The virtual idol group PLAVE has been named Seoul’s first Startup Seoul Ambassador. On the morning of the 12th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held an appointment ceremony for the ″2025 Startup Seoul Ambassadors and Try Everything Promotion Team″ at City Hall. In June, Seoul was ranked 8th among the ″Best Cities for Startups″ by Startup Genome, a global startup ecosystem evaluation organization based in the US. As a result, the city appointed PLAVE to promote its startups and ecosystem on an international scale.

PLAVE’s agency, Blast, is a startup based in Seoul that specializes in motion capture-based 3D content production technology. The five-member virtual boy group, consisting of Yejun, Noah, Bambi, Eunho, and Hamin, is known for writing their own lyrics, composing music, and choreographing performances. They made history as the first Japanese artist to be inducted into Melon’s Hall of Fame with their Japanese single ″Kakurenbo,″ which garnered 2.7 million streams on its first day after its release in June.

This month, PLAVE will kick off an Asian tour, starting with a concert in Seoul and continuing to six cities, including Taiwan, Tokyo, and Bangkok. Since their debut in 2023, the group has gained recognition for their musical talent and popularity, winning awards at the Golden Disc Awards and the Seoul Music Awards.

The appointment ceremony was attended by around 30 individuals, including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, PLAVE, Blast CEO Lee Seong-gu, popular influencers Onoppa and Lily Unnie, university student supporters, and international student volunteers. The event showcased a unique blend of the virtual and real worlds, as Mayor Oh presented the appointment certificates to Blast’s CEO while the members of PLAVE received them live on a large screen in the virtual world ″Asterum.″

The members of PLAVE expressed their honor in being able to promote Seoul’s vibrant startup ecosystem globally, stating, ″We will work with our global fans to spread the word about Seoul’s charms.″ The Seoul Metropolitan Government aims to leverage PLAVE’s global fanbase and the influence of K-content to enhance Seoul’s brand value as a startup city.

As promotional ambassadors, PLAVE will be featured in video broadcasts and a photo zone at the global startup festival ″Try Everything,″ scheduled to take place at Dongdaemun Design Plaza from September 11th to 12th. The appointment ceremony also marked the official launch of the Try Everything promotional team, which comprises 100 members, including 10 influencers, 60 college student supporters, and 30 international student volunteers.