Busan's workation policy is delivering results beyond temporary stays, attracting corporate relocations and investment. A mental healthcare startup that moved its headquarters to Busan has secured a major follow-on investment, emerging as a new model for the regional startup ecosystem.
According to Busan Creative Economy Innovation Center on June 10, Resol, a startup that settled in Busan through the city's workation program, recently raised 3 billion won ($2.1 million) in Series A2 bridge funding. BNK Venture Capital led the round, with Spacetime Investment, Suinvestment Capital, and Vine Ventures participating as co-investors. The latest round brings Resol's cumulative funding to approximately 7.6 billion won.
Resol is a mental healthcare startup developing sleep disorder and stress management solutions based on proprietary brainwave entrainment technology. The company relocated its headquarters to Busan after participating in the Busan-style workation program in 2024.
The Busan-style workation program supports external companies and startups in remote work while experiencing the region during their stay. Beyond simple experiential programs, it serves as a contact point connecting companies and talent with Busan's startup ecosystem, making it a key strategy for attracting businesses to the region.
Resol's technology has already been validated in the market. Its flagship product, the wearable sleep management device Sleepisol, uses microcurrent-based brainwave entrainment technology to improve sleep quality and has recorded cumulative sales of 50,000 units in Korea, the United States, and Japan.
The sleep and mental management application Sleepisol Bio has surpassed 1.7 million global cumulative downloads, gaining recognition for its growth potential in the digital healthcare sector. Based on this technology and growth trajectory, Resol was selected as a "Baby Unicorn" company by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups last year.
"With this investment, we plan to accelerate technology advancement and global market expansion," said Koo-sung Kwon, co-CEO of Resol. "We will continue to strengthen our competitiveness in sleep management and mental healthcare."
This investment is also significant as it demonstrates that Busan's startup policies are translating into actual corporate growth. Companies that entered the region through the workation program are now showing a virtuous cycle of settlement followed by investment and business expansion.
"Companies that relocated to Busan through the Busan-style workation program are achieving various results, including investment attraction," said Yong-woo Kim, CEO of Busan Creative Economy Innovation Center. "We will continue to expand the program so that companies can create new opportunities in Busan."
