What Grip does

Grip (legally GripCompany Co., Ltd.) is a South Korea-headquartered live commerce platform founded in 2018 that enables creators to broadcast real-time video shopping experiences while viewers chat, request product demonstrations, and purchase items during streams. The platform operates as a three-sided marketplace connecting commerce creators (individual broadcasters), viewers (consumers), and brands/sellers, and is positioned as the first and foremost Korean live shopping platform with over 5.7 million app downloads and a #1 ranking in its app store shopping category. Its product surface includes the core Grip livestream platform (available via iOS, Android, and web at grip.live and grip.show), the GripONE commerce matching solution launched in January 2025 that connects brands with creators outside of live broadcasts, and the AI Live Commerce Expert qualification program — a 6-week training and certification pipeline developed with educational partners Live Lineup Academy and Growth Up.

Grip monetizes primarily through transaction fees on live commerce sales and marketplace commissions from creator-led brand partnerships; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company serves a long-tail customer base of individual sellers, SMB e-commerce merchants (engaged through programs like Hanjin's One-Click Connect with Cafe24 and Toss, which has attracted roughly 500 e-commerce companies in prior editions and supported 345 small businesses through a 2025 sales support project), and brands seeking creator-driven distribution (e.g., A.GLOBAL in the Japan launch). Its go-to-market is hybrid, combining product-led self-serve app downloads, community-led creator ecosystem development, event-driven high-profile launches (Japan debut at Ginza Six with creator Three Bag in March 2026), and targeted B2B sales motions. The company expanded to the United States in 2022 and to Japan in 2026, and operates as a subsidiary of Kakao Group under a recently appointed COO (Kang Seok-jong, March 2026) tasked with deepening Kakao platform integration and scaling the GripONE ecosystem.

Name

Grip

Legal name

GripCompany Co., Ltd.

Website

https://gripcorp.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Grip is a South Korea-based live commerce platform, founded in 2018 and now a Kakao Group subsidiary, that enables creators to broadcast real-time video shopping streams while viewers chat and purchase products instantly. It serves SMB sellers, individual creators, and brands across Korea, the US, and Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Commerce Platform

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Commerce & Livestream Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Commerce & Shoppable Creator Campaigns (BPAFAHAL), Live Shopping & Streaming Creator Activations (MPAAAHAM)

Keywords

• Live commerce platform
• Live shopping marketplace
• Creator commerce platform
• Social commerce streaming
• Live video shopping

Headquarters

HQ city

Seocho

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Live Commerce Platform Transaction Fees: Grip generates revenue through transaction fees on live commerce sales conducted on its platform, where creators sell products during live broadcasts and viewers can purchase in real-time.
2. Creator Partnership Revenue Share: Revenue model involves partnerships with creators who conduct live broadcasts featuring branded products, with the platform monetizing through sales generated during these creator-led broadcasts.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Grip operates a mobile and web-based live commerce platform where individual creators and sellers broadcast real-time video to viewers, who can discover products, chat with creators and product makers, request demonstrations, and purchase items directly during live streams with special offers. The platform also includes GripONE, a commerce matching solution that connects brands with creators to facilitate live commerce partnerships.

Product overview

Grip is a live commerce platform featuring a unified ecosystem of products centered on real-time video shopping. The core platform (Grip) enables creators to broadcast live content while viewers discover, chat, and purchase products instantly. Supporting products include GripONE (commerce matching solution) for ecosystem expansion, Shop Live (shopping feature), and the AI Live Commerce Expert Qualification (certification program). The platform operates as a single integrated system rather than discrete modules, connecting sellers and viewers globally in real-time since 2018.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grip Live Shopping Platform A mobile and web-based live commerce platform where creators and sellers broadcast real-time video to viewers, who can discover, chat, request demonstrations, and purchase products directly during streams. Available on iOS, Android, and via grip.live and grip.show web domains, with over 5.7M downloads and a #1 ranking in the shopping category.
• GripONE A commerce matching solution connecting brands with creators for live commerce opportunities, designed to expand Grip's ecosystem and facilitate business partnerships between brands and live commerce creators.
• AI Live Commerce Expert Qualification A private certification program that professionalizes commerce creators through a 6-week practical training program developed with Live Lineup Academy and Growth Up, establishing a competency-based certification pathway.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.7M+ app downloads
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HanjincoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 June 2026Hanjin is holding the '2026 First Half One-Click Connect' program in partnership with Grip, Cafe24, and Toss. The program connects promising domestic e-commerce sellers with small business owners through online webinars and offline consulting, with 20 selected companies receiving tailored business assessments.
• Kakao GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Grip Company was acquired by Kakao and the new COO appointment aims to strengthen cooperation with Kakao Group. The company plans to leverage this partnership to enhance competitiveness in live commerce and expand GripONE commerce matching solution. Kang Seok-jong, the new COO, previously led investment reviews at Kakao including Grip Company's acquisition.
• Cafe24minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in the Hanjin One-Click Connect program, contributing to the ecosystem of support for e-commerce sellers alongside Grip and Toss.
• TossminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in the Hanjin One-Click Connect program, contributing to the ecosystem of support for e-commerce sellers alongside Grip and Cafe24.
• Live Lineup AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partner for the 'AI Live Commerce Expert' qualification system, establishing a talent development system that connects education, platform entry, live broadcasting, and sales over a 6-week practical training program.
• Growth UpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partner for the 'AI Live Commerce Expert' qualification system, working with Live Lineup Academy to establish commerce creators as a professional occupation through competency-based certification.
• DK TechminorOthersFormer Vice President Kang Seok-jong joined Grip as COO from DK Tech, where he oversaw the Kakao Work business. This represents a talent acquisition from a partner company rather than a commercial partnership.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• 17LIVE: Asia-focused live streaming platform with commerce integrations across Taiwan, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Comparable in live streaming-led commerce model serving creators in Asian markets, though with more emphasis on entertainment/gifting and emerging commerce monetization.
• Popsical: Singapore-based live commerce platform serving Southeast Asian markets. Comparable as an emerging live shopping marketplace targeting SMB sellers and creators in Asian geographies adjacent to Grip's expansion roadmap.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Live: Amazon's embedded live shopping feature within its global marketplace. Comparable in core live commerce functionality—real-time creator-led product selling and purchasing—but operates as a feature of a much broader commerce platform rather than a standalone destination.
• Taobao Live: Alibaba's live commerce platform embedded in Taobao, the dominant Chinese consumer marketplace. Comparable as a creator-led live shopping platform with transaction-fee monetization, though operating at massive scale within a single (Chinese) market.
• Kuaishou: Chinese short-video and live streaming platform with deeply integrated e-commerce functionality. Comparable as a creator-led live commerce ecosystem, though operating at much larger scale within China and increasingly globally.

Direct peers

• TikTok Shop: ByteDance's global live commerce offering integrated into TikTok, combining short-form video creators with real-time purchasing. Comparable to Grip in creator-led live commerce model and SMB seller onboarding, though at vastly larger scale.
• LazLive (Lazada): Alibaba-backed Lazada's live streaming commerce feature across Southeast Asia. Comparable as a mobile marketplace with embedded live shopping serving SMB sellers and creators, with overlap in Asian market focus.
• Shopee Live: Sea Group's live commerce feature embedded in the Shopee marketplace across Southeast Asia. Directly comparable to Grip as a mobile-first, creator-driven live shopping marketplace serving SMB sellers and individual creators.
• WhatNot: US-based live shopping marketplace focused on collectibles, fashion, and consumer goods with creator-led live auctions. Comparable in mobile-first live commerce model, creator-driven marketplace structure, and SMB seller onboarding.

Regional players

• Naver Smartstore LIVE Shopping: Naver's live commerce feature within Smartstore, Korea's leading e-commerce platform. Comparable as a Korean-market live shopping platform serving overlapping SMB sellers, though embedded within Naver's broader search and commerce ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gripappofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/grip_us
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grip-live

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 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 Grip