PULSE9
PULSE9 is a Seoul-based AI company that builds proprietary DeepReal virtual human technology and operates IITERNITI, the world's first 11-member AI virtual K-pop group, licensing characters and technology to brands, broadcasters, and entertainment platforms across 49+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersMapo, South Korea
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What PULSE9 does
PULSE9 is a Seoul-based AI technology and entertainment company that develops proprietary virtual human generation and real-time face-synthesis technology, commercialized through its own virtual idol IP. The company's core technology stack is built around DeepReal AI — a GAN-based engine that creates photorealistic virtual faces in 0.6 seconds — extended by DeepReal Live (30fps real-time face-swap for live broadcast and live commerce), DeepRealMe (audio-to-face video synthesis from a single image), and DeepReal Cloud & Plugin (DeepReal combined with ChatGPT, developed through Microsoft's Majung Program). Its flagship commercial asset is IITERNITI, the world's first 11-member AI virtual K-pop girl group, debuted March 2021, alongside related virtual characters such as Bento Min (L'Oreal Korea virtual intern) and Benjamin.
PULSE9 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PULSE9
- Legal name
- Pulse9 Inc.
- Website
- https://pulse9.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PULSE9 is a Seoul-based AI company that builds proprietary DeepReal virtual human technology and operates IITERNITI, the world's first 11-member AI virtual K-pop group, licensing characters and technology to brands, broadcasters, and entertainment platforms across 49+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PULSE9 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI Virtual Human Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- AI/ML Engineering & Model Development Services (BPAEAHAF), Enterprise & Professional Live Streaming Platforms (Webinars/Events) (MPACACAI)
Keywords
Where PULSE9 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mapo
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
PULSE9 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Music content (Singles, Albums, MVs): IITERNITY releases digital singles and albums on YouTube and all music streaming platforms. Revenue from music sales, streaming royalties, and album merchandise. First regular album 'Hello World' released in 2023.
- Brand licensing and character IP deals: Licensing IITERNITY characters to brands for advertising campaigns, product endorsements, and promotional models. Examples include L'Oreal Korea (virtual intern Bento Min), K Bank (quiz show MC), Timon/SME Distribution Center (model), Filway luxury platform (live commerce host).
- Live commerce and digital content services: Providing virtual human hosting, live commerce shows, and promotional content for brands. Includes IITERNITY live appearances on TV, live commerce platforms (Naver, 11st, Filway), and branded content production.
- Technology licensing (B2B AI virtual human): Licensing DeepReal AI technology to other companies for creating virtual humans, films, and content. Technology applied to film production (Seoul Urban Legends movie), broadcasting programs (Arirang TV), and other commercial applications.
- Concert and entertainment events: Offline and online concert events such as the first IITERNITY solo concert 'IITERNITI BEGINS: The First Journey', exhibiting at exhibitions (V&A Museum, Hanla Digital Art Museum, Hong Kong HKDI Gallery).
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
PULSE9 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PULSE9 develops proprietary AI-based virtual human technology (DeepReal AI) for generating photorealistic virtual characters and powers IITERNITI (아이테르니티), the world's first AI virtual K-pop girl group of 11 members. The company provides B2B AI virtual human solutions including real-time face-swap for live broadcasts (DeepReal Live), audio-to-face video synthesis (DeepRealMe), and AI character IP licensing to consumer brands, broadcasters, and e-commerce platforms across Korea, Japan, and global markets.
Product overview
Pulse9 is an AI tech-tainment company that develops virtual human and AI idol technologies. Its core product portfolio centers on DeepReal AI, a proprietary engine for generating photorealistic virtual humans, which powers the headline product — Eternity (아이테르니티), the world's first AI virtual K-pop girl group of 11 members. DeepReal Live provides real-time face-swapping for live broadcasts and commerce, while DeepRealMe enables audio-to-face video synthesis from a single photo and audio file. The company also offers a DeepReal Cloud & Plugin service (via Microsoft partnership) and is expanding into an AI Agent Character IP Business platform. Products are primarily B2B-focused, serving entertainment companies, broadcasters, brands, and e-commerce platforms, with Eternity as the public-facing flagship brand demonstrating the technology's capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- IITERNITI (이터니티): World's first virtual K-pop girl group with 11 AI-generated members
- DeepReal AI (딥리얼 AI)
- DeepReal Live (딥리얼 라이브)
- DeepRealMe (딥리얼미)
- Benjamin (반자민)
Products and services
- IITERNITI (아이테르니티)
- DeepReal AI (딥리얼 AI)
- DeepReal Live (딥리얼 라이브)
- DeepRealMe (딥리얼미)
- DeepReal Cloud & Plugin (딥리얼 클라우드 & 플러그인)
- AI Agent Character IP Business Platform
Companies that use PULSE9
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PULSE9 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability9 records
Feature4 records
PULSE9 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.
- Jeju Hanla University (제주한라대학교)minorPULSE9 signed an MOU with Jeju Hanla University under the RISE (Regional Innovation System & Education) program for joint research and development of AI-based immersive content. Collaboration includes K-pop integrated performance content production and local specialty content development and operation.
- Uniworld (유니월드) / Hong KongminorPULSE9 signed a business agreement with Hong Kong-based Uniworld to establish a foundation for market entry into the Chinese-speaking (Greater China) market. Uniworld provides local market access and distribution services.
- Realize Innovations (리얼라이즈 이노베이션즈)corePULSE9 signed a business agreement with SoftBank subsidiary Realize Innovations to jointly pursue AI virtual human business in the Japanese market. Realize Innovations, originally founded as SoftBank Mobile in 2000, expanded into XR, sensing/AI, and mobility IT solutions. This partnership marks PULSE9's official entry into the Japanese AI virtual human market.
- Arirang TV Media / Arirang International BroadcastingcorePULSE9 signed an MOU with Arirang TV Media and Arirang International Broadcasting for virtual human development and broadcast program production. First project was the global audition program 'Code Name Busan' using DeepReal Live technology to create A.I. celebrities for 2030 World Expo Busan promotion.
- Microsoft (마중 프로그램)majorPULSE9 was selected for Microsoft's Ma-jung Program Support project by the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The 'DeepReal Cloud & Plugin' project combines PULSE9's proprietary DeepReal AI with ChatGPT for synergistic AI services. Microsoft provides education, technology development, market access, investment attraction, and PR support.
- ETRI (Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) / Busan International Short Film FestivalmajorPULSE9 signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with ETRI and the Busan International Short Film Festival for film and video technology cooperation. IITERNITY's 'Luv or Dare' music video applied ETRI's 3D conversion technology on PULSE9's AI-generated content, with a streaming pilot on ETRI's OTT-based 3D media platform.
- Korea Content Promotion Agency (한국콘텐츠진흥원)majorPULSE9 was selected for Korea Content Promotion Agency's 'New Technology-Based Content Lab Operation Support' program. PULSE9 is conducting AI-based virtual human short-form content creator training, focusing on virtual human production technology and AI-based scenario creation.
- Collab AsiaminorPULSE9 signed MOU with Collab Asia to expand IITERNITY content business. Collab Asia supports international content distribution and creator collaboration for the virtual K-pop group.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
PULSE9 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Synthesia: AI avatar video generation platform enabling text/script-driven virtual presenter videos for enterprises. Comparable in offering audio-to-face / image-to-video generative AI infrastructure that competes for similar B2B communication budgets.
- Soul Machines: New Zealand-based creator of autonomous, photorealistic digital humans for enterprise customer engagement and brand experiences. Closely comparable as an AI virtual human technology company targeting brand and enterprise use cases similar to PULSE9's DeepReal deployments.
- D-ID: Israeli AI company specializing in talking-head video generation from still images and audio input. Directly comparable technology stack to PULSE9's DeepRealMe, also targeting enterprise content and personalized video.
- HeyGen: AI video avatar platform for enterprise-grade avatar-driven video generation. Competes with PULSE9's DeepRealMe API in the audio-to-face / talking avatar category for B2B applications.
- K/DA (Riot Games): Virtual K-pop group created by Riot Games for League of Legends using CGI and motion-captured performers. Closely comparable as a virtual K-pop group monetized through music, brand partnerships, and entertainment IP — though anchored in gaming IP.
- Naver Z (ZEPETO): Korea-based virtual avatar/metaverse platform with massive Gen Z user base and virtual influencer IP. Comparable as a Korean virtual character company serving similar brand and entertainment use cases, though with consumer avatar orientation.
- Brud (Lil Miquela / Dapper Labs): Creator of virtual influencer Lil Miquela, the pioneering AI/CGI virtual influencer for fashion and brand campaigns. Directly comparable business model — virtual character IP monetized through brand partnerships and entertainment — predating and validating PULSE9's IITERNITI approach.
- Synthesia Korea / DeepBrain AI: Korean AI avatar company offering AI human synthesis for news, education, and enterprise use. Direct regional competitor with comparable technology (AI human generation) targeting overlapping B2B segments like broadcasting and education.
Broad incumbents
- HYBE (BIGHIT MUSIC): Korea's largest K-pop agency (BTS, NewJeans) actively exploring AI voice synthesis and virtual entertainment. Represents the most likely 'incumbent threat' to PULSE9 should HYBE launch a fully AI-driven virtual idol initiative.
- aespa (SM Entertainment): K-pop group paired with AI virtual counterparts (ae-aespa) by SM Entertainment. Comparable as a major K-pop IP that integrates AI/virtual human elements, with vastly larger scale and incumbency that positions SM as a direct competitor in AI-augmented K-pop.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
PULSE9 social profiles
Digital presencePULSE9 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PULSE9 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
PULSE9 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PULSE9 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PULSE9
What does PULSE9 do?
PULSE9 develops proprietary AI-based virtual human technology (DeepReal AI) for generating photorealistic virtual characters and powers IITERNITI (아이테르니티), the world's first AI virtual K-pop girl group of 11 members. The company provides B2B AI virtual human solutions including real-time face-swap for live broadcasts (DeepReal Live), audio-to-face video synthesis (DeepRealMe), and AI character IP licensing to consumer brands, broadcasters, and e-commerce platforms across Korea, Japan, and global markets.
Is PULSE9 a public or private company?
PULSE9 is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was PULSE9 founded?
PULSE9 was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PULSE9 based?
PULSE9 is headquartered in Mapo, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does PULSE9 make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Music content (Singles, Albums, MVs) is the primary driver. The others are brand licensing and character IP deals, live commerce and digital content services, technology licensing (B2B AI virtual human) and concert and entertainment events.
Who are PULSE9's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Synthesia, Soul Machines, D-ID, HeyGen, K/DA (Riot Games), Naver Z (ZEPETO), Brud (Lil Miquela / Dapper Labs) and Synthesia Korea / DeepBrain AI. Broad incumbents are HYBE (BIGHIT MUSIC) and aespa (SM Entertainment).
Does PULSE9 have an API?
Yes. DeepRealMe is available via API form, enabling developers to integrate audio-to-face video synthesis into their applications. API is accessible after applying through the Pulse9 homepage for a limited free trial period.
What industry is PULSE9 in?
PULSE9's product category is AI Virtual Human Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEANAJ, AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs), with a secondary code of BPAEAHAF, AI/ML Engineering & Model Development Services. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7373.