JB Lee , CEO of HIKIVE
A joint business agreement signed between Korea East-West Power, financial institutions, and HIKIVE
Successfully passed the entrusted testing phase of the Financial Regulatory Sandbox system and officially entered the regulated market
HIKIVE is a startup that develops security tokens utilizing renewable energy and an AI-based smart editor for registration statements. The company was founded in December 2021 by CEO JB Lee (52).
According to Lee, “HIKIVE is at the forefront of building a reliable and eco-friendly digital finance system by making financial transactions more efficient and enhancing ESG investor protection through the use of blockchain and AI in new financial technologies.”
“HIKIVE’s WonLET platform enables participation by institutional, public, and individual investors. By digitizing real assets, WonLET contributes to the expansion of sustainable financial markets and the popularization of ESG investments. Token holders receive a portion of the power plant’s operating revenue as dividends, providing them with stable and sustainable returns based on real assets.”
The Smart Editor with AI Assistant is a solution developed to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of registration statement preparation in an innovative way. It minimizes errors and inefficiencies that can occur in the traditional process and maximizes workflow convenience with an intuitive, user-friendly interface. Furthermore, it has passed the entrusted testing phase of the Financial Regulatory Sandbox, which is recognized by the Financial Services Commission, and has officially entered the regulated market.
“By working well with necessary platforms like DART (the Financial Supervisory Service’s corporate disclosure system), it can effectively reach potential customers in both local and global financial markets.”
Domestically, HIKIVE aims to achieve market stability through collaboration or joint ventures with financial institutions., Successfully completed the testing phase of the Financial Regulatory Sandbox system and officially entered the regulated market.
What made CEO Lee decide to start a new company? “After living overseas for a long time, I realized that financial transactions in the security token sector in Korea are still complex and need institutional improvements. Additionally, I sensed imbalances in ESG management and profit distribution, which motivated me to found this company.”
Lee said, “After founding the company, we raised capital over three years through shareholder investments, establishing two stable business directions. These developments enabled us to begin attracting investments starting in 2025.”
Regarding future plans, Lee stated, “Building on our establishment within the domestic financial system, we have a global expansion plan enabling both onshore and offshore investment methods. This includes founding and operating a Singapore branch in the second half of 2025 and a Dubai branch in the first half of 2026.”
Founded: December 2021
Main business: security tokens utilizing renewable energy and an AI-based smart editor for registration statements
Achievements: Established a company-affiliated research institute in May 2022; Published STO research publication of the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements in December 2022; Signed a joint STO project agreement with Korea East-West Power in December 2022; Signed a joint STO project agreement with KB Securities and Korea East-West Power in March 2023; Selected for KB Starters under KB Financial Group in October 2023; Selected for KB Starters Singapore in July 2024; Selected as a D-Testbed company by the Fintech Center Korea in September 2024; Selected as an entrusted testing company for the Financial Regulatory Sandbox in January 2025 (currently testing with Kyobo, LS, and KB Securities); Signed a joint STO project agreement with LS Securities in March 2025; Selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups Startup Scale-up Package in May 2025 (blockchain-based non-monetary trust revenue securities issuance account management, Kyobo Securities)
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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