What Pondmakers does

Pondmakers Inc. (폰드메이커스) is a privately held South Korean culture-technology company founded in 2021 that operates an integrated fandom platform ecosystem connecting music artists, record labels, and fans. The company is headquartered in Daegu with an R&D center in Seoul (O2 Tower) and an MD (merchandise) operations center in Gyeonggi-do, and is led by representative director Park Irae (박이래).

The company's product stack comprises four branded lines: GoodDuck (굿덕), the flagship artist-fan-label communication platform launched in October 2021; GoodDuck Shop (굿덕샵), a fan merchandise (MD) marketplace; Forest Section Live / Seopssegyun Live (숲세권 라이브), an online and offline live-streaming and concert/content service launched in June 2021; and Good Partners (굿 파트너스), a B2B partnership program targeting brands, labels, and advertisers. The platform is built on a stated blockchain- and AI-based technology infrastructure, and the company self-positions as a 'culture-tech' enterprise rather than a generic social or e-commerce app. Eleven independent/small-label music artists have been publicly featured as partners, and Seopssegyun Live has accumulated over 20 million cumulative content views.

Pondmakers generates (or intends to generate) revenue through four mechanics mapped to the four product lines: recurring subscription and content-access fees on GoodDuck, marketplace commissions on GoodDuck Shop, content sales and live-event monetization on Seopssegyun Live, and partnership/licensing fees through Good Partners. Go-to-market is community-led (organic fandom word-of-mouth) supplemented by a B2B partnership channel for labels and brands. All operations are domestic to South Korea. No pricing tiers, headcount, funding, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed, and the company's own counters display '0+' across label partnerships, listing artists, MD projects, content production, and concert/event planning, indicating an early commercial stage.

Name

Pondmakers

Legal name

PondMakers Inc.

Website

https://pondmakers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Pondmakers Inc. is a privately held South Korean culture-tech company, founded in 2021, that operates an integrated fandom platform ecosystem (GoodDuck, GoodDuck Shop, Forest Section Live, Good Partners) connecting independent music artists, record labels, and fans via blockchain- and AI-based technology, monetizing through subscriptions, marketplace commissions, live content, and B2B partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Media Platform

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Monetization & Fan Funding (Subscriptions, Tips, Memberships, Patronage) (MPAFAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Creator Merchandise & Print-on-Demand Platforms (MPACAFAE), Paid Live Events & Virtual Tickets (Webinars/Streams) (MPACAFAC)

Keywords

• Fandom platform
• Artist engagement
• Music streaming
• Fan merchandise
• Culture technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Mapo

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. GoodDuck Platform: Official platform for artists, labels, and fans to communicate; generates revenue through subscription, content access, and fan engagement features.
2. GoodDuck Shop (Merchandise): E-commerce platform where fans create and purchase fandom goods (MD); platform likely takes a transaction fee or commission on sales.
3. Seopssegyun Live (Live Streaming/Events): Live streaming and event production for musicians; generates revenue through content sales, live event ticketing, and viewer engagement.
4. Good Partners (B2B Brand/Label Programs): Partnership program enabling brands, labels, and artists to collaborate on fandom initiatives; generates revenue through partnership fees and content deals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Pondmakers operates an integrated fandom culture platform ecosystem that connects artists, fans, and record labels. Its core offerings include GoodDuck, a mobile platform for direct artist-fan communication; GoodDuck Shop, a marketplace for fan-created merchandise; Seopssegyun Live (Forest Section Live), a live streaming and content production service; and Good Partners, a B2B program enabling labels and brands to collaborate on fandom initiatives. The platform is built on blockchain and AI-based technology infrastructure.

Product overview

Pondmakers operates a multi-product fandom platform ecosystem comprising 굿덕 (GoodDuck) as the core fan engagement platform, supplemented by 굿덕샵 for merchandise commerce, 숲세권 라이브 for live content streaming, and 굿 파트너스 for brand/label partnerships. The company positions itself as a 'Culture Technology' enterprise leveraging blockchain and AI-based technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Goodduck (굿덕): Official platform where stars, fans, and labels communicate together. It is the starting point of connection for true fandom culture.
• Goodduck Shop (굿덕샵)
• Forest Section Live (숲세권 라이브)
• Good Partners (굿 파트너스)

Products and services

• GoodDuck (굿덕) Official mobile platform connecting artists, fans, and labels for direct communication and fandom culture. Available as a downloadable mobile app for individual fans and artists.
• GoodDuck Shop (굿덕샵) Fan merchandise marketplace platform where anyone can create and purchase fandom goods (MD). Operates as an e-commerce storefront within the GoodDuck ecosystem.
• Seopssegyun Live / Forest Section Live (숲세권 라이브) Live streaming and content production service for musicians, offering online/offline fandom content including artist content production, concert planning, and live streaming events. Has accumulated over 20M content views.
• Good Partners (굿 파트너스) B2B partnership program that creates new possibilities in fandom culture through synergy with brands, labels, and artists. Enables label partnerships, brand sponsorships, and artist collaboration campaigns.

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GoodDuck (Brand)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021GoodDuck is Pondmakers' flagship brand platform for artist-fan communication. Launched in October 2021, it serves as the company's primary product ecosystem, connecting artists, labels, and fans in a fandom culture platform.
• Seopssegyun Live (Brand)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2021Seopssegyun Live is Pondmakers' live streaming and content brand launched in June 2021. It provides online/offline fandom content including artist content production, concert planning, and live streaming events.
• Rolling QuartzminorOthersRolling Quartz is featured on Pondmakers' news platform with an artist newsletter page. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.
• can't be blueminorOthersFeatured on Pondmakers' news platform. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.
• KardiminorOthersFeatured on Pondmakers' news platform. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.
• UINONEminorOthersFeatured on Pondmakers' news platform. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.
• Band GIFTminorOthersFeatured on Pondmakers' news platform. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.
• Far East Asian TigersminorOthersFeatured on Pondmakers' news platform. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.
• UNXLminorOthersFeatured on Pondmakers' news platform. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.
• NINA PARKminorOthersSolo artist featured on Pondmakers' news platform. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.
• Yang JeonghoonminorOthersSolo artist featured on Pondmakers' news platform. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.
• YEWONminorOthersSolo artist featured on Pondmakers' news platform. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.
• TejongminorOthersSolo artist featured on Pondmakers' news platform. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.
• JunielminorOthersSolo artist featured on Pondmakers' news platform. Listed as a news item on the Pondmakers website dated 2026.02.27.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bubble: Paid 1:1 messaging platform for K-pop and entertainment artists with fans. Closely comparable to Pondmakers' GoodDuck in offering tiered paid fan messaging and is backed by major label partnerships.
• Patreon: Subscription-based creator monetization and fan membership platform. Comparable in core monetization mechanics (recurring fan subscriptions, tiered membership) to Pondmakers' GoodDuck platform.
• Ko-fi: Creator membership, tips, and storefront platform. Comparable in combining fan funding with merchandise commerce, similar to Pondmakers' GoodDuck + GoodDuck Shop combination.
• Weverse: HYBE-operated official artist-fan communication and content platform (also integrated with V Live). Directly competes with Pondmakers' GoodDuck in K-pop artist-fan engagement and is the dominant incumbent in this space.
• UNIVERSE (Kakao Entertainment): Kakao Entertainment's artist-fan platform combining messaging, content, and commerce. Directly comparable to Pondmakers' GoodDuck + Shop + Live stack and a major Korean incumbent.
• Weverse Live (formerly V LIVE): Live streaming platform for K-pop and entertainment content, now integrated with Weverse. Directly comparable to Pondmakers' Seopssegyun Live live streaming service.
• Cameo: Personalized video and messaging marketplace connecting fans with talent and creators. Compares in offering direct, paid fan-to-artist engagement at scale.

Regional players

• Mubeat: Korean K-pop fan engagement and artist-voting app. Comparable as a Korean-market fandom engagement platform competing for the same artist-fan interaction minutes.
• Idol Champ: Korean K-pop fan voting and community platform. Comparable as a Korea-focused fandom engagement product that competes for the same indie/mid-tier K-pop artist user base.

Emerging players

• Stage32: Global creative network for entertainment professionals, with community, education, and content distribution. Comparable as a creator-focused platform with community-led GTM targeting musicians and entertainment professionals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Pondmakers