What 21market does

21market (legal entity: 주식회사 21세기전파상 / 21st Century Radio Commerce) is a South Korean privately-held company founded in 2019 that operates Repercent, an online marketplace for buying and selling certified pre-owned smartphones and adjacent consumer electronics. The company sources used devices from individual consumers, inspects each unit through a proprietary AI inspection system augmented by professional engineers, applies a standardized grading framework (S급, 최상급, etc.), and resells passing devices to retail buyers under an official Repercent Certification Mark. Its core technology stack combines AI-driven visual and functional condition assessment with an industry-leading personal data deletion workflow, addressing the two principal consumer frictions in used-device transactions: uncertainty about device quality and concerns about residual personal data.

The business is operated on a direct-to-consumer, self-serve model via repercent.com, with no enterprise or B2B channel disclosed. Sell-side flows include 1-minute price quotes, same-day payment, and three collection methods — convenience-store courier, scheduled pickup, and in-person visit to the Pangyo Startup Zone headquarters. Buy-side flows expose 1,624 device SKUs across smartphones (Galaxy, iPhone), tablets (iPad, Galaxy Tab), MacBook, Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, and AirPods, with publicly listed per-unit pricing ranging from approximately 235,000 KRW (Galaxy S10e) to 1,730,000 KRW (iPhone 17 Pro). Revenue is generated from the spread between buy-side purchase prices and sell-side resale prices, supplemented by category expansion into adjacent device categories. The company reports a 97.4% service satisfaction rate and claims purchase prices up to 46.8% above competitors across SKUs.

21market has raised equity from Mashup Ventures (2021), 500 Global and Kakao Ventures (2022), and POSTECH Holdings (2024, ~$72K), operates with 11-50 employees, and holds a Communication Sales Business Registration (2022-서울서초-0993) and a Used Device Safe Transaction Certification (AC-20250623-A0003). All operations are concentrated in South Korea under a single geography, with the CEO Park Young-jun serving as representative. The company does not disclose revenue, GMV, or unit throughput, and has no disclosed acquisitions, partnerships, or international expansion plans in the available data.

Name

21market

Legal name

주식회사 21세기전파상

Website

https://21market.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

21market operates Repercent, a South Korean online marketplace that buys and resells certified pre-owned smartphones and adjacent consumer electronics, using a proprietary AI inspection system combined with engineer verification to grade and certify each device for individual consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Used Consumer Electronics Resale

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Electronics and Appliance Retailers (4492)

SIC

Retail-Radio, Tv & Consumer Electronics Stores (5731)

akta.pro primary industry

Refurbished, Used & Recommerce Smartphones (CRACALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tablets & E-Readers Retail (CRACABAB)

Keywords

• Used smartphone marketplace
• Pre-owned electronics resale
• AI device inspection
• Phone trade-in service
• Certified refurbished devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Seocho

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Used Phone Resale: Company purchases used smartphones from consumers at quoted prices and resells them after AI inspection and certification. Revenue generated from the margin between purchase price and resale price.
2. Phone Trade-In/Buyback: Direct purchase of used phones from individual consumers with same-day payment. The company offers competitive pricing compared to other buyers, claiming higher prices than competitors (경쟁사 대비 up to 46.8% higher).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

21market operates the Repercent online marketplace, purchasing used smartphones and tablets from individual consumers, inspecting them through a proprietary AI system combined with professional engineers, applying an official quality certification mark, and reselling the certified pre-owned devices. The platform supports 1,624 device models, provides 1-minute price quotes, and offers same-day payment with multiple device collection options including convenience-store courier, pickup, and in-person headquarters visits.

Product overview

Repercent (리퍼센트) operates as a single integrated marketplace for pre-owned mobile devices, combining both buying and selling services on one platform. The core offering includes a smartphone/tablet marketplace where users can purchase certified devices (galaxy, iphone, ipad, macbook, galaxy watch, apple watch, airpods) or sell their used devices. The platform differentiates through its AI inspection system, the Repercent Certification Mark for quality assurance, and services like same-day payment, convenient pickup options, and a 97.4% customer satisfaction rate. The company is operated by (주)21세기전파상 (21st Century Radio Commerce).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Repercent Used Phone Marketplace (리퍼센트) An online marketplace where individual consumers can buy and sell pre-owned smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds. All devices sold on the platform undergo AI inspection combined with professional engineer verification and are certified with the Repercent Certification Mark.
• Used Phone Sales Service (중고폰 판매) Buyback service for individual consumers to sell used smartphones at competitive prices. Users receive 1-minute online price quotes, choose convenience-store courier, pickup, or in-person drop-off, and obtain same-day payment upon device receipt. The service covers 1,624 device models.
• Used Phone Purchase Service (중고폰 구매) Retail service for individual consumers to purchase certified pre-owned smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds at discounted prices. Every device has been inspected by the proprietary AI system and professional engineers and carries the official Repercent Certification Mark.

Quantifiable outcome

• Service satisfaction rate 97.4%
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Back Market: Global refurbished electronics marketplace operating a certified pre-owned model directly comparable to Repercent. Both run a buy/sell platform with quality grading and warranty-backed resale of smartphones and adjacent electronics.
• Rebuy: European recommerce platform specializing in certified pre-owned electronics and media, with branded quality grading. Operates a buy-sell model with quality-tiered resale that closely parallels Repercent's grading system.
• Gazelle: US-based recommerce platform that buys used smartphones directly from consumers and resells them graded and certified. Mirrors Repercent's instant-quote, same-day-payment buyback flow and refurbished resale catalog.
• Swappa: Peer-to-peer used-device marketplace with strict device quality requirements. Comparable to Repercent as a marketplace for used smartphones and tablets with quality gating, though P2P rather than vertically integrated buy-sell.
• ecoATM: Operates automated kiosks for instant pricing and purchase of used phones, tablets, and electronics. Closest US analog to Repercent's instant-quote device intake model, though via physical kiosks rather than convenience-store parcel.
• Decluttr: UK-based recommerce platform that buys used electronics, CDs, books, and media directly from consumers and resells refurbished inventory. Closely matches Repercent's instant-quote, post-collection model with quality-graded resale.
• MusicMagpie: UK-listed recommerce platform selling refurbished smartphones, tablets, and consumer electronics. Direct model match to Repercent with public pricing, quality grading, and same-day payment to sellers.

Emerging players

• Refurbed: European marketplace for refurbished electronics (smartphones, laptops, tablets) with strong quality certification branding. Comparable to Repercent's Repercent Certification Mark positioning, though currently Europe-focused.
• Cashify: India's largest used electronics recommerce platform offering instant quotes, doorstep pickup, and certified resale of smartphones. Comparable to Repercent in operating model, serving a similarly smartphone-heavy emerging market.

Regional players

• Karrot Market (당근마켓): Korean hyperlocal C2C recommerce marketplace that competes for the same used-phone supply as Repercent, though via peer-to-peer listings rather than a vertically integrated buy-sell model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors4 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 21market