What WakeOne does

WakeOne (웨이크원) is a privately-held South Korean K-pop entertainment company headquartered in Mapo-gu, Seoul. The company manages approximately nine active artists and groups, including the idol acts Kep1er, ZEROBASEONE, izna, and ALPHA DRIVE ONE, alongside solo artists KIM FEEL, KIM JAE HWAN, JO YURI, and HA HYUNSANG. Its core business is K-pop artist development, music production, talent management, and global content distribution, with stated market presence in Korea, Japan, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The company operates a reality-TV-driven artist development pipeline, partnering with Mnet on audition programs such as I-LAND 2: N/α (which produced izna) and Boys Planet (which produced ZEROBASEONE) to combine mass-audience fan voting with traditional artist training. WakeOne handles end-to-end artist careers including debut planning, album production, world tours, fan meetings, and endorsements. Music is distributed simultaneously across Korean platforms (Melon, Genie, VIBE, Bugs) and global services (Spotify, Apple Music), while physical albums and concert tickets flow through K-pop retail and live venue channels. The company also operates an online audition platform enabling global talent submissions.

Revenue is generated through music sales and streaming royalties, live concert and fan-meeting ticket revenue, and artist management service fees including brand collaborations and endorsements. The company engages directly with global K-pop fan communities through coordinated social media campaigns on Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, and Naver. Notable commercial milestones include ZEROBASEONE's "five consecutive million-seller albums" status, Kep1er's 200,000 first-week debut sales on FIRST IMPACT, and concert activity extending to Taiwan and Macau.

Name

WakeOne

Legal name

WakeOne

Website

https://wake-one.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WakeOne is a South Korean K-pop entertainment company managing nine active artists and groups including ZEROBASEONE, Kep1er, izna, and ALPHA DRIVE ONE. It develops, produces, distributes, and tours music globally via Mnet reality-show partnerships and major streaming platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-pop Entertainment and Artist Management

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Record Production and Distribution (51225), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) & Creator Management (Agencies, Talent Networks) (MPAFAEAD)

Keywords

• K-pop artist management
• Idol group development
• Music production
• Concert touring
• Online talent auditions

Headquarters

HQ city

Mapo

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Music Production and Sales: Album and digital single releases through major Korean music platforms (Melon, Genie, VIBE, Bugs) and global streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music). Revenue from album sales, digital downloads, and streaming royalties.
2. Concert and Tour Revenue: Live concert performances, world tours, fan meetings, and fan concert events generate significant revenue. Artists conduct fan meetings in Korea and internationally including Taiwan and Macau.
3. Artist Management Services: Management of idol group careers including promotions, appearances, brand collaborations, and endorsements for managed artists.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WakeOne is a South Korean K-pop entertainment agency that develops, manages, and promotes K-pop idol groups and solo artists. The company handles the full artist lifecycle from trainee intake through global music releases, concert tours, fan meetings, and brand endorsements. Its roster includes groups formed through Mnet audition programs (Kep1er from Girls Planet 999, ZEROBASEONE from Boys Planet, izna from I-LAND 2: N/α) and solo artists.

Product overview

WakeOne is a K-pop entertainment company managing a diverse roster of artists and groups. The core offering is artist management and music production, with a portfolio of sub-brands comprising K-pop groups (Kep1er, ZEROBASEONE, izna) and solo artists (Ha Hyunsang, Kim Jae Hwan, Kim Feel, Jo Yuri, ALPHA DRIVE ONE). WakeOne also operates an online audition platform for talent discovery. The company handles music releases, promotions, and artist development across the Korean and global K-pop market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALPHA DRIVE ONE: K-pop boy group under WakeOne
• ZEROBASEONE
• izna
• Kep1er
• KIM FEEL
• KIM JAE HWAN
• JO YURI
• HA HYUNSANG

Products and services

• Artist Management Services Comprehensive K-pop artist management covering music releases, promotions, appearances, brand collaborations, endorsements, and career development for managed artists and groups.
• Kep1er A 7-member K-pop girl group formed through Mnet's Girl's Planet 999, with releases including FIRST IMPACT, DOUBLAST, TROUBLESHOOTER, LOVESTRUCK!, Magic Hour, and Kep1going On.
• ZEROBASEONE A 9-member K-pop boy group formed through Mnet's Boys Planet, representing 5th generation K-pop with albums including YOUTH IN THE SHADE, MELTING POINT, You had me at HELLO, CINEMA PARADISE, and BLUE PARADISE.
• izna A 7-member K-pop girl group formed through I-LAND 2: N/α, with debut EP N/a and releases including SIGN digital single and BEEP single album.
• Ha Hyunsang Solo singer-songwriter and band musician known for dreamy vocals and modern rock style, with discography including albums Time and Trace, EPs like Elegy and Calibrate, and digital singles.
• Kim Jae Hwan Solo K-pop artist and all-rounder known for powerful vocals and performances, with releases including I Adore EP and singles Ponytail and 지금 데리러 갈게.
• Kim Feel Solo singer-songwriter known for unique voice and emotional musical style, with digital singles including HAPPY END and Dry Flower.
• Jo Yuri Solo artist known for GLASSY debut and versatile performances, with releases including EP Op.22 Y-Waltz and mini album Episode 25.
• ALPHA DRIVE ONE K-pop artist group under WakeOne with releases including the single OMG!.
• Online Audition Platform WakeOne's online audition system allowing aspiring artists worldwide to submit applications via email, including self-introduction videos and performance videos in singing, dancing, rap, or acting.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MnetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWakeOne collaborated with Mnet on I-LAND 2: N/α to form the group izna. Mnet provided the audition platform while WakeOne manages the resulting artist.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• YG Entertainment: Big-4 K-pop home of BLACKPINK, BABYMONSTER and TREASURE. Direct competitor in physical album sales, hip-hop/dance-pop artist development and global brand endorsements.
• Cube Entertainment: Mid-tier Korean agency behind (G)I-DLE, PENTAGON and others. Comparable to WakeOne in scope of group management, fan-voted audition participation and international touring.
• TOP Media: Mid-tier Korean agency behind Sunmi, Teen Top and other acts. Comparable peer for K-pop artist management, variety-show appearances and global fan engagement.
• SM Entertainment: Major Korean entertainment company behind aespa, NCT, EXO and others. Direct competitor for album sales, K-pop touring, and brand partnerships with comparable artist-development model.
• RBW Entertainment: MAMAMOO's former management company and home of ONEUS, now integrated with HYBE. Operates a similar artist-development and group-management model targeting K-pop streaming and touring.
• HYBE: Largest K-pop entertainment company managing BTS, SEVENTEEN, NewJeans and others across multiple sub-labels. Direct competitor for global streaming, touring, endorsement and new-group debuts, with substantially deeper capital.
• Woollim Entertainment: Korean entertainment company managing Golden Child, Lovelyz alumni and other idol acts. Comparable mid-tier K-pop peer competing on streaming, concert ticket sales and brand collaborations.
• Starship Entertainment: Kakao-affiliated Korean agency managing IVE and other top-tier K-pop groups. Comparable mid-to-top tier K-pop competitor for streaming rankings and physical album sales.
• JYP Entertainment: Big-4 K-pop agency managing Stray Kids, TWICE and other flagship acts. Competes directly with WakeOne for global chart positions, fan-voted audition talent and international tour routing.

Broad incumbents

• CJ ENM: Korean media conglomerate and parent of Mnet, WakeOne's core audition-platform partner. Sets the broader ecosystem (variety programming, music distribution via Mnet/Melon) within which WakeOne's reality-show pipeline operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wakeone_offcl
• Facebookfacebook.com/wakeone.offcl
• Instagraminstagram.com/wakeone.offcl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 WakeOne