BytePlus, the enterprise arm of ByteDance, is powering a new wave of short-form Korean dramas through its collaboration with Soonshot, while Bangalore-based climate tech firm Carbon Masters has raised an undisclosed round of equity funding led by three investors.
ByteDance’s arm teams up with Soonshot
BytePlus, the enterprise arm of ByteDance, is powering a new wave of short-form Korean dramas through its collaboration with Soonshot, a mobile platform delivering one-to-two-minute K-drama episodes.
Based in Singapore and co-founded by South Korean comedy veteran Lee Kyung-kyu and ADG Company CEO Erica Park, Soonshot taps S-Korea’s rich creative ecosystem, including thousands of production professionals, major broadcasters like SBS and KT, and access to over 20,000 webtoon IPs.
In under three months, Soonshot has attracted 110,000 users globally, with average sessions lasting 22 minutes—proving the draw of tech-enhanced short stories.
Beyond streaming, Soonshot builds immersive fandoms through fan communities for chats and discussions, evolving into a full K-culture lifestyle platform, bundled with a membership model.
Soonshot plans expansion into Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, the U.S., and Japan. By this year, it targets to release 100 original K-drama titles.
Carbon Masters secures funding
Bangalore-based climate tech Carbon Masters has raised an undisclosed round of equity funding led by Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia (SEEAA), Sangam Ventures, and IAN Group.
The round also saw additional participation from Sriram Sankaran of Synchron Group and Muthu Murugappan of Murugappa Group. SEEAA’s Vikram Raman and Sriram Sankaran have also joined the company’s board.
Co-founded by Som Narayan and Kevin Houston, Carbon Masters turns organic waste into renewable biomethane and nutrient-rich fertiliser, reducing landfill use and displacing fossil fuels.
The new capital will be used to expand production capacity, scale the fertiliser line, and strengthen sales, marketing, and R&D.
