What Starship Entertainment does

Starship Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment agency headquartered in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, that manages a multi-artist roster of K-pop idol groups, subunits, soloists, and actors/actresses. Its active artist portfolio includes globally charting girl group IVE, US-Billboard-charting boy group Monsta X, boy group Cravity, girl group WJSN, newer girl group KiiiKiii (debuted March 2025), and newly debuted boy group IDID (2025), plus Monsta X subunit Shownu X Hyungwon and soloists JOOHONEY and Dayoung. The company also manages an acting roster that includes Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Kyung-nam, and other performers active across drama, film, and variety television.

The agency's core business is the production, release, and global distribution of K-pop content and live entertainment. Products comprise digital and physical music releases (distributed via Melon, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Korean/international physical retailers), multi-continent world tours (IVE's 'Show What I Am' and Monsta X's 'The X: Nexus'), music video content on dedicated YouTube channels, artist merchandise, and management fees from acting engagements. Starship operates a subsidiary label, King Kong by Starship, and maintains dedicated social media and content channels for each artist across YouTube, Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, Naver TV, Weibo, and Bilibili. The company is privately held with co-representatives Kim Si-dae and Lee Jin-seong, and currently has 51-100 employees.

Name

Starship Entertainment

Legal name

(주)스타쉽엔터테인먼트

Website

https://starship-ent.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Starship Entertainment is a privately held South Korean entertainment agency managing a multi-artist K-pop roster — including IVE, Monsta X, Cravity, WJSN, KiiiKiii, and IDID — plus an acting portfolio, generating revenue from music releases, world tours, merchandise, licensing, and actor management for global fans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-pop Entertainment & Artist Management

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Tour & Artist Management Services (HSACAHAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Talent Booking Agencies (Live Performance) (MPAIAGAB), Artist Booking, Talent Buying & Agency Services (MPAGAAAF)

Keywords

• K-pop artist management
• Music label services
• Idol group management
• Concert tour production
• Actor talent management

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Music sales (digital & physical): Revenue from digital streaming across platforms (Melon, Spotify, Apple Music) and physical album sales of K-pop groups including IVE, Monsta X, Cravity, WJSN, KiiiKiii, and IDID.
2. Live concerts and world tours: Revenue from ticket sales from world tours (e.g., IVE's 'Show What I Am' world tour, Monsta X's 'The X: Nexus' world tour) and dome concerts (Tokyo Dome, Kyocera Dome Osaka).
3. Merchandise and fan goods: Sale of artist merchandise, fan club memberships, and related goods tied to artist releases and tours.
4. Licensing and royalties: Revenue from music licensing, IP usage, synchronization rights, and royalty streams from artist catalogs.
5. Actor/actress management: Revenue from managing actors and actresses (Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Kyung-nam, Shin Seung-ho, Kim Bum, etc.) through drama, film, and entertainment appearances.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Starship Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment agency that manages, trains, and promotes K-pop idol groups, solo artists, and actors/actresses. The company produces and distributes music content (albums, EPs, digital singles), organizes world tours and dome concerts, sells artist merchandise, and licenses its music catalog. It also manages actors such as Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Kyung-nam, Shin Seung-ho, and Kim Bum for drama, film, and variety appearances.

Product overview

Starship Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment agency managing a diverse portfolio of K-pop artists and solo performers. The company operates as a multi-artist platform with groups including IVE (K-pop girl group), Monsta X (K-pop boy group), CRAVITY (K-pop boy group), WJSN (K-pop girl group), KiiiKiii (newer girl group), and IDID (debuting group). Additionally, the company manages subunits (Shownu X Hyungwon), solo artists (JOOHONEY, Dayoung), and actors (Lee Kwangsoo, Kim Kyungnam). Products include music releases across albums, EPs, singles, music videos, concert tours, and entertainment content spanning television, film, and streaming platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IVE (아이브) A six-member South Korean K-pop girl group under Starship Entertainment, known for hits like 'ELEVEN', 'LOVE DIVE', 'After LIKE', and 'I AM'. Currently on their second world tour 'Show What I Am'.
• Monsta X (몬스타엑스) A six-member K-pop boy group that has achieved international success with three US albums, including 'All About Luv' (No. 5), 'The Dreaming' (No. 21), and 'Unfold' (No. 41 on Billboard 200). Currently on 'The X: Nexus' world tour.
• CRAVITY (크래비티) A nine-member K-pop boy group that has released multiple EPs and albums, currently on their 8th EP 'ReDeFINE'. Known for their strong performances and team synergy.
• WJSN (우주소녀) A K-pop girl group that celebrated their 10th anniversary in 2026. Has achieved numerous music show wins since debut and features solo activities by members including Dayoung, Exy, and Seola.
• KiiiKiii (키키) A younger girl group under Starship Entertainment that debuted in March 2025. Gained significant attention with their single '404 (New Era)' reaching No. 2 on Melon's Top 100 chart and topping YouTube Music's weekly chart.
• IDID (아이딧) A K-pop group under Starship Entertainment that debuted in 2025. Has released EPs and singles including 'I did it.', 'PUSH BACK', and 'FLY!'.
• Shownu X Hyungwon (셔누X형원) A subunit of Monsta X members Shownu and Hyungwon. Released their second EP 'LOVE ME' in 2026, featuring tracks like 'Do You Love Me' and solo tracks 'Around & Go' and 'NO AIR'.
• World Tours (IVE 'Show What I Am' / Monsta X 'The X: Nexus') IVE's 'Show What I Am' world tour supporting 'REVIVE+' album, and Monsta X's 'The X: Nexus' world tour supporting 'Unfold' album, spanning multiple continents including North America, Asia, and Oceania.
• Actor/Actress Management Starship Entertainment manages actors and actresses including Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Kyung-nam, Shin Seung-ho, and Kim Bum, representing them for drama, film, and variety entertainment appearances.

Quantifiable outcome

• IVE's 'Lucid Dream' recorded the highest weekly points for a female international artist in Japan in 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered notable, minor and core.

• Omega Sapien (Balming Tiger)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2026Omega Sapien from Balming Tiger featured as a guest rapper on KiiiKiii's breakthrough single '404 (New Era),' which reached No. 2 on Melon and No. 1 on YouTube Music. The collaboration contributed to the track's distinctive UK house and garage sound.
• TABLO (Epik High)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2026TABLO from Epik High produced the track 'To Me From Me' on KiiiKiii's second EP 'Delulu Pack.' This was KiiiKiii's first attempt at retro Korean ballad style.
• Muhammad Ali EnterprisesnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2026JOOHONEY's solo album track 'STING' features a licensed sample from Muhammad Ali, under license from Muhammad Ali Enterprises, LLC. The track draws inspiration from Ali's quote 'float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.'
• King Kong by Starship (subsidiary/label)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKing Kong by Starship is a subsidiary label under Starship Entertainment, managing additional talent and cross-group content. It operates its own social media presence (Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Naver TV) separate from the main Starship roster.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/starshipent
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/starshipTV
• Instagraminstagram.com/officialstarship
• Facebookfacebook.com/officialstarship

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Starship Entertainment