AI K-Pop Startup Galaxy Targets Dual 2027 Listing in Seoul and New York

By Olivia Hart

Galaxy, a Seoul-based AI and robotics startup founded in 2019, is preparing what could be the first overseas listing by a K-pop agency: dual listings in New York and Seoul in 2027, according to founder and CEO Choi Yong-ho. The company has raised about $150 million so far and targets an overseas pre-IPO round this year. Choi owns roughly 20%; eight longtime friends serve as founding partners.

The pitch is radical for an industry built on recruiting and training human performers. Galaxy wants to produce idol content entirely with artificial intelligence and life-size robot idols — no human constraints on touring, schedules or aging.

"We're trying to do everything with AI from start to finish," Choi said. "We want to prove what kind of impact this can have," especially when combined with intellectual property like G-Dragon, the BIGBANG leader who is both an investor and Galaxy's center of gravity.

Who is behind Galaxy?

Choi, 37, was little known in the industry until late 2023, when he partnered with G-Dragon — born Kwon Ji-yong — after helping the singer through a 2023 drug investigation for which Kwon was later cleared. At the time, Galaxy was a TV studio behind Netflix's competition show "Physical:100." Kwon signed a contract in late 2024, and the company pivoted hard toward AI.

The investor roster includes G-Dragon himself, Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jay Chou and more than 30 Korean institutional investors. The company is named after Choi's sons — "Galaxy" and "Universe" in Korean.

Notably, Galaxy builds no AI engines or humanoid robots of its own. It partners with technology firms instead, including China's Unitree for robot development and control, and uses AI tools from startups such as Suno and Sora for music and video production.

What does the virtual idol strategy actually look like?

The roadmap comes in stages: a four-member virtual girl group debuting in the second half of this year, robot idols with the same likeness next year, and human performers joining in 2028. "We're combining all three into a multiverse," Choi said.

The economics are the selling point. Choi claims AI tools could cut costs by 90% to 99% from typical Korean music video budgets of about $2 million — meaning a video that costs $2 million today could, at the extreme, be produced for around $20,000. That figure is a company claim, not an audited number.

The bigger bet is a virtual concert venue. Galaxy is working with the team behind London's ABBA Voyage to replicate that show's format in Asia, aiming for roughly 3,000 seats and an opening around late 2027. G-Dragon's performance has already been filmed in London, Choi said.

"A human performer can't perform 365 days a year, but an avatar can," Choi said. "Millions wanted to attend G-Dragon's concert, but only 1% of them could enjoy the show. With this format, 99% of the people who wanted to go to the concert can actually enjoy the performance."

Humans have not been eliminated yet. Real performers currently model the virtual members, and movement still depends on people. "We've created a human voice," Choi said. "So whoever speaks or sings, that will be converted into that AI voice. But movement — dancing, performance — still requires humans to evoke emotion."

Is the market ready for coded stars?

Galaxy is not operating in a vacuum. JYP Entertainment and SM Entertainment are developing virtual idol characters. Plave, a virtual boyband using 3D avatars with human motion capture, toured Asia last year. Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" demonstrated global demand for animated idols. Choi argues Asia's high acceptance of AI technology adds momentum.

The company is also expanding beyond G-Dragon. It plans to add 10 more talents this year across K-pop, film and sports; the roster already includes "Parasite" actor Song Kang-ho and SHINee's Taemin.

The caution is real. Few virtual music models have proven durable. ABBA's virtual comeback is one template; nothing in the source documents sustained profitability for fully AI-driven idols.

"The virtual idol market is in a very early, experimental phase, and fully AI-driven models face limits, especially when it comes to authenticity and how fans perceive the creative process," said South Korean music critic Cha Woo-jin. "It would be a bold move for the K-pop industry to pursue an entirely new market, but questions remain over whether AI-driven models can deliver success anytime soon."

Galaxy's earlier AI projects, by the company's own trajectory, were relatively short-lived. The 2027 listings will test whether investors buy the claim that the next generation of entertainment companies codes stars rather than creates them — and Choi's cost-cutting math only pays off if fans accept the product.