Wholesum is a Seoul-based e-commerce aggregator that purchases and scales third-party brands selling on local marketplaces. The company provides capital and operational support — including manufacturing, fulfillment, delivery and marketing — to drive post-acquisition growth and allow founders to launch new brands. Co‑founders KB Ham (ex-Coupang, LG fashion distributor) and Andrew Joo (finance and private equity background) launched Wholesum in 2021 to address capital, recruiting and marketing challenges facing Korean marketplace sellers. Wholesum currently owns five local brands and plans to acquire an additional 15–20 brands this year across lifestyle, health, children and pet categories. Acquisitions have ranged from $250,000 to $6 million, and the company reports post-acquisition organic growth in the high teens with a target of 30–40% year‑over‑year. Management estimates a total addressable market of roughly 45,000 Korean brands that generate more than $1 million in annual sales and is preparing some portfolio brands to scale across Lazada, Shopee, Amazon and Mercado Libre.

Total raised

$50M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Debt Financing

Latest activity

Apr 2022