“The counterfeit goods market is the largest criminal industry worldwide, growing by 20% annually and now forming a market of approximately KRW 3,000 trillion. With the popularization of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, many are suffering from counterfeit goods or illegal content, and 'Markvision' was born to solve this problem.”

Lee In-seop, CEO of Markvision (35), stated in a recent interview with the Dong-A Ilbo, “The goal is to evolve into an 'IP comprehensive solution company' that helps brands and content companies, which hold intellectual property (IP) as their core assets, protect themselves from counterfeiting, impersonation, and unauthorized sales, and further manage distribution and pricing.”

Markvision is a startup founded by CEO Lee in Boston, USA, in 2019, providing 'IP protection services' globally based on AI. Global luxury groups like LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy), as well as well-known companies such as Lush and Gentle Monster, are among Markvision's clients.

The company's core technology automatically detects and removes infringing items such as counterfeit goods, illegal content, impersonation of institutions, media, celebrities, and unauthorized sales known as 'reselling.' In addition, it combines AI with legal expertise to support global trademark application services and offers brand rights protection services.

Last year, 49 million infringing items were removed from 1,500 platforms in 118 countries. Global brand clients have utilized Markvision's technology to reduce the proportion of counterfeits in the online market from an average of 30% to below 10%. Based on these achievements, Markvision recently succeeded in securing a Series B investment of USD 48 million (approximately KRW 70 billion). Global investors such as 'Peak XV (Sequoia Capital India & SEA)', HSG (Sequoia Capital China), and Salesforce Ventures participated in this round. The accumulated investment has exceeded KRW 120 billion.


CEO Lee majored in economics at Harvard University, gained practical experience at the Deutsche Bundesbank and consulting firm McKinsey, and then enhanced his expertise at Harvard Law School. He decided to start a business after encountering the seriousness of the counterfeit market in a trademark class during law school. CEO Lee said, “I was shocked to learn that the counterfeit goods market is not just a simple crime but a massive industry connected to the global distribution structure,” and added, “I was convinced that solving this problem with technology would be meaningful.”

'Brand Control' is a service that Markvision has recently been focusing on. CEO Lee stated, “If genuine products purchased in bulk for events are distributed at low prices on smart stores and second-hand platforms, it undermines not only the sales of official malls and department stores but also the brand image,” and explained, “We are defining this as unauthorized sales and enhancing the detection and removal functions.” He continued, “IP infringement is a problem that reduces sales and simultaneously poses a structural threat to consumer experience and brand reputation,” emphasizing, “Markvision's differentiation lies in providing AI-based detection, enforcement, rights protection, and reseller control all on one platform.”


In the future, Markvision aims to build an 'IP operating infrastructure' that supports not only IP application and management but also licensing and monetization, ensuring that creators and companies worldwide receive their rightful rights.

CEO Lee explained, “Counterfeit goods enforcement is originally akin to a service industry,” adding, “Most of it involved manually finding and writing reports, but Markvision has incorporated AI to automate repetitive and inefficient tasks, transforming the limitations of the traditional service industry into scalable software.” He further stated, “The goal is to enable brands to 'control' their names, prices, and distribution themselves,” and concluded, “Ultimately, we want to create an environment where creators and companies worldwide can secure their rightful rights and continue more innovation and invention.”

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