Villagebaby

Villagebaby Inc. is a South Korean startup established in October 2018 by CEO Jeong-yoon Lee, targeting the pregnancy and childcare market with its content-driven platform. Lee, a former consultant specializing in M&A due diligence, identified a gap in the market after observing that even industry-savvy professionals struggled to find reliable information amidst a sea of advertisements when preparing for parenthood. This personal insight into the outdated nature of the parenting market, coupled with a desire to build a beloved service, led to the creation of Villagebaby. The company's name is derived from the proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child."

The company's core offering is the 'Babybilly' mobile application, a platform providing information and curated commerce for millennial parents. Launched in July 2020, Babybilly offers customized content tailored to the specific week of pregnancy or stage of child development (up to age 2), including fetal development illustrations, essential health information for the mother, and action guides for the father. To ensure the credibility of its content, which has garnered over 20 million views, the company collaborates with professional organizations like MotherSafe, the Korean Motherisk Program. The platform's business model integrates content with commerce, using data to analyze product trends and recommend items. Its in-app store sells a range of products from baby supplies to home electronics, addressing the broader needs of households with young children. Another service, 'Monthly Bumps,' is a subscription box that delivers stage-specific products and information.

Villagebaby has demonstrated significant traction, securing an ₩800 million investment in 2021 from backers including Big Basin Capital, Seoul Business Agency (SBA), and Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance. This was followed by a ₩7 billion Series A round in late 2022, led by Z Venture Capital and with participation from Samsung Venture Investment, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, and existing investors. Despite concerns about South Korea's low birth rate, the company has successfully expanded its services internationally, launching in Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan, and building local teams to provide culturally relevant information. By early 2023, the app had reached 400,000 users.

Keywords: Babybilly, childcare platform, pregnancy app, parenting information, curated commerce, infant care, millennial parents, Jeong-yoon Lee, Korean startup, subscription box, parent-tech, baby products, fetal development tracker, child development content, e-commerce, venture capital, Series A, MotherSafe, international expansion