Virtual Idol Group PLAVE Appointed as Seoul’s First ‘Startup’ Ambassador

PLAVE Appointed as Seoul's First Startup Ambassador
Virtual Idol Group to Promote Seoul's Global Startup Ecosystem
Leveraging Global Fandom and Technology to Boost City’s Startup Image

Seoul Mayor Oh Sehun is taking a commemorative photo with the group PlayB before the appointment ceremony of the '2025 Startup Seoul Ambassadors and Try Everything Promotion Team' on the 12th. Photo by Seoul City

The virtual idol group PLAVE has been appointed as Seoul's first-ever 'Startup Seoul Ambassador'.

On the 12th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held the appointment ceremony for the '2025 Startup Seoul Ambassadors and Try Everything Promotion Team' in the main conference room of City Hall, officially selecting PLAVE as its inaugural ambassador.

Seoul ranked 8th among 300 cities worldwide in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025, published by the US-based global startup ecosystem evaluator Startup Genome. This is the highest ranking ever for Seoul, moving up one spot from 9th place last year.

This appointment is part of Seoul’s strategy to strengthen its status as a global startup city. PLAVE is a five-member virtual boy group consisting of Yejun, Noah, Bambi, Eunho, and Hamin. Their agency, VLAST, is a Seoul-based startup with motion capture-based 3D content production technology. Their Japanese single "Kakurenbo," released in June, achieved 2.7 million streams on its first day and became the first Japanese-language song to enter Melon's "Hall of Fame."

Starting with a concert in Seoul this month, PLAVE will embark on their Asia tour "DASH: Quantum Leap," performing in six cities including Taipei, Tokyo, and Bangkok.

During the appointment ceremony, Mayor Oh Sehun presented the appointment certificate to VLAST CEO Lee Sungku, while the PLAVE members received it in real time within their virtual world, "Asterum," displayed on a large screen. The members stated, "We will promote Seoul’s startup ecosystem to the world."

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to leverage PLAVE’s global fandom and VLAST’s technology to enhance the city’s image as a startup hub. At the global startup festival "Try Everything," to be held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) on September 11-12, there will be ambassador video screenings and a photo zone.

At the event, a 100-member promotion team was also launched, comprising 10 influencers, 60 university student supporters, and 30 international student volunteers. Mayor Oh said, "We will provide space, nurture talent, and ease regulations to encourage young people to take on the challenge of entrepreneurship."