Be My Friends Named "Startup of the Year" at Global Startup Awards

"K-fandom Business Gains Attention in Europe"

Be My Friends was selected as the "Startup of the Year" at the EU-Startups Summit 2026 held in Malta. Provided by Be My Friends

Be My Friends announced on May 8 that it won the "Startup of the Year" award at the 11th Global Grand Final of the Global Startup Awards (GSA).

The Global Startup Awards is the world's largest independent startup ecosystem evaluation platform, with participation from 154 countries. It conducts comprehensive assessments based on industry innovation, economic and social impact, global expansion strategies, the expertise of founding teams, and sustainable revenue structures.

Under the mission "Everyone is a fan of something," Be My Friends operates "b.stage," a solution that enables intellectual property (IP) holders to build their own fandom platforms. More than 350 client companies and over 1,100 artists—including those in K-pop, esports, sports, and global content IP—use b.stage to connect with fandoms in over 230 countries worldwide.

The judging panel noted that Be My Friends has established new industry standards by extending its fandom management practices, honed in the K-pop market, across the global IP industry. Key factors for the award included its business model, which grants platform ownership to operators, and revenue that has more than doubled compared to the previous year.

Seowoo Seok, CEO of Be My Friends, said, "It is a meaningful recognition to confirm on the European stage that a business based on superfans is establishing itself as a global business model for all industry IPs." He added, "We will further develop the fandom business operation model created in Korea into an infrastructure that IP operators worldwide can leverage."

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