hy, Full-Scale Launch of Material B2B Business... Launch of Dedicated Brand 'hyLabs'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] hy announced on the 24th that it is launching a B2B-exclusive brand, ‘hyLabs,’ and is beginning full-scale business operations. Through this, the company plans to continue its proactive efforts to transform from a fermented dairy-focused company into a distribution-specialized enterprise.

hyLabs is a combination of hy, the new corporate name of Korea Yakult, and ‘Laboratory,’ symbolizing the probiotic research technology accumulated over 50 years. Labs also carries a double meaning, derived from the initials of ‘Lactic Acid Bacteria.’ hy selected hyLabs as the final B2B brand through an internal survey among several candidates.

hy will utilize the new brand across its entire business. In particular, it plans to increase brand awareness and customer trust through an ‘in-branding’ strategy, which involves labeling its brand on client companies’ products.

They will also operate a B2B-exclusive website and social media channels. Under the slogan ‘Beyond Probiotics,’ they provide detailed explanations of sales materials along with information on the microbiome and health. Contact points for transactions can also be found.

Lee Jung-yeol, head of hy’s Central Research Institute, stated, “Through long-term investments since 2014, we have made it possible to sell probiotic strains that were previously used only in our own products externally. With the launch of hyLabs, we aim to replace the import-centered probiotic raw material market with Korean strains produced by hy.”

Meanwhile, hy sold 6,700 kg of probiotic strains through its B2B business, which began in April last year. The 6,700 kg sales volume is enough to produce approximately 1.1 billion ‘Yakult’ units. Currently, hy supplies to numerous companies including Chong Kun Dang Health, Hurom, Jangsu Nongga (Seltiva), and Nutri. They are also expanding materials to secure competitiveness. Representative natural materials incorporating lactic acid bacteria fermentation technology include ‘fermented red ginseng’ and ‘fermented deer antler.’

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