"I want to play alone…" Solving the dilemma, 10,000 people now visit the futsal court every day

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As the 2026 North America World Cup season approaches, enthusiasm for soccer is growing even hotter. In line with this trend, interest in 'football' that can be enjoyed more casually and lightly is also expanding.

However, enjoying football comes with practical constraints such as gathering a certain number of people and securing a venue. Since there are still entry barriers to easy access for everyone, the demand for an environment where participation is simpler continues to grow steadily.

A startup that has solved this problem through technology is attracting attention. It is MyPlay Company, which operates the social futsal matching platform 'Flap Football.' Flap Football supports users in selecting their desired time and location for booking, providing end-to-end support from recruiting participants to renting a venue and preparing equipment.

Kang Dong-gyu of MyPlayLee Keom-peo-ni (CEO) said, "The core is enabling people who do not know each other in soccer or futsal to meet and play on the same day," adding, "Users can apply and enjoy whenever they want without joining a team or club."

The connection between Kim Hong-il, CEO of K-Unicorn Investment, and Kang Dong-gyu (CEO) dates back to 7–8 years ago when Kim Hong-il (CEO) served as the D-Camp Center director. At that time, MyPlay Company, then an early-stage startup, was able to further enhance Flap Football with support from D-Camp.

Kang (CEO) was originally an ordinary engineering student majoring in mechanical and automotive engineering. After completing his first year of university, he decided to "do what he wanted without regrets," took a leave of absence, and challenged himself as a soccer player. After two years of grueling training, he registered as a K3 League (then the third division) player and played on the field for 3–4 years.

Through his playing career, he said he let go of his lingering attachment to soccer while painfully realizing how difficult it is for amateurs to enjoy sports. This is because existing early morning soccer clubs or hobby groups could only operate with the sacrifice of a secretary to handle tasks such as recruiting members, booking venues, and securing opposing teams.

Additionally, many people felt fatigued by cultures where enjoyment was halved due to mismatched skill levels or where post-game socializing and relationship building took precedence over the sport itself. To solve this problem, Kang (CEO) created a Facebook page and experimentally operated a matching system where users pay only 10,000 won each time they visit without any monthly membership fee.

The response was explosive. In just three months, 3,000 people joined, proving the business viability, which led to the official founding of MyPlay Company. Since launching the Flap Football app in March 2018, it has been building a solid growth trajectory.

While existing futsal clubs emphasize networking and maintaining relationships, often requiring users to be cautious, Flap Football aims for a culture where users pay to focus solely on football content and part ways cleanly without post-game gatherings.

In particular, its feature lies in going beyond simple matching to enhance service satisfaction through various technologies. Kang (CEO) stated, "We install cameras developed with our own technology at the venue to track the positions of players and the ball." He added, "Through this, we extract data at a professional sports level, including pass success rates, distance run, position, and ball possession rate."

By combining extracted data with past millions of user records and scores assigned by game operation managers, user levels are calculated across 15 tiers. Based on this data, teams are formed in a balanced manner among players of similar skill levels to maximize match satisfaction.

There is also high demand for purchasing personal highlight videos automatically produced by AI after matches. Kang (CEO) reported that the purchase conversion rate currently reaches as high as 60–70%, indicating strong popularity.

Flap Football hosts approximately 500 games per day and about 15,000 games per month, with around 10,000 users utilizing the service daily. Kang (CEO) said, "Matches are actively held even on weekday mornings or late-night hours when club activities are difficult, and rooftop futsal courts in central Seoul buildings are actively utilized."

More than 50% of users who joined during the early stages of the service have remained active for eight years, boasting high retention (repurchase rate). He analyzed that "the strategy of creating a completely new market called 'social sports' rather than competing to take market share from existing markets was effective."

Flap Football aspires not merely to be a simple futsal matching app but a 'global social sports platform.' Kang (CEO) stated, "We plan to expand services beyond soccer to other sports such as tennis, badminton, and table tennis that require recruiting participants and level matching, as well as activities like running."

He continued, "We have already entered the Japanese market and are currently operating a pilot program near Tokyo, targeting countries with well-developed infrastructure such as Thailand and Vietnam. In particular, we believe that our AI cameras and matching systems will be competitive in Japan's software-lagging market."

MyPlay Company is diversifying its revenue models through venue management solutions, infrastructure businesses such as turf replacement, advertising, insurance, and sports equipment commerce. In fact, Flap Football has built a win-win model that fills idle time slots at private futsal courts, increasing venue owners' revenues by more than 30%.

Kim Hong-il (CEO) advised Kang (CEO) to utilize 'patents' not merely as a means of technical protection but as a strategic tool to drive marketing and government support.

When Kang (CEO) remarked that "the business model (BM) itself does not have high entry barriers," Kim (CEO) responded, "One must find value beyond the BM or technical completeness in patents." He added, "The title of 'patented matching' itself provides significant trust and advertising effects to the public."

He also urged active utilization of PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) when entering the Japanese market. This is a practical tip that startups holding PCT applications can access substantial subsidies from the Japanese government.

In addition, he offered various suggestions including an insurtech model such as premium discounts for repeat users, monetization strategies through match matching involving influencers, and strengthening reward systems like providing goods to frequent users. In response, Kang (CEO) stated that he would actively consider these proposals.

Kang (CEO) said, "I feel great pride in using business to make 'people exercise more easily and frequently.'" He added, "Since using Flap Football, the frequency of people's exercise participation has increased by about 1.5 times, and even enthusiastic users who participate in matches up to 300 times a year have emerged."

He further emphasized, "My experience as an athlete making judgments and taking responsibility on a field without clear answers has been a major driving force behind my business. I aim to become a global social sports platform that conveys the fun, challenge, and growth emotions that sports provide to people worldwide."

[MoneyToday startup media platform 'Unicorn Factory']