[비즈한국] Wadiz, the number one crowdfunding platform in Korea by market share, launched an artificial intelligence (AI) consulting agent this July that supports the entire process of setting up and managing funding. "WAi," accessible via the "Maker Center (seller channel)," has been trained on Wadiz's vast policies, guidelines, and success stories to resolve sellers' questions in real-time.
When asked by a user preparing their first crowdfunding project for "foldable kitchen storage tools" to "provide a practical checklist of things to look out for," WAi replied: "Plan your overall schedule by combining the 'Open Schedule' period (minimum 7 days, maximum 15 days) and the 'Main Funding' period (minimum 7 days or more), and consider using the split-shipping function if running multiple fundings simultaneously," and added tips such as, "Include simple and intuitive keywords like 'kitchen,' 'storage,' 'foldable,' and 'space-saving' in your project title and tags."
WAi is an agent developed in-house by Wadiz based on the ChatGPT API, optimized for the funding environment by integrating the company's proprietary data and policies. When asked about product pricing strategies, WAi explained the basic calculation principles considering costs, margins, and expenses, then added: "Including shipping costs in the product price is effective for increasing purchase conversion rates. If the product is a consumable, clearly stating the usage period, such as '3-month pack' or '10-day package,' can help earn buyer trust."
For Beginners Stalled at Their First Funding, Dedicated AI Handles Pricing, Marketing, and Review
Amid rapidly changing technical trends and intense platform competition, domestic vertical apps—specializing in areas like reservations and funding—are fully adopting AI. Moving beyond simple supplementary features, they are envisioning a transformation into intelligent platforms or even pivoting their main business axes through AI. Over the past year, Wadiz has fully integrated AI into its platform by introducing AI review and translation features, alongside the launch of WAi. Yanolja has set a goal to evolve from a travel app operator into a global travel tech company powered by AI.
Founded in 2012, the crowdfunding company Wadiz has been focusing on AI technology in earnest since introducing its AI review feature last November. The AI review feature automatically checks the text on project detail pages against advertising review standards and policies, filtering out potentially misleading expressions in advance. Sellers can use this AI review up to 5 times before launching, and usage has averaged 4.4 times per project. Consequently, the review period, which used to take about 4 days, has been shortened to one, improving time and operational efficiency.
The AI multilingual translation feature automatically converts not only regular text on product pages but also text within images. This means that domestic and international sellers no longer need separate labor to convey project details to supporters (buyers) in other cultural regions.
Crowdfunding differs from typical e-commerce or retail channels. It does not sell finished products but rather introduces products in the ideation stage to the market and raises production funds by gathering supporters. In this process, sellers need more than just product registration; they require specific storytelling to convince potential backers, yet individual creators and early-stage startups often get stuck on financial planning and complex compliance.
WAi currently handles seller inquiries with over 84% accuracy. Wadiz plans to expand and advance its AI capabilities further. A Wadiz representative stated, "We are building a foundation that allows sellers to challenge themselves with funding and start projects more easily." By lowering entry barriers and facilitating the first funding of potential sellers while increasing success rates, the company expects to boost its platform competitiveness through expanded total transaction volume, commission revenue, and a larger data pool.
Yanolja, Becoming a Company That Sells Data and Systems
Yanolja, which started as an accommodation booking app in 2005, has been pushing for a transition into an AI-based travel technology company this year. With the Yanolja Cloud subsidiary, established in 2021, at the helm, the plan is to compete using "Vertical AI" by targeting the global accommodation and travel sector with Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions.
The current travel platform market is effectively limited to price comparison competition. The calculation is that by linking enterprise businesses that assist suppliers (hotels, resorts, leisure providers) with their operations and management, and supporting this with AI, a transformation into an infrastructure and solutions company that sells data and systems is possible. The platform business structure is designed to be supported as a channel that collects transaction and reservation data accumulated globally.
In September, Yanolja became the first in the domestic travel industry to introduce ChatGPT Enterprise. Based on this, it announced plans to advance AI-based data and operational solutions, such as predictive and real-time pricing adjustments, personalized travel product recommendations, and improved hotel operational efficiency.
Leadership and organizational structures have also been revamped. On the 3rd, Yanolja replaced the heads of all its entities: its B2B service "Yanolja Cloud," its holding company "Yanolja Corporation," and "Nol Universe" (the consolidated entity with Interpark Triple), the consumer platform spun off last December. Regarding these appointments, Yanolja stated, "It is a strategic decision to further strengthen customer-value-oriented thinking and technological innovation, timed with our entry into the full-scale AI Transformation (AX) era beyond the mobile era."
The appointment of CEO Lee Chul-woong, who has experience with global platforms like Agoda and Klook, as the leader of Nol Universe reveals a determination to respond aggressively to strengthen market dominance amid the reorganization of customer touchpoints. Nol Universe recently unveiled a beta service that uses conversational AI technology to recommend personalized package candidates. When a user inputs, "I want to go on a short-haul overseas trip for 1 million won," the service suggests overseas package products by reflecting travel themes, regions, and major options step-by-step without requiring manual search filters.
Will AI Be the Card for Differentiation?
Attention is focused on whether AI can become a breakthrough for specialized services facing stagnant growth and profitability pressures. In a market where multiple platforms mediate similar products, differentiation through advertisements, commission cuts, or one-time promotions is difficult, and additional leverage for growth is limited. Funding platforms, where products are largely unique and have not been launched elsewhere, can also look forward to market and competitiveness expansion through advanced support features.
A strategic calculation to maximize corporate value and succeed in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) also underlies the speed at which vertical startups are pursuing AI transformation. The investment market places a higher value on companies with innovative technology and scalability than on those based purely on brokerage commissions. Being recognized for a "tech premium" through AI is advantageous for increasing valuation. Both Yanolja, aiming for a NASDAQ listing, and Wadiz, considering a future IPO, are in a position where they must prove their corporate value.
Yanolja plans to accelerate its transition into a solutions company by expanding its vertical AI technology. A Nol Universe representative stated, "We aim to connect the fragmented leisure lives of our customers," adding, "Our goal is to relieve the burden of deciding 'where and how to play' by connecting the entire leisure sector, including travel, leisure activities, and cultural life."
A Wadiz representative revealed, "Story and data agents are currently under development and are scheduled to launch early next year." The "Story Agent" is a feature that automatically composes a draft of the project detail page based on the seller's ideas and the funding product. In the case of the "Data Agent," it appears it will be a system where, by asking WAi about their funding-related data, sellers can see real-time funding status, traffic sources, and analytical insights at a glance without having to look at complex dashboards.