Cuckoo Labs
YC W25Seoul, KR Β· Founded 2024 Β· 2 employees Β· 6 known investors
Cuckoo is an AI-powered real-time translator that works within video conferencing, chat, and communication platforms to enable multilingual conversations for global teams. The platform serves organizations in sales, marketing, and support roles who need to communicate across languages and regions.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSArtificial IntelligenceB2BSalesMarketingSouth KoreaEast Asia
Founders & leadershipΒ· Y Combinator alumni (W25)
Cuckoo Labs was founded in 2024 by Yong Hee Lee and Gunwoo Kim.
YH
Yong Hee LeeinπCo-founder & CEOHe previously held go-to-market leadership roles at two Korean startups in programming education and AI infrastructure, and studied electrical engineering and science & technology policy at KAIST.
GK
Gunwoo KiminCo-founder & CTO2024β2025Previously, he led engineering at a ride-hailing service in South Korea that reached one million users, and holds a degree in computer science from KAIST.
Investors Β· 6
SchmidtSeoul
Y CombinatorSan Francisco Β· $500K
BonAngels Venture PartnersreportedSeoul
Mashup Venturesreported$160K β $3.2M
Smilegate InvestmentreportedSeoul Β· $694K β $35M
Also in the syndicate Β· 1
Base Ventures
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements- Undisclosed amountseed fundingNov 2025
Base Ventures, BonAngels Venture Partners, Mashup Ventures, Schmidt, Smilegate Investment, Y Combinator
Source β
Source: company announcements and press reports β follow each round's link for the claim.
The YC applicationΒ· Winter 2025 batch
In the news
Frequently asked questions
- What does Cuckoo Labs do?
- Cuckoo is an AI-powered real-time translator that works within video conferencing, chat, and communication platforms to enable multilingual conversations for global teams. The platform serves organizations in sales, marketing, and support roles who need to communicate across languages and regions.
- Who founded Cuckoo Labs?
- Cuckoo Labs was founded by Yong Hee Lee, Gunwoo Kim in 2024.
- Who are Cuckoo Labs's investors?
- Cuckoo Labs's investors include Schmidt, Y Combinator, BonAngels Venture Partners, Mashup Ventures, Smilegate Investment.
- Where is Cuckoo Labs headquartered?
- Cuckoo Labs is headquartered in Seoul, KR.

