Altos Ventures Invests in Reading Club-Based Community 'Trevari'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Altos Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm led by CEO Kim Han-jun, announced on the 16th that it has invested a total of 4 billion KRW in Trevari, a community service operating reading group-based communities, led by CEO Yoon Soo-young.

This is the second investment since Trevari was founded in 2015, and Altos Ventures participated solely in this round. It has been 1 year and 8 months since the first investment was secured in February last year from SoftBank Ventures and Fast Investment.

Trevari is the first community platform in Korea to develop a business model based on reading groups. Centered on "reading, writing, conversing, and getting closer," it offers ▲monthly regular reading meetings ▲member-exclusive spaces called 'Ajit' ▲community events such as performances, lectures, parties, and cultural experiences ▲various benefits each season.

Currently, Trevari hosts about 400 reading groups on approximately 200 topics, with around 6,000 members participating, ranging from their 20s to 60s. Each group is led by experts related to the topic who serve as club leaders and guide discussions. In the early days of the service, former Naver CEO Kim Sang-heon and former Prosecutor General Lee Young-joo served as club leaders, drawing public attention.

Trevari's reading groups run for four months per session, during which participating members regularly select a book each month, submit book reports, and engage in discussions to share opinions. The service is paid, and members who do not submit book reports are not allowed to attend meetings, making it a relatively professional knowledge-sharing group.

Trevari has grown into a community with a cumulative customer base of 50,000. About 100 experts from various fields, including entrepreneurs, university professors, journalists, architects, designers, and musicians, participate as club leaders. Park Hee-eun, partner at Altos Ventures, said, "Good founders and teams are creating services that the times need with a sense of mission," adding, "I hope the company overcomes the difficulties of creating something unprecedented and grows into a company with both profitability and value."

Based on this investment, Trevari plans to actively recruit talent in planning and technology fields. Yoon Soo-young, CEO of Trevari, stated, "There is growing consensus on the need for a new way for individuals to be updated and connected," adding, "We will run even more vigorously to fulfill the company's mission of 'making the world more intellectual and people closer.'"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.