Why Are South Korean Consumers Willing to Pay for Pet Air Purifiers?
Last Updated: August 25, 2026
Wadiz’s pet category, as the platform of choice for market testing in South Korea, has maintained steady growth, with the number of projects launched continuing to rise. Riding this momentum, Dreame’s pet air purifier launched two consecutive crowdfunding campaigns on the platform——raising 107.58 million KRW in the first round, followed by an additional 70.9 million KRW in the “Encore” round. This article will examine current trends in the South Korean pet market, how these trends are reflected in Wadiz’s pet category, and the specific strategies Dreame employed in each crowdfunding round to win over supporters.
01. The South Korean Pet Market: What’s Happening Now
South Korea’s pet-related industry has been growing steadily for years—and one of the clearest signs of this growth has emerged in an unexpected sector: stroller sales.According to data released by Gmarket in 2024, the share of pet strollers in total stroller sales climbed from just 33% in 2021 to 57% in 2023—surpassing baby strollers for the first time. This trend shows no signs of slowing down: according to the latest 2025 government survey, the cumulative number of registered pets in South Korea reached 3.676 million, a year-over-year increase of 5.3%.
“Pet humanization”—treating pets as family members rather than animals that need to be cared for—continues to reshape consumer behavior. More and more households are willing to spend more on their pets, and the share of monthly pet care expenses in household budgets has increased significantly.
A popular saying in South Korea these days goes something like, “Only my family doesn’t have a pet”—because roughly one in every three households in the country now lives with a pet. This growing group of pet owners is also spending more on products and services that make daily pet care easier.
Against this backdrop, pet tech is emerging as a powerful new growth driver. Global Market Insights forecasts that the global pet tech market will grow from $19.1 billion in 2026 to $52.9 billion in 2035, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12%. High-tech products are shedding their “novelty” label and transforming into essential devices that people rely on daily to automatically manage their pets’ health.
02. What Does the Wadiz Pet Category Reveal?
Trend reports alone cannot answer the questions that creators truly care about: Is this category worth entering right now? Will supporters respond to projects in the pet category? These questions can only be truly answered by looking at data from within the Wadiz platform.
Over the past year (August 2025 to July 2026), the Wadiz pet category saw 17 to 36 new projects launched each month. Most noteworthy is the recent trend: the number of monthly launches rose from 20 in May to 28 in June and then to 33 in July—marking two consecutive months of growth. This indicates that creators’ interest in the pet category is heating up.
| Month | Number of Projects Launched | Average Achievement Rate |
|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | 20 | 403% |
| June 2026 | 28 | 1,432% |
| July 2026 | 33 | 1,567% |
What truly deserves attention, however, is not the number of projects launched, but the success rate. Even in the weakest month, the average success rate was 403%, while in the best month, it reached as high as 1,999%. This demonstrates that the pet category has a solid foundation of market demand.
However, the real challenge lies elsewhere. With dozens of projects competing for attention each month and the average funding rate already very high, simply thinking, “‘since it’s a pet product, it should do well’” is no longer enough to stand out. Backers have likely already seen many similar pet products. Therefore, success in this category depends not on simply “creating a pet product,” but on whether you can clearly communicate what sets your product apart from others on the market. The next section will analyze in detail how Dreame addressed this issue in each of its two crowdfunding campaigns.
03. How Dreame Successfully Topped the Charts Twice
During its first crowdfunding campaign in June 2026, the Dreame AP10 Pet Air Purifier raised 107.58 million KRW from 509 backers. Subsequently, in the “Encore” campaign at the end of July, an additional 210 backers contributed 70.9 million KRW.
How did the same product reach its goal twice? A close analysis of the actual campaign copy reveals a three-tiered strategy.
| Round | Date | Amount Raised | Number of Backers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | June 4, 2026 – June 18, 2026 | 107.58 million KRW | 509 |
| Encore | July 27, 2026 – August 7, 2026 | 70.9 million KRW | 210 |
Strategy 1: Solving a Problem Competitors Failed to Address
The project story begins with a question: “Why does your current pet air purifier become completely useless as soon as it encounters your pet’s hair?” It precisely pinpoints a common issue with existing products—once pet hair clogs the filter’s air intake, purification efficiency drops dramatically, no matter how expensive the filter is. The statement, “Even the most expensive filters are ultimately useless,” strikes a chord with the frustration likely felt by anyone who has ever used a pet air purifier.
Dreame’s solutionis to completely separate “hair collection” from “air intake”in the design itself. While existing products fail as soon as they become clogged with hair, Dreame employs a dual-channel design that allows hair to settle downward while purifying the air from above. The story doesn’t stop at pointing out the problem but immediately shifts to explaining exactly how the product’s structure is designed differently.
The story goes on to confidently claim that Dreame’s technology solves the pet hair clogging problem that traditional products have failed to overcome. But it doesn’t stop at mere verbal claims—it directly publishes actual test reports (CADR data) from a nationally accredited testing agency, backing up its superior performance with verifiable numbers. It chooses to prove its point with data rather than relying on brand recognition.
Strategy 2: Eliminate All Reasons for Hesitation, Leaving Only Reasons to Buy
The project ran in two rounds—with a follow-up campaign launching immediately after the first. The follow-up narrative emphasized that this would be the last chance to purchase the Dreame Pet Air Purifier on Wadiz with these specific benefits. By clearly stating that these special conditions would expire once the campaign ended, the narrative effectively created a sense of urgency, making anyone thinking, “I can buy it later anyway,” realize that right now was the best—and only remaining—opportunity.
At the same time, the narrative avoided a vague list of features, instead distilling the selling points into four clear, distinct key features: a transparent design that allows a view inside, a high-performance five-layer filter, real-time remote interaction mode, and triple hardware security protection. Each point was refined to convey its core value instantly in a single sentence.
Ultimately, this project combines a strong sense of urgency with extremely clear benefit messaging—leaving hesitant supporters with almost no reason to delay their decision any further.
Strategy 3: Building Trust Through Complete Transparency
The creators candidly shared their true motivation for partnering with Wadiz: “The Dreame AP10 is already a mature product, but South Korea currently lacks clear standards for ‘pet-specific air purifiers.’”They didn’t treat Wadiz as just another sales channel, but rather positioned it as a shared journey—one to verify whether the product truly met the needs of South Korean pet households and to establish a stable supply chain based on genuine feedback. This candor resonated with backers, making the entire project seem credible and approachable, while also giving them a genuine and compelling reason to participate.
The story didn’t stop there; it also detailed the specific uses of the raised funds—from import costs, local customer support, and product upgrades to platform fees—all listed item by item. The logistics process maintained the same level of transparency: from the very beginning, they clearly specified the shipping carrier, shipping dates, delivery options for remote areas, and instructions for separate filter shipments.
By so transparently disclosing the rationale for the crowdfunding campaign, the breakdown of funds, and the logistics arrangements, the story consistently reinforced a single core message: “We are validating this market together.” Ultimately, the deep trust this project built was not based on clever marketing copy, but on the sheer volume of information shared early on and the honesty itself.
04. Lessons for Global Makers
- Given the low barrier to entry, market demand for the pet product category has already been proven. The question isn’t “Will pet products sell well?” but rather “What unique value will you bring to this category?”
- Identifying a specific pain point—rather than a vague one—and then demonstrating the structure or technology that solves it can quickly build trust. If possible, back up your claims with verifiable evidence (such as certified lab test data).
- If you’re preparing for a follow-up campaign or relaunch, distill your perks into just a few clear, standout points rather than a long, vague list—this will help indecisive backers make a decision faster.
- Being completely transparent about logistics and the use of funds is the most effective way to build trust with backers.
05. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is an Encore Project?
A. An Encore Project allows makers to relaunch a campaign for a product that has already been successfully crowdfunded. It is classified as a pre-order project, rather than an initial crowdfunding campaign.
Makers typically choose to run an Encore Project under the following circumstances:
- The first crowdfunding round performed well, and there is clear additional demand.
- Supporters are asking for more options (colors, bundles, price tiers, etc.).
- The creator wants to optimize the reward structure and pricing based on genuine feedback from backers.
Q. What are a creator’s obligations if shipping is delayed beyond the date specified in the project story (e.g., “Estimated Shipping Date”)?
A. If shipping is delayed beyond the date specified in your project story, you are obligated to proactively notify backers and continue providing progress updates. Unexplained delays can erode backers’ trust and may lead to refund requests after the original deadline has passed.
If you are unable to complete the project as originally planned, you should:
- Post project updates explaining the reasons for delays, the revised timeline, and the current stage of the project (production, packaging, shipping, etc.).
- Answer questions transparently within the community to avoid leaving backers in the dark.
- Continue to share production and shipping progress after the crowdfunding campaign ends, until all rewards have been shipped.
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A step-by-step guide from preparation to a successful fundraising campaign—now available on the Wadiz Maker Center.