What Snaptag does

Snaptag is a South Korea-based technology company, founded in 2020 with research dating to 2015, that commercializes patented invisible watermark technology for embedding data into images and videos. The technology, branded as LabCode, transforms design pixels into encrypted invisible codes carrying approximately 28 quintillion possible 58-bit identification values, and is engineered to survive cropping, compression, rotation, and physical tearing while maintaining image quality (PSNR 30-40, SSIM 0.35-0.45). The company organizes its offering around three business areas: Information Protection (via the LAB Guard product line covering screen, printout, mobile, and additional security), Generative AI (an AI Image Watermark Solution and the K-Safe Open API for watermarking AI-generated content), and IP Protection (an IP Authentication Solution and the PHOTOCODE digital photo card service).

Snaptag serves enterprise, government, and sports customers primarily in South Korea, with disclosed deployments including BookIPs (SOLVOOK education platform), CAMPUSBOOK, KED Aicel (Epic AI investment assistant), Jiransoft (OfficeKeeper), the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, and four K-League football clubs. The company holds 15 registered Korean patents plus 3 pending filings, and additional patents in the United States (4), China (1), and Japan (1). Snaptag reports it is the only company in South Korea to have commercialized invisible watermark technology and received the Ministry of Science and ICT Minister's Prize in 2024.

The business model combines enterprise licensing (LAB Guard family and IP Authentication Solution), SDK/API provision on a recurring basis, and a freemium go-to-market through the Generative AI Startup Association (GAISA) K-Safe Open API launched in beta in January 2026 and free to all Korean AI companies from April 2026, with a planned paid enterprise tier for global markets. The company was acquired Haru Company in July 2022 and closed a 10B+ won Series B in July 2024 led by Kiwoom Investment, Kakao Investment, and Stonebridge Ventures following a 2.5B won Series A in January 2022.

Name

Snaptag

Legal name

SNAPTAG Co., Ltd.

Website

https://snaptag.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Snaptag is a South Korea-based company that provides patented invisible watermark technology for content authentication, serving enterprise, government, sports, and generative AI customers across information protection, AI content verification, and IP protection use cases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Content Security & Authentication

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Software Publishers (5132)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Authenticity, Watermarking & Deepfake Detection (HDAAAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII) (HDAEANAG), Data Security & Privacy for Cloud (DLP, DSPM, Tokenization) (HDABAHAK)

Keywords

• Invisible watermark technology
• AI content authentication
• Information protection software
• Digital rights management
• Generative AI verification

Headquarters

HQ city

Seongnam

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Enterprise Licensing: Licensing of invisible watermark technology to enterprises for information protection, AI image authentication, and IP protection. Paid enterprise model planned for global market.
2. SDK/API Provision: Technology provided in the form of SDK and API modules for immediate applicability across various industries and platforms.
3. Free API Service (Current): Free encoding and decoding SDKs for AI companies through Generative AI Startup Association's K-Safe Open API service. Beta testing began January 2026, free service from April 2026. Global paid enterprise model planned.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Snaptag provides invisible watermark technology that embeds hidden, damage-resistant data into images and videos for content authentication, information leak tracking, and intellectual property protection. The company offers this technology via SDK/API modules and through branded products (LAB Guard line for screen, printout, and mobile security; AI Image Watermark Solution; IP Authentication Solution; PHOTOCODE digital photo card service), serving enterprises, AI companies, sports organizations, and government agencies.

Product overview

SNAPTAG offers a suite of invisible watermark-based products and services organized around three business areas: Information Protection, Generative AI, and IP Protection. The core technology platform consists of invisible watermark SDK/API modules that can be applied across images and videos. Key products include LAB Guard product line (S for screen security, P for printout security, M for mobile security, T for additional security applications), the AI Image Watermark Solution, IP Authentication Solution, and PHOTOCODE service. The company also supports the K-Safe Open API initiative for the broader AI industry. All offerings leverage the patented invisible watermark technology that inserts hidden data into visual content while maintaining image quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LAB Guard: Information protection solutions including LAB Guard-S (screen security), LAB Guard-P (printout security), and LAB Guard-M (mobile security) based on invisible watermark technology
• PHOTOCODE
• K-Safe Open API

Products and services

• LAB Guard-S (Screen Security) Screen security solution that applies invisible watermarks to PC and mobile screens to link user information and enable source verification when information leaks occur.
• LAB Guard-P (Printout Security) Printout security solution that applies invisible watermarks to printed materials to link user information and enable source verification.
• LAB Guard-M (Mobile Security) Mobile security solution that applies invisible watermarks to mobile devices to link user information and enable source verification when leaks occur. GS (Good Software) certified.
• AI Image Watermark Solution Solution for applying invisible watermarks to AI-generated images for authentication and content verification purposes.
• IP Authentication Solution Solution for intellectual property authentication using invisible watermark technology, designated as an Innovative Procurement Product by the Public Procurement Service.
• PHOTOCODE Digital photo card service that connects online and offline fan experiences through invisible watermark technology.
• Invisible Watermark SDK/API Patented invisible watermark technology provided in SDK and API module form, enabling rapid expansion across various industries and platforms. Based on principles of physics and cognitive visual theory.
• K-Safe Open API Free API service for watermarking AI-generated content, including free encoding and decoding SDKs that allow companies to insert invisible watermarks and verify AI-generated content.

Quantifiable outcome

• PSNR 30-40, SSIM 0.35-0.45 with no visible difference between original and watermarked images
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Wrtn TechnologiesmajorTechnology or Integration · 21 January 2026Conducting beta testing for Snaptag's free invisible watermark API. Part of the K-Safe Open API initiative.
• Generative AI Startup Association (GAISA)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 January 2026Association announced distribution of free K-Safe Open API based on Snaptag's technology, with free encoding and decoding SDKs for AI-generated content watermarking.
• BookIPs (SOLVOOK)majorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Integrated technology into 'SOLVOOK', an education platform by BookIPs.
• KED AicelmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Implemented technology into 'Epic AI', an AI investment assistant by KED Aicel.
• JiransoftmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Integrated LAB Guard-P into Jiransoft's 'OfficeKeeper' product.
• InnotiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Signed MOU for LAB Guard-S/P with Innotium.
• HNIXminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Signed MOU for LAB Guard-S/P with HNIX.
• G-MissionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Signed MOU for LAB Guard-M/F with G-Mission.
• Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2024Developed a dedicated mobile app for the Korea Transportation Safety Authority.
• Kings Information & CommunicationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Signed MOU for LAB Guard-S/P.
• WaterWall SystemsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Signed MOU for LAB Guard-S/P.
• WowsoftminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Signed MOU for LAB Guard-S/P.
• ToCSGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Signed MOU for LAB Guard-S/P.
• FasoominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Signed MOU for LAB Guard-S/P.
• LITechminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Signed MOU for LAB Guard-S/P.
• Haru CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2022Acquired Haru Company which holds digital watermark technology to enhance Snaptag's LabCode technology for expansion across various industries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Regional players

• Fasoo: Korean data and document security vendor focused on DRM and insider-leak protection. One of Snaptag's signed LAB Guard-S/P MOU partners and a regional peer in enterprise document security.
• MarkAny: Korean DRM, document security and digital watermarking vendor serving enterprise and government customers in Korea. Compares directly to Snaptag's information protection (LAB Guard) line in the same domestic market.

Direct peers

• Digimarc: US-listed pioneer of digital watermarking for images, packaging and supply chains. Directly comparable as an enterprise-focused invisible watermarking platform competing for the same IP protection and content authentication use cases Snaptag serves.
• IMATAG: European invisible-watermarking vendor offering image watermarking APIs for content authentication and copyright protection. Closest direct competitor to Snaptag's core SDK/API delivery model and target use cases (IP protection, AI image authentication).

Broad incumbents

• Google DeepMind (SynthID): Google's AI content watermarking initiative built into Imagen and Gemini outputs. Represents the platform-level incumbent that Snaptag competes against in AI-generated image and video authentication.
• Adobe (Content Credentials): Adobe's Content Credentials / C2PA-based provenance signals embedded in Photoshop, Firefly and Creative Cloud assets. Competes directly with Snaptag's AI Image Watermark Solution for the creative tools and content authenticity market.
• Microsoft Azure AI Content Safety: Microsoft's cloud-level AI content provenance and watermarking capabilities embedded in Azure AI services. Comparable as a hyperscaler alternative to Snaptag's enterprise SDK/API watermark stack.

Emerging players

• Pex (Pexip Infinity / Pex Content ID): Content identification and IP infringement detection platform using fingerprinting and matching. Adjacent competitor addressing the same IP-protection and content-authentication pain points with a different technical approach.
• Videntifier: Visual content recognition and identification vendor offering fingerprinting-based image authentication. Overlaps with Snaptag's IP Authentication Solution for verifying originality and tracing content.
• Truepic: Provenance and content authenticity startup focused on C2PA-based image certification. Comparable emerging player pursuing enterprise and government deals around authenticated visual media, overlapping with Snaptag's IP Protection segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors6 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Snaptag