Churn Jin-hyuk, CEO of Nulisoft, Creator of 'SSAM 157' Trusted by 1.13 Million Sole Proprietors 2025-05-19

I N T E R V I E W

Churn Jin-hyuk, CEO

Reliable Support from Smilegate Investment, A Stepping Stone for Growth 

"Tax filing is hard because there's a significant information gap between the government and ordinary people. Professionals like accountants and tax advisors can manage taxes efficiently using their knowledge, but for ordinary sole proprietors, the complex procedures and technical jargon of taxation can be overwhelming. As a result, many struggle to file taxes on their own and end up overpaying.

A startup has emerged to solve the tax-related challenges faced by sole proprietors—Nulisoft, the company behind SSAM 157, a tax filing support service tailored for individual business owners. Nulisoft helps sole proprietors file their taxes easily and affordably. The market response has been enthusiastic: an impressive 1.13 million users have already used SSAM 157.

Smilegate Investment recognized the potential in Nulisoft’s technology and its vision for small businesses, investing in the company twice. With this backing, Nulisoft improved its services through technological upgrades and firmly established its growth trajectory. Today, the platform effectively supports users in navigating complex tax filings, significantly easing the burden on sole proprietors.

We sat down with Churn Jin-hyuk, CEO of Nulisoft, to learn how the investment from Smilegate Investment contributed to the company’s growth and what lies ahead.

세상을 바꿀 수 있는 소프트웨어 파워

"In the past, I worked in the electronic finance software industry. During that time, I witnessed how digital technologies could solve various problems in the field. It was when I truly experienced the power of software to create change," said Churn Jin-hyuk. After leaving that company, he founded Nulisoft. Through market research, he discovered that tax filing was a major challenge for sole proprietors. He then launched SSAM 157, hoping that by easing these burdens through digital tools, entrepreneurs could better focus on their core businesses.

개인사업자 1027만 명이 잠재 고객

According to the National Tax Service’s 2023 Confirmed Filers among Sole Proprietors report, the number of sole proprietors has reached 10.27 million. Nulisoft sees these individuals as potential customers and has established four key value propositions to serve them.

“First, hiring a tax accountant is a heavy financial burden for sole proprietors. SSAM 157 provides its services at just 10% of the typical accountant’s fee.

Second, it simplifies the complex tax filing process so users can file quickly and easily.

Third, our proprietary ‘Minimum Tax AI Algorithm’ takes into account income, business type, and filing method to ensure the most favorable outcome for each user.

Fourth, because tax filing is a sensitive area where even small mistakes can lead to major issues, we offer a ‘Safe Compensation System’ that provides protection in the event of an error.”

든든한 조력자 스마일게이트 인베스트먼트, 성장에 힘을 보태다

Smilegate Investment invested twice in Nulisoft—first in Series A in 2021, and again in Series B in 2024. With this support, Nulisoft advanced the technology behind SSAM 157, refreshed its brand, and expanded into new business areas.

 “Smilegate Investment understood our vision to improve financial literacy and tax efficiency as a meaningful social value. These investments gave us strong momentum. We were able to enhance our service and quickly launch new offerings like SSAM Enterprise for corporations and an AI-based bookkeeping service. The team's thoughtful feedback and deep insights were incredibly helpful.”

디지털 기술로 사용자의 어려움과 불편함을 해소하다

For new business owners, tax filing is often a constant challenge. Complex procedures and difficult terminology can feel overwhelming, especially for those just starting out. Many even end up paying more in taxes due to a lack of knowledge.

CEO Churn Jin-hyuk believes that SSAM 157 can help reduce “tax compliance costs”—expenses related to document issuance, submissions, and hiring tax professionals. He believes that minimizing tax-related disadvantages for sole proprietors could lead to broader positive change.

“At Nulisoft, we developed our own scraping technology to automatically collect the data needed for tax filings and apply the latest tax laws for optimal filing. This allows even those in tax blind spots to file easily and accurately, helping prevent costly errors.”

스마일게이트 인베스트먼트와 함께 만들어가는 ‘소셜 임팩트’

“Smilegate Investment saw us as a partner for mutual growth and believed in our technological potential. Their support helped us upgrade SSAM 157, refresh our brand, and expand into new business areas,” said CEO Churn Jin-hyuk, emphasizing that the investment was more than just financial—it also empowered the company’s initiatives.

According to Smilegate Investment’s Impact Report 2024, SSAM 157 is expected to significantly enhance tax efficiency by simplifying the filing process for sole proprietors. Looking ahead, the firm plans to provide close support to Nulisoft in areas such as business expansion and talent acquisition.

Churn Jin-hyuk added, “To me, social impact means using digital technology to positively transform people’s lives and make a meaningful difference in society. With Smilegate Investment, we hope to continue creating value in the tax filing space that contributes to the greater good.”