Kakao Talk Revenue and Growth Statistics (2024)

Kakao Talk Key facts

• In 2021, Kakao Talk generated $4.8 billion in revenue
• The KakaoTalk database has approximately 53.5 million active accounts
• As of 2021, there were roughly 53 million active users of Kakao Talk worldwide
• As of 2021, there were roughly 34.1 million active users of Kakao Talk from South Korea
• Approximately 1 billion messages are exchanged daily on Kakao Talk, according to a report
• Kakao Talk has more than 100 million android downloads

Kakao Talk Overview

Kakao Talk at a glance

KakaoTalk is among the most widely used mobile messaging applications in South Korea.

Over 47.6 million of the 53.5 million active users worldwide were based in South Korea, according to kakaotalk's parent company Kakao Corp.

KakaoTalk, users send more than one billion messages per day on average.

KakaoTalk is the best messaging platform for businesses and the best way to connect with South  Korean consumers thanks to its up to 97% market share in that country.

Kakao Talk Valuation

As of 2021, Kakao, the parent company of Kakao Talk, received a valuation boost of approximately $3.4 billion (4.09 trillion won) due to the recent funding of $84.9 million (100 billion won) from LG Corp, a South Korean multinational conglomerate. This significant investment is expected to propel Kakao to expand its services, including the popular messaging app Kakao Talk, in Korea, Japan, and beyond.

Kakao's total valuation now stands at approximately $57.4 billion (64.2 trillion won), which is a testament to its resounding success in the communication and technology industry.

Despite this impressive figure, the valuation of Kakao Talk, a subsidiary of Kakao, has not been publicly disclosed. However, it is known that Kakao Talk has been a profitable venture for the company, with millions of users worldwide.

With the recent funding from LG Corp, it is highly likely that Kakao will continue to innovate and expand its services, further cementing its position as a technology industry leader.

Source: Techcrunch

Kakao Talk Revenue

The rapid revenue growth of Kakao, according to a report, is largely attributable to the company's advertising business connected to the mobile chat app Kakao Talk.

This implied that since Kakao Talk's launch, it has been very successful at making money through advertising, games, stickers, and other ambitious endeavors.

It is estimated that Kakao Talk and other Kakao online Community services make up about 30% of Kakao Corp.'s (The Parent Company) annual revenue.

In 2021, Kakao Talk generated $4.8 billion in revenue.

Source: Pulse, Statista

How many Kakao Talk accounts are there?

Users of KakaoTalk create their accounts with their individual, unique mobile numbers and use the app for daily tasks.

The KakaoTalk database has approximately 53.5 million active accounts.

Kakao Talk MAU (Monthly Active Users)

As of 2021, there were roughly 53 million active users of Kakao Talk worldwide.

Source: Statista

Kakao Talk Monthly Active Users from South Korea

As of 2021, there were roughly 34.1 million active users of Kakao Talk from South Korea.

Making South Korea the country with the most Kakao Talk users in the world.

Source: Stat Investor

What is the average time spent on Kakao Talk by users?

Kakao Talk users spend an average of 4 minutes and 62 seconds per interaction on the app.

Source: Korea Herald

Kakao Talk users’ demographics

Kakao Talk users by gender

Male Kakao Talk users make up about 49.67% of the total user base, while female users make up

50.33%.

This assumption was made for all users worldwide based on the fact that the majority of Kaakao Talk users are from South Korea.

Source: Statista

Kakao Talk users by age

The vast majority of Kakao Talk users, 16.95%, are aged 30 to 39. This assumption was made for all users worldwide based on the fact that the majority of Kaakao Talk users are from South Korea.

This assumption was made for all users worldwide based on the fact that the majority of Kaakao Talk users are from South Korea.

Source: Statista

How many messages are exchanged on Kakao Talk every day? (Global Kakao Talk Message Volume Per Day)

Approximately 1 billion messages are exchanged daily on Kakao Talk, according to a report.

Source: Sinch

How many Operating Systems does Kakao Talk support?

The Kakao Talk app is a cross-platform app that is compatible with and supports the following operating systems: iOS, macOS, Android, Bada,  BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and Windows NT.

How many Kakao Talk downloads are there?

Kakao Talk has more than 100 million android downloads.

Source: Google Play, Apple Play

How does Kakao Talk make money? (Kakao Talk business model)

Kakao Talk made money by selling the platform's premium features, which bring in money through a number of different channels, including advertising, games, stickers, and online shopping.

Where is Kakao Talk available?

Kakao Talk is accessible and available everywhere, with the exception of some countries where the government has imposed restrictions on its citizens using instant messaging apps.

What is the market share of Kakao talk in the social media industry?

KakaoTalk dominates the South Korean messaging app market with a 97% share.

It's the go-to platform for businesses seeking to connect with South Korean consumers, thanks to its popularity and features such as voice and video calling.

Although other messaging channels like Line, Telegram, and WhatsApp exist in South Korea, they're not as popular as KakaoTalk. To reach a wider audience, businesses should prioritize KakaoTalk.

Source: Sinch

Where is the Kakao Talk Head Office located?

The parent company of Kakao Talk, Kakao Corp., has two offices in Korea, one each in Jeju-si and Seongnam-si.

Source: Craft

How many people work at Kakao Talk?

Kakao Talk is a subsidiary of Kakao Corp. As such, it does not make independent employment decisions but instead hires its employees through the parent company.

Therefore, the distinct number of Kakao Talk employees is not publicly disclosed. However, we can refer to the headcount of employees at Kakao Corp. to gain insight into the scale of its operations.

source: Forbes, Owler,

Who owns Kakao Talk?

Kakao Corp. owns the messaging platform Kakao Talk. Kakao Corp. is one of Korea's most powerful business conglomerates.

The South Korean company Kakao, whose flagship messaging app is installed by 90% of the nation's smartphone users, was founded by Kim Beom-su.

About Kim Beom-su

Kim Beom-su is the founder of Kakao, the largest messaging app in South Korea, which is installed by 90% of the country's population.

In March 2022, he stepped down as chairman and left the board. Tens of millions of Kakao users use the app for gaming, shopping, and chatting. Kakao acquired Daum, the country's second-largest search engine, in an all-stock transaction worth $3.3 billion in 2014, resulting in a back-door listing.

The South Korean government classified Kakao as a large company the same year, making it the first tech startup to do so. Kim signed the Giving Pledge in 2021, pledging to donate the majority of his wealth to charitable causes.

Kim Beom-su's net worth history

Source: Forbes