What Sweet Spot does

Sweet Spot (스위트스팟) is a South Korean popup store agency and commercial real estate services company founded in 2015, operating from Seongdong-gu, Seoul with 51-100 employees. The company plans and executes end-to-end popup experiences — design, construction, operations, and crowd management — and has completed over 8,700 projects across fashion, F&B, beauty, and entertainment, with marquee enterprise clients including SM Entertainment (NCT DREAM), WAKEONE (ZEROBASEONE), Lululemon (multi-year 2024-2026 deal), Musinsa, E-mart, Naver Pay, Iconics (Zanmang Loopy), and Pulmuone. Its technology platform comprises the AI Popup Budget Calculator (built on 300+ operational data points), the Popup Archive Map for venue analytics, and the Popga curation app with an official Naver Maps integration that reached 30,000 users within two months of launch.

Sweet Spot monetizes through three primary streams: project-based popup agency fees (tiered 50M-500M+ KRW per project), managed commercial real estate services including tenant/landlord representation, MD consulting, and the Active PM property management service (15,000+ pyeong managed), and venue rental via 8 proprietary Stage X popup-dedicated spaces including a Tokyo Omotesando international location. The company is pursuing an IPO with KB Securities as lead underwriter and is positioning its accumulated operational data as the foundation for retail asset management SaaS and data-driven retail curation products. Strategic intent is to evolve from a project-based agency into a vertically integrated retail experience platform spanning physical venue inventory, software, and managed services.

Name

Sweet Spot

Legal name

(주)스위트스팟

Website

https://sweetspot.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sweet Spot is a South Korean popup store agency and commercial real estate platform serving enterprise brands, entertainment companies, and IP holders with end-to-end popup execution, proprietary Stage X venues, an AI budget calculator, and the Popga discovery app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Popup Store Agency & Commercial Real Estate Services

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), General Merchandise Retailers (455)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Pop-Up / Temporary Variety Stores (CRAGAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Retail & Pop-up Experiences (In-store/Pop-ups) (MPAAAGAG)

Keywords

• Popup store agency
• Commercial real estate services
• Retail property management
• Brand activation events
• Popup venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeoksamdong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Popup Store Agency Services: Full-service popup store planning, design, construction, and operations for corporate brands. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for managing popup experiences for clients across entertainment, fashion, F&B, and beauty sectors.
2. Commercial Real Estate Services: Retail MD consulting, tenant representation (임대대행), and property management (자산 관리) services for commercial spaces. Revenue generated through consulting fees and ongoing property management retainer arrangements.
3. Venue Rental/Management: Operating dedicated popup spaces under 'Stage X' brand, generating rental income from brands using temporary retail spaces. Also includes property management services 'Active PM' managing approximately 15,000 pyeong of commercial real estate.
4. Digital Platform Services: Revenue from the 'Popga' popup curation app and AI budget calculator, potentially through premium features or lead generation fees from brands to platform users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sweet Spot is a popup store agency and commercial real estate services company that plans, designs, constructs, and operates end-to-end popup retail experiences for major brands, K-pop entertainment agencies, IP holders, and retailers. The company operates proprietary popup-dedicated spaces under the Stage X brand (8 locations including Tokyo) and delivers complementary services including retail property management (Active PM), commercial real estate consulting, tenant and landlord representation, and asset management. The company has executed over 8,700 popup projects across fashion, F&B, beauty, and entertainment sectors.

Product overview

Sweet Spot operates as a comprehensive popup store agency and commercial real estate platform. The core offering is its end-to-end popup store agency service (스위트스팟) that has planned and operated over 8,700 popup stores. The company also manages proprietary popup-dedicated spaces under the Stage X and Stage brands, with 8 locations including international expansion to Tokyo. Supporting the core business, Sweet Spot offers the Popga curation app for popup discovery with Naver Maps integration, an AI-powered budget calculator based on 300+ operational data points, and Active PM property management services. The platform also encompasses commercial real estate services including retail MD consulting, tenant/landlord representation, and asset management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 팝가 (Popga): Popup curation mobile application that helps users discover and navigate popup stores; launched in 2024 and reached 30,000 users within two months.
• Stage X
• Active PM

Products and services

• Popup Store Agency Service (팝업스토어 대행) Comprehensive end-to-end popup store agency offering planning, design, construction, and operations services for major brands, K-pop entertainment companies, IP holders, and retailers across fashion, F&B, beauty, and entertainment sectors. The company has executed over 8,700 popup projects under this service.
• Stage X Popup-Dedicated Spaces (스테이지 X) Proprietary popup-dedicated physical venue brand offering turnkey venue solutions for brands to test retail concepts with established operational infrastructure. Operates 8 locations across Korea plus Tokyo Omotesando, enabling K-brand overseas testing and reducing brand overhead for market entry.
• Popga (팝가) Popup Curation App Popup curation mobile application that helps users discover popup stores with features including popup archive map, Naver Maps integration for navigation, and the Seongsu Pass feature guiding visitors to nearby stores. Reached 30,000 users within two months of official launch.
• Active PM (액티브 PM) Property Management Service Commercial real estate property management service for retail properties, managing over 15,000 pyeong (approximately 50,000 square meters) of commercial space within six months of launch. Provides ongoing property management for department stores, shopping malls, and retail property owners.
• Shop at Episode (샵앳에피소드) Corporate Office Popup Service Enterprise popup store service specifically designed for large corporate offices, enabling companies to host branded popup experiences within their corporate facilities.
• Commercial Real Estate Services (Retail MD Consulting, Tenant Representation, Landlord Representation, Asset Management) Integrated commercial real estate services including Retail MD consulting (merchandising optimization for commercial retail spaces), tenant representation (임차대행) helping brands secure optimal retail locations, landlord representation (임대대행) managing retail space leasing and tenant mix, and asset management (자산 관리) for retail properties.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,700+ popup stores successfully planned and operated
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NavercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partnership for Popga app integration with Naver Maps, automatically reflecting popup store information on Naver's mapping platform for enhanced discoverability.
• Iconics (아이코닉스)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey operational partner for Zanmang Loopy popup tours, managing large-scale character IP events across multiple cities over 6-month periods.
• Popupcycle (팝업사이클)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry-first MOU to establish popup waste recycling system, addressing environmental sustainability in popup store operations.
• The Coffee (더커피)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst flagship store attraction for global coffee brand at Inno88 Tower, demonstrating Sweet Spot's ability to attract premium tenants to managed properties.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Appear Here: UK-based global marketplace connecting brands with short-term retail and popup spaces. Most direct global comparable to Sweet Spot's popup agency and venue brokerage model, though Sweet Spot adds in-house execution and proprietary Stage X venues.
• We Are Pop Up: UK popup platform that matches brands with short-term retail spaces and provides operational support. Directly comparable to Sweet Spot's popup curation and venue-rental business, though at a smaller scale and without K-pop/IP entertainment specialization.
• Popup Republic: US-based popup agency and marketplace that helps brands plan, design, and operate short-term retail experiences. Directly comparable to Sweet Spot's end-to-end popup agency offering, though with a more standardized marketplace-led model rather than Sweet Spot's premium K-content entertainment specialization.
• Pop Up Grocer: US-based popup retail concept that operates curated popup stores for emerging CPG and food brands. Comparable to Sweet Spot's popup curation model and venue operations, though focused on grocery/CPG rather than entertainment and K-content IP.

Broad incumbents

• Innocean Worldwide: Hyundai Motor Group's global marketing and communications agency with retail activation and brand experience practices. Comparable as a Korean incumbent offering overlapping brand activation and retail execution services, though at significantly larger scale and broader scope than Sweet Spot's popup specialty.
• Spring Studios: Global brand experience venue operator with showrooms and event spaces in New York, London, and Los Angeles. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering physical brand activation infrastructure and event production at scale, though it does not focus on short-term popup agency work.
• Cheil Worldwide: Samsung-affiliated Korean marketing and experiential communications group with retail activation, retail design, and brand experience capabilities. Comparable as a larger incumbent operating in adjacent experiential marketing and retail execution services in Korea, with broader portfolio than Sweet Spot's popup focus.

Regional players

• The Standard Hotels (Pop-Up Program): Hospitality brand that operates branded retail and popup collaborations through its hotels in the US and Europe. Comparable as a venue-based brand experience operator, though anchored in hospitality real estate rather than standalone popup venues like Sweet Spot's Stage X.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors10 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 Sweet Spot