Anthropic's artificial intelligence model Claude is capturing the attention of Korean startups and IT developers. The trend reflects Korea's rapid adoption of AI technology combined with developer-friendly AI services. Industry observers expect growing interest in Anthropic's activities following the company's establishment of a Korean subsidiary last year.
According to industry sources on Friday, Korea Startup Forum, a domestic startup association, has recently seen an increase in membership inquiries thanks to Claude. "Seven startups joined as members within a week last month," a Korea Startup Forum official said. "Membership inquiries have also increased significantly."
To join Korea Startup Forum, which discusses industry-specific policies and regulations while representing the industry's voice, startups must pay annual membership fees of at least 600,000 won for regular membership. The shift in attitude among startups previously reluctant to join due to cost concerns came after Korea Startup Forum launched its "Claude Credits Support Program" last month. The program's key feature is providing member companies with $10,000 (approximately 14 million won) worth of credits to use Claude. Credit support is limited to one time per company, and companies must use all credits within six months. The program was made possible after Korea Startup Forum Chairman Kim Jae-won met with Anthropic representatives and secured support for Korean startups.
Among developers, Claude is widely regarded as highly suitable for enterprise data processing and coding workflow optimization due to its strong contextual understanding and security features. Claude Code, an AI coding tool, has achieved the top market share among developers. This has driven more startups to join Korea Startup Forum to receive Claude credits.
Networking events for Claude users are also being held in Korea with Anthropic's sponsorship. A notable example is the "Claude Bloom" event scheduled for April 14 in Gangnam, Seoul, targeting developers who use or are interested in Claude. Participants will share experiences about Claude's impact on work and society. Anthropic plans to provide all participants with $20 in credits.
These initiatives reflect the rapid growth of Claude users in Korea. According to Mobile Index by IGAWorks, Claude's mobile monthly active users reached 268,727 as of February, surging 70% from 158,136 the previous month.
Industry observers expect the number of domestic Claude users to grow even faster as Anthropic rapidly updates its AI models. Anthropic established Anthropic Korea in July last year and is actively recruiting staff. "There is significant interest in who will lead Anthropic's Korean branch," an industry source said. "Anthropic is well aware that many startups and developers in Korea are using Claude."
