CJ Freshway Partners with Startups to Drive Food Tech Innovation

Collaboration on Food Ingredient Ordering System and Big Data Solutions with Widaehan Sangsa and Delivery Lab
CJ Group Open Innovation Program 'Oventus' Establishes a Foundation for Innovative Growth

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] CJ Freshway, the No.1 B2B food ingredient distribution company in Korea, announced on the 3rd that it is taking the lead in innovating the food ingredient distribution industry by partnering with food tech (Food+Technology) startups to create an industrial ecosystem.

CJ Freshway announced on the 3rd that it has signed business agreements with Widaehan Sangsa and Delivery Lab to jointly develop a food ingredient ordering system and big data solutions.

This business agreement is an extension of the open innovation program "O!VentUs" operated by CJ Group, and both companies were selected for the 2nd term of O!VentUs in the food tech sector this year. Widaehan Sangsa operates the time-based shared kitchen matching platform "Nanuda Kitchen," which connects food service entrepreneurs to shared kitchens in desired locations and provides customized startup information and support services. Delivery Lab operates the food ingredient ordering platform "Order Hero," which, based on natural language processing (enabling computers to process everyday words) and big data technology, provides price comparison quotes from food ingredient distribution partners when restaurant owners request necessary food ingredient items.

Through O!VentUs, CJ Freshway participated in the scale-up and incubating program to jointly develop technology and business and verify business feasibility, conducting research projects related to the food ingredient ordering system and big data solutions with Widaehan Sangsa and Delivery Lab. Following this business agreement, they will execute follow-up tasks and explore additional business cooperation opportunities.

As a leading company in the food ingredient distribution market, CJ Freshway plans to provide accumulated data, incubating, and strategic infrastructure to lay the foundation for startup growth, while also striving to create a more stable business environment for prospective and existing food service operators using these companies.

Im Dae-ryun, Head of Strategic Planning, stated, "The food ingredient distribution market has immense potential to develop through industrialization from a technological perspective," adding, "This collaboration between CJ Freshway and food tech-based startups is expected to be an opportunity to create a new food ingredient distribution market ecosystem, benefiting both mutual growth and food service customers."

Meanwhile, O!VentUs is an open innovation program co-hosted by CJ Group and the Seoul Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, which operated its 2nd and 3rd terms this year, discovering and supporting 16 companies. It was planned to secure differentiated future innovative technologies and promote startup growth and industrial ecosystem activation. CJ Group discovers small and medium-sized enterprises and startups with excellent technology and business models and supports joint technology development and commercialization with affiliates.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.