LINE FRIENDS

What LINE FRIENDS does

LINE FRIENDS operates as IPX Corporation's global creative studio and platform brand, originating as character stickers (Brown, Cony) on the LINE Messenger service in 2011 and reorganizing in 2021 under the IPX Corporation legal entity (IPX Corporation (IPX 주식회사), Korean Business Registration No. 726-87-00030). The company's core technology is a multi-IP character development and licensing platform that combines original IPs (LINE FRIENDS, minini, COLLER, JOGUMAN) with K-Pop artist co-created IPs (BT21 with BTS, MIGHTEEZ with ATEEZ, Dreamiez with NCT DREAM, TRUZ with TREASURE, MMMM with PLAVE, wishnini with NCT WISH) and named collaborations (ZO&FRIENDS with G-DRAGON, NewJeans bunini, Genshin minini with HoYoverse).

LINE FRIENDS sells character merchandise through owned flagship retail under the LINE FRIENDS SQUARE banner — locations in Seoul Myeongdong, Seoul Hongdae, New York Times Square, Los Angeles Hollywood, Universal CityWalk, Tokyo Shibuya and Shanghai Metro-City — supplemented by linefriendssquare.com e-commerce and marketplace integrations on Naver Store, KakaoTalk Gift, and 29CM. A second major channel is short-duration pop-up store events tied to K-Pop IP launches (e.g., MIGHTEEZ Wonder Room, ZO&FRIENDS LUCKY SHOP, SWEET Dreamiez POP-UP) that drive sold-out pre-orders and tens of thousands of physical visits. The third revenue stream is IP licensing royalties from partners such as iOttie (BT21 tech accessories) and Castify (ZO&FRIENDS), plus fashion collaborations such as COLLER.

The company serves two end markets: B2C fans of K-Pop idols and character IP enthusiasts who purchase collectibles, exclusive merchandise, and event-based experiences, and B2B brand licensees seeking access to a 70M+ global social media fandom and an 18-country presence. Cumulative gross merchandise volume across all IPs and markets is reported at 5.9 trillion KRW. The company is privately held with a headcount of 11-50 employees and is led by CEO Seong Hoon Kim.

Name

LINE FRIENDS

Legal name

IPX Corporation (IPX 주식회사)

Website

https://linefriends.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LINE FRIENDS is the global character IP platform of Korean firm IPX Corporation, selling merchandise through flagship retail stores and pop-ups worldwide while licensing characters like BT21, MIGHTEEZ, and ZO&FRIENDS — built with K-Pop artists — to consumer brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Character Merchandise and IP Licensing

NAICS

Convenience Retailers and Vending Machine Operators (44513)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator/Influencer Storefront Platforms (CRAFANAC)

Keywords

• Character merchandise
• Character IP licensing
• K-Pop IP collaboration
• Experiential retail
• Pop-up store events

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Retail Store Operations: The company operates flagship LINE FRIENDS SQUARE retail stores in high-traffic locations globally (Seoul Myeongdong, Seoul Hongdae, New York Times Square, Hollywood Blvd, Universal CityWalk, Tokyo Shibuya, Shanghai Metro-City). Stores offer original IPs, popular character merchandise, and K-Pop artist collaborations.
2. Online E-commerce Sales: LINE FRIENDS SQUARE online store (linefriendssquare.com) serves as the primary digital commerce channel, complemented by Naver Store and KakaoTalk Gift marketplace partnerships.
3. IP Licensing and Character Merchandise: Licensing character IPs to third-party brands for merchandise production. Partnerships include iOttie (BT21 tech accessories), Castify (ZO&FRIENDS), and various fashion collaborations like COLLER. Royalties generated from licensed products globally.
4. Pop-up Store Events: Limited-time experiential retail events in collaboration with K-Pop artists. MIGHTEEZ Wonder Room POP-UP, ZO&FRIENDS LUCKY SHOP, and similar events drive immediate merchandise sales and brand awareness. Korea pop-up sold out pre-reservations in five minutes.
5. Digital Content and Media: The company provides new character experiences through digital content alongside physical retail. K-Pop IP strategy includes content that deepens fandom engagement with character IPs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

LINE FRIENDS (operated by IPX Corporation) develops and licenses a multi-IP portfolio of character brands — including original characters (Brown, Cony, minini, COLLER, JOGUMAN), K-Pop artist IPs (BT21 with BTS, MIGHTEEZ with ATEEZ, Dreamiez with NCT DREAM, TRUZ with TREASURE, wishnini with NCT WISH, MMMM with PLAVE), and collaboration IPs (ZO&FRIENDS with G-DRAGON, NewJeans bunini, Genshin minini with HoYoverse) — and monetizes them through owned LINE FRIENDS SQUARE retail stores, pop-up experiences, owned e-commerce, third-party marketplaces, and B2B character IP licensing to consumer brands.

Product overview

LINE FRIENDS (operated by IPX Corporation) is a global creative studio and platform brand that originated as LINE Messenger stickers in 2011 and has evolved into a multi-IP platform. The company offers a portfolio of character IPs across three categories: Original IPs (LINE FRIENDS, minini, COLLER, JOGUMAN), K-Pop IPs (BT21 with BTS, MIGHTEEZ with ATEEZ, Dreamiez with NCT DREAM, TRUZ with TREASURE, MMMM with PLAVE, wishnini with NCT WISH), and Collaboration IPs (ZO&FRIENDS with G-DRAGON, NewJeans bunini, Genshin minini with HoYoverse). Revenue is generated through physical retail at LINE FRIENDS SQUARE stores worldwide, pop-up store experiences, online merchandise sales, and licensing partnerships with consumer product brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LINE FRIENDS: Original IP brand featuring characters like Brown and Cony that originated as LINE Messenger stickers
• BT21
• minini
• ZO&FRIENDS
• COLLER
• JOGUMAN
• TRUZ
• NewJeans bunini
• MIGHTEEZ
• Dreamiez
• Genshin minini
• wishnini

Products and services

• LINE FRIENDS Character IP Original character IP including Brown, Cony, Sally, Edward, and other characters that originated as LINE Messenger stickers and have evolved into a global platform brand.
• BT21 K-Pop character IP co-created with BTS, featuring characters RJ, Mang, Chimmy, Tata, Cooky, Koya, and Shooky with artist DNA infused into the IP for deep fandom connections.
• minini Original character IP featuring small characters with big attitudes, known for honest and fearless charm, designed for daily-life lifestyle merchandise.
• MIGHTEEZ K-Pop character IP co-created with ATEEZ featuring superpower fairy characters with a 'Growth Narrative' storyline, expanded through story-driven pop-up retail experiences.
• ZO&FRIENDS Character IP co-created with G-DRAGON featuring characters ZOA, A&NE, AKI, and ZAKI — imperfect yet perfect friends designed for A-to-Z appeal.
• Dreamiez K-Pop character IP co-created with NCT DREAM, connecting with global fandoms through exclusive merchandise and pop-up experiences.
• TRUZ Character IP co-created with YG Entertainment's TREASURE featuring personality-driven characters loved by the global MZ generation through products and content.
• COLLER Character-driven toolkit IP featuring various motifs with the motto of self-expression, used for fashion collaborations and merchandise.
• JOGUMAN Original character IP featuring Brachio and friends — ten dinosaurs who live ordinary yet special lives caring deeply for each other.
• NewJeans bunini Collaboration IP reinterpreting NewJeans' rabbit symbol TOKKI as a minini character (bunini).
• Genshin minini Collaboration IP with HoYoverse's Genshin Impact — characters shrunk to very small size that landed in the city and struggle to adapt to urban life.
• wishnini K-Pop character IP co-created with NCT WISH featuring the trendy 'Wishcore' aesthetic, launched with a pop-up experience.
• MMMM (뿜메미무) Virtual K-Pop character IP co-created with PLAVE, featuring virtual characters and expanding IP business online and offline.
• LINE FRIENDS SQUARE Retail Owned physical retail experience featuring original IPs, popular character merchandise, and K-Pop artist collaborations across flagship stores in Seoul (Myeongdong, Hongdae), New York (Times Square), Los Angeles (Hollywood), Tokyo (Shibuya), Shanghai (Metro-City), and Universal CityWalk.
• Pop-up Store Experiences Time-limited experiential retail events tied to K-Pop character IP launches, offering exclusive merchandise, interactive activities, and commemorative items. Examples include MIGHTEEZ Wonder Room POP-UP, ZO&FRIENDS LUCKY SHOP, and SWEET Dreamiez POP-UP.
• LINE FRIENDS SQUARE Online Store Owned e-commerce storefront at linefriendssquare.com serving global customers with the full character merchandise catalog and exclusive online items.
• Character IP Licensing Program B2B licensing of LINE FRIENDS character IPs (Brown, BT21, ZO&FRIENDS, etc.) to third-party brands for production of co-branded merchandise such as the iOttie BT21 tech collection (magnetic travel mounts, power banks, wall chargers, USB-C cables) and Castify ZO&FRIENDS products, generating royalty revenue globally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.9 Trillion KRW cumulative gross merchandise volume
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• NCT WISHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026IPX unveiled 'wishnini' character IP in collaboration with NCT WISH, marking the opening of a pop-up featuring the 'Wishcore' trend. The collaboration creates character merchandise tied to the K-Pop group's fandom.
• HoYoverseflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026IPX and HoYoverse launched Liyue-themed 'Genshin minini' pop-up, tapping into Hongdae fandom for global expansion. This collaboration integrates Genshin Impact's Liyue region aesthetic with minini characters, leveraging HoYoverse's massive gaming community.
• LAFC (Los Angeles Football Club)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026IPX signed partnership with LAFC, entering the US Major League Soccer stage with BROWN character IP. BROWN appears as an official LAFC character, marking LINE FRIENDS' entry into sports entertainment in the US.
• iOttiecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 15 December 2025iOttie launched BT21-themed tech collection featuring travel and charging accessories (magnetic travel mount, power bank, wall charger, USB-C cable) on December 15, 2025. The collection represents a licensing milestone for LINE FRIENDS, targeting consumers seeking stylish and functional tech accessories with character designs.
• CastifycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025Strategic partnership between IPX and Castify to expand daily IP experiences through ZO&FRIENDS character brand created with G-DRAGON. Castify likely produces ZO&FRIENDS-branded lifestyle or tech accessories.
• ATEEZcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2025LINE FRIENDS (IPX) collaborated with K-Pop group ATEEZ to create MIGHTEEZ character IP, a superhero fairy character that integrates ATEEZ's artistic DNA. The collaboration includes pop-up events (MIGHTEEZ Wonder Room POP-UP) in Korea, USA (Times Square and Hollywood), exclusive merchandise (Fidget Keyrings, handwritten postcards from ATEEZ members), and fashion collaboration with COLLER. The Korea pop-up sold out pre-reservations in five minutes.
• LINE Plus Corporation (LY Corporation)coreTechnology or Integration · 17 March 2022System maintenance and operation outsourcing partnership. LY Corporation (formerly LINE Plus) handles infrastructure operations for LINE FRIENDS services. The partnership involves overseas personal information processing delegation per privacy policy.
• G-DRAGON (Kwon Ji-yong)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLINE FRIENDS (IPX) collaborated with G-DRAGON to create ZO&FRIENDS character brand (ZOA, A&NE, AKI, ZAKI). The characters are designed as imperfect but lovable friends representing G-DRAGON's creative vision. ZO&FRIENDS has become a significant IP with multiple pop-up events and partnerships including Castify.
• BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLINE FRIENDS collaborated with BTS to create BT21 character IP. The eight characters (RJ, Chimmy, Tata, Cooky, Mang, Koya, Shooky, Van) were designed with input from BTS members. BT21 has become one of LINE FRIENDS' most successful K-Pop IPs with global merchandise and brand presence.
• TREASUREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYG Entertainment boy group TREASURE collaborated with IPX to create TRUZ character brand. TRUZ has earned love from global MZ generation through products and content featuring its distinctive personality-driven characters.
• NCT DREAMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPX created 'Dreamiez' official collaboration character IP with NCT DREAM. The second pop-up 'SWEET Dreamiez POP-UP' generated strong global fandom engagement with approximately 15,000 visitors over three days for the ZO&FRIENDS 2nd pop-up (demonstrating similar demand potential).
• PLAVEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPX collaborated with virtual K-Pop group PLAVE to create MMMM (므메미무) character IP. The first solo pop-up 'MMMM Baby Room' expanded virtual IP business both online and offline.
• COLLERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFashion collaboration with COLLER as part of MIGHTEEZ Wonder Room POP-UP event, integrating fashion merchandise with the character IP experience.
• NewJeanscoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerminini world collaboration with NewJeans where the group's rabbit mascot TOKKI was reborn as a minini character (bunini).
• IVEminorStrategic or Co-development Partnerminive minini collaboration featuring IVE's adorable moments with minini characters.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mattel: Global toy manufacturer and IP owner (Barbie, Hot Wheels). Overlaps in toy manufacturing, character licensing, and global retail distribution though with broader traditional toy focus.
• Miniso: Global lifestyle retail chain with character-licensed SKUs (Sanrio, Disney, We Bare Bears). Comparable in tourist-magnet retail footprint and IP licensing-driven assortment, but a multi-brand retailer rather than IP owner.
• Bandai Namco: Large Japanese entertainment conglomerate with character merchandise, toys, and IP licensing operations across anime and gaming. Broader portfolio but overlapping retail and licensing model.

Direct peers

• Kakao Friends: Korean competitor operating Ryan and other character IPs tied to KakaoTalk messenger — almost identical origin story to LINE FRIENDS (messaging-sticker IP spun into retail/licensing).
• San-X: Japanese character IP company behind Rilakkuma, Sumikko Gurashi, and others. Direct peer in character IP development, licensed merchandise, and Asia-focused retail.
• Sanrio: Owner of Hello Kitty and 450+ character IPs, with global retail and licensing operations. Most direct comparable: character IP portfolio, owned retail, and licensing royalties business model.
• Pop Mart: Chinese collectible toy retailer/brand operator with global flagship stores. Comparable in experiential retail, collectible character merchandise, and artist collaboration model (e.g., Labubu).
• Funko: US-listed pop culture collectibles company operating pop-culture character merchandise and licensing. Comparable in licensed character merchandise, retail store operations, and licensing-driven revenue mix.

Others

• Crayon Shin-chan / Suneo IP holders (e.g., TV Asahi, Shinei Animation): Japanese anime IP holders with character merchandise and licensing programs. Comparable in long-running character IP monetization but primarily via animation rather than direct artist collaboration.

Emerging players

• The Smiley Company: Iconic smiley-face brand operator with global licensing across fashion, accessories, and home. Comparable licensing-royalty model with strong cultural recognition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/linefriendsinfo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9HtPH9bBaUHueFdb5ygP5Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/linefriends
• Instagraminstagram.com/linefriends

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 LINE FRIENDS