Ascent Korea

Ascent Korea, established in 2013 by CEO Seyong Park, operates as a data-driven consumer insights company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, with an office in Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Park, who began his career at an advertising agency and has experience in portals, gaming companies, and startups, identified the growing importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in Korea and founded the company to meet this emerging need. His background in advertising and brand management underpins the company's focus on understanding consumer intent through search data.

The company's core business revolves around providing 'intent marketing' services, which analyze vast amounts of search data to uncover consumer needs, concerns, and desires. This approach allows client businesses to move beyond traditional advertising and connect with potential customers by understanding their genuine interests. Ascent Korea's business model is twofold, offering both consultancy services and a proprietary Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution called ListeningMind. This AI-powered platform analyzes extensive search data to identify consumer behavior patterns, enabling companies to refine their marketing strategies. Revenue is generated through subscriptions to ListeningMind and fees for their specialized consulting services, which include content marketing, SEO, and market research.

Ascent Korea serves a diverse client base, including major enterprises like Samsung Electronics, Hyundai (Genesis), KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Card, and Chanel Korea. The firm has successfully completed numerous projects, such as analyzing the North American luxury car market for Genesis by evaluating 600,000 search queries and conducting consumer intent research for KB Kookmin Bank's personal banking services. The company has secured significant funding to fuel its growth, including a Series A round and a Pre-Series B round, with total investments reaching ₩10.5 billion ($7.5M) from investors like NH Investment & Securities, Shinhan Venture Investment, and DAOL Investment. This capital is being used to expand its presence in Japan and to prepare for entry into the U.S. market, with plans to launch services there by 2025.

Keywords: intent marketing, consumer insights, search data analysis, SEO consulting, ListeningMind, SaaS, content marketing, data-driven marketing, market research, consumer behavior, competitor analysis, digital marketing strategy, customer journey mapping, keyword research, audience analysis, brand strategy, marketing analytics, B2B marketing, lead generation, South Korea, Japan market entry