How 'Baby Shark' Drove Pinkfong to the Stock Market

“Baby Shark Dance” became a global earworm almost a decade ago, but the viral jingle — which has racked up more than 16 billion views on YouTube — still ranks among the internet’s most recognizable pieces of children’s entertainment.

Riding that unprecedented success, creator Pinkfong Co. is debuting on South Korea’s small-cap Kosdaq market on Nov. 18, aiming to expand beyond toddlers’ screens and prove it can be a full-fledged media company capable of producing the next breakout hit. Investors who snapped up the firm’s 76 billion won ($53 million) initial public offering are also betting that Pinkfong can recreate the Baby Shark magic.