-to-earn app that rewards users for physical activity with points redeemable for products or cryptocurrency, and dndn, a robo-advisor investment service that automates portfolio construction and provides long-term wealth-building guidance from lump-sum savings to pension planning. The company targets individual South Korean consumers seeking accessible, mobile-first financial wellness and investment tools.

Product overview

UPRISE operates a multi-product fintech platform consisting of two core service offerings: bitbunny, a walking reward app that incentivizes physical activity by earning rewards convertible to products or cryptocurrency; and dndn (든든), a robo-advisor investment service providing portfolio management and asset building tools. Both products are accessible via their respective web platforms and focus on helping users achieve small but meaningful financial gains through consistent engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• bitbunny (비트버니): A walking rewards app where users earn rewards by walking that can be exchanged for products or cryptocurrency.
• dndn (든든)

Products and services

• bitbunny (비트버니) A walk-to-earn mobile application where users earn rewards for walking; accumulated rewards can be exchanged for products or cryptocurrency. Designed for individual consumers seeking financial incentives tied to daily physical activity.
• dndn (든든) A robo-advisor investment service that helps users build and manage portfolios of selected assets, providing automated portfolio management and long-term financial planning from lump-sum investments to pensions. Targeted at individual investors seeking professional, stable investment guidance without active management.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• PeopleFund (피플펀드): Korean online wealth and investment platform offering retail investment products with a fintech-style UX; comparable to UPRISE as a domestic Korean retail investment platform targeting similar demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Toss (토스): Korea's leading consumer fintech super-app; offers Toss Securities brokerage and investment features within a broader payments and banking ecosystem that competes for the same Korean retail investor audience as UPRISE.
• Samsung MyAsset (삼성 마이애셋): Samsung-backed Korean investment aggregation and wealth management platform offering portfolio tracking and investment guidance to Korean retail investors — overlaps directly with dndn's value proposition with conglomerate-level credibility.
• Kakao Pay / Kakao Investment: Kakao ecosystem's financial super-app covering payments, lending, and investment products; competes with UPRISE for Korean consumer wallet share via bundled services and the KakaoTalk distribution channel.

Direct peers

• STEPN: Move-to-earn crypto rewards app that pioneered the walk-to-earn category; directly comparable to bitbunny in consumer mechanics, crypto-reward monetization, and category dynamics (including post-hype engagement decline).
• Wealthsimple: Canada-headquartered digital wealth manager offering automated investing and savings to retail customers; closely comparable to dndn's recurring subscription robo-advisor model and mobile-first consumer experience.
• Fount (파운트): Korean robo-advisor offering automated, algorithm-driven portfolio management to retail investors — the closest direct domestic competitor to UPRISE's dndn service in target customer, product, and geography.
• Betterment: US pioneer in retail robo-advisory, offering automated portfolio management on a recurring-fee basis; comparable to dndn in product mechanics, target customer, and subscription monetization.
• Sweatcoin: Global walk-to-earn consumer app converting physical activity into digital rewards; comparable to bitbunny in core mechanic (steps → rewards) and consumer mobile engagement model.
• Acorns: US micro-investing app that helps retail users build portfolios from small, recurring contributions; closely comparable to dndn's 'small amounts compounding into long-term wealth' positioning and mobile-led consumer acquisition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors15 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about UPRISE