Soft Berry, operator of South Korea-based app providing map on EV charging stations, drew 8 billion won ($67 million) in its Series A investment from the country’s large conglomerates including SK and Hyundai Motor, the company said on Monday.

Soft Berry plans to use the proceeds to add more charging stations across the country to its charging information app and expand application programming interface (API) business in the B2B area.

"We will promote synergy with investors and develop various B2B businesses using user data, which is Soft Berry`s core competency. We will do our best to build a green charging platform to provide information services and maximize the convenience of electric vehicle charging," said Its CEO Park Yong-hee.

Five companies, including SK Corporation and Zero1ne, Hyundai Motor`s subsidiary, participated in the latest funding series.

Soft Berry operates EV Infra, Korea`s No. 1 EV charging information app. EV Infra provides real-time information on more than 87,000 charging stations nationwide. It is currently working with the environment ministry, the country’s leading EV charging station provider, to add the state’s information to its app EV Infra with a goal to cover charging information of more than 80 percent of the country’s express charging stations.

Since its establishment in 2017, the company has provided API to leading domestic companies, such as Kakao and Hyundai Motor, based on its vast user data, and it aims to expand API partnership, too.

Soft Berry is preparing to enter the global market starting with emerging markets.

By Chung Ji-sung and Jenny Lee

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