KQ Entertainment

KQ Entertainment (KQ 엔터테인먼트) is a South Korean entertainment company founded in 2016 by Kim Kyu-wook in Mapo-gu, Seoul. The company traces its roots to Seven Seasons, the label Kim built specifically for Block B after the group parted ways with Stardom Entertainment in 2013. The name Seven Seasons was a tribute to the seven members. In June 2016, the company rebranded to KQ Entertainment to accommodate a broader roster and structural expansion. Seven Seasons continues as a subsidiary imprint for Block B, while KQ Produce handles singer-songwriters and producers. In November 2017, Sony Music Korea struck a strategic equity partnership with KQ, acquiring a 33% stake. The investment gave KQ international distribution reach at a critical moment: the label was developing the act that would define its next decade. ATEEZ (에이티즈) debuted under KQ on October 24, 2018, and changed everything. Starting with a near-empty fanbase, the eight-member group built a global following through relentless touring, an ambitious narrative-driven concept, and one of the most cohesive visual identities in fourth-generation K-pop. ATEEZ became KQ’s proof of concept: a smaller independent agency could develop a genuinely world-class act without Big Four infrastructure. The group has landed on the IFPI Global Album Sales Chart, sold out arenas across North America, Europe, and Asia, and headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. In April 2024, KQ partnered with the Grammy Museum for a month-long pop-up, KQ ENT. (ATEEZ & xikers), marking the first time a K-pop agency held an official Grammy Museum activation. In March 2023, KQ debuted a second boy group, Xikers (싸이커스), expanding its roster beyond a single flagship act. January 2025 brought the signing of veteran vocalist Sohyang, extending the label’s reach into the Korean ballad market. In April 2025, KQ CEO Kim Kyu-wook announced the company had signed an IPO contract with Mirae Asset Securities and is preparing to go public in 2026, a significant milestone for one of K-pop’s most respected independent operations.