Start-Up

Seo Dal-mi has a clear goal, she wants to build a business that proves her worth. To do that she enters Korea's intense startup scene, where ambition, clever coding and investor pitches matter as much as personal ties. Dal-mi crosses paths with Nam Do-san, a brilliant but insecure founder, and Han Ji-pyeong, a sharp investor with a guarded heart. As friendships and rivalries form around incubators and pitch competitions, work and romance tangle, and each character has to weigh career dreams against family expectations and loyalty. The series keeps surprises about relationships and company fate to itself, focusing on the process rather than the ending.

Created by Park Hye-ryun, Start-Up premiered in South Korea in 2020 and features an ensemble cast led by Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Seon-ho, Kang Hanna and Kim Hae-sook.

The show helped bring attention to Korean startup culture for viewers at home and abroad, and its character dynamics sparked lively fan discussions on social media. Several scenes and character interactions became recurring references among fans, and the series helped raise the international profiles of its principal actors.

Holding an average score of 8.217 out of 10 from 352 votes, Start-Up was often praised for mixing light humor with more serious beats, and for strong chemistry among the leads. Major themes include ambition, family pressure, mentorship, the moral choices that come with success, and how first love and professional life can overlap and complicate one another.

The series and its performers received recognition at South Korean industry events and year-end programs, and the visibility from Start-Up translated into more high-profile projects for several cast members, strengthening their careers in television and film.