Best Food Tech Companies in South Korea
The 124 best Food Tech companies in South Korea in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Woowa Bros.
Food Tech in South Korea is where the funding is moving, and this directory ranks 124 companies in that space by disclosed equity raised and recent momentum. Total tracked funding sits at $477M, no unicorns yet, but the curve is bending fast.
The global Food Tech market hit roughly $105.3B in 2024 and is forecast to reach $224.3B by 2032, compounding at 9.9% annually. That's a serious prize, and South Korea's ecosystem is staking its claim early. Median app install growth across food and foodtech apps on the Play Store ran at roughly +20% YoY across 501 tracked apps, which tells you consumer demand isn't slowing down. Catch Table leads our directory at $29M raised, followed by T-Order at $23M and Doeat at $21M. Backers like FuturePlay and CJ Investment are already placing bets. So if you're mapping where capital is concentrating in Korean food innovation, recent consolidation moves in the sector signal that the build-or-buy calculus is sharpening globally, and Korea won't sit that out.
- Love for personal care brands peaks in the mornings ; food tech/delive
Our analysis of 100 Food Tech companies
$12.9b in tracked funding; 88% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Food Tech companies in South Korea
| # | Company | App-install YoY | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pirates Online platform providing reviews of various restaurants | +14% | $14M | 71 mo ago | 14 | Chuck Yoon Founder | Cart FunctionalityNode.jsRadix UI+15 | — | — |
| 2 | Diningcode Ranking and Discovery platform for restaurants in South Korea | +6% | $2M | 125 mo ago | — | Hyoseop Shin CEO | UbuntuReactReact Router+13 | — | — |
| 3 | SIKSIN Online platform to find restaurants based on location | +4% | $9M | 102 mo ago | 37 | — | Naver MapsReactApache HTTP Server+19 | 11 patents Digital meal coupon payment platforms and space assetization platforms | — |
| 4 | Poing Online restaurant discovery and table reservation platform | +2% | $3M | 101 mo ago | — | Jeong Jin CEO | — | — | — |
| 5 | Aniai Developer of food service robotics for restaurant businesses 35Funding top 34%News top 39%Moat top 42%Tech top 44% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 34% Newstop 39% Moattop 42% Techtop 44% AItop 45% Innovationbottom 48% Patentsbottom 43% Globalbottom 36% Marketbottom 25% Funding: Raised $15.0M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 3 yrs (1.0/yr) News: 2 BI events in 12 mo (of 10 tracked, 3 types) · Top themes: Funding rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 35/100 | — | $15M | 5 mo ago | 15 | — | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+18 | 10 patents Automated food preparation equipment for grilling and sauce dispensing in fast‑food production | — |
| 6 | XYZ Manufacturer of AI-based robotic systems for restaurants 69Innovation top 31%Patents top 32%Moat top 32%Funding top 34% All 8 signals ▾Innovationtop 31% Patentstop 32% Moattop 32% Fundingtop 34% AItop 45% Markettop 46% Producttop 46% Globalbottom 31% Innovation: 21 patents (top 51% of patent-holders) · 21 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 Patents: 21 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 21 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 69/100 | — | $9M | 3 mo ago | 70 | — | — | 21 patents Autonomous food-service robotics for ordering, delivery, and safety in retail environments | — |
| 7 | T-Order Provider of digital table ordering and service solutions for businesses | — | $23M | 14 mo ago | 166 | Austin Kwon Founder & CEO | Apple iCloud MailGoogle WorkspaceJava+23 | 3 patents Digital restaurant ordering, tablet payment, and ingredient-based menu search systems. | — |
| 8 | Doeat Platform offering food delivery service | — | $21M | 16 mo ago | 26 | Kirok Kwon Co-Founder | Node.jsMUIReact+12 | — | — |
| 9 | BEYOND HONEYCOMB Platform developing AI sensing and robotics solution for kitchen devices 48Growth top 28%Tech top 38%Funding top 40%Patents top 40% All 9 signals ▾Growthtop 28% Techtop 38% Fundingtop 40% Patentstop 40% Innovationtop 41% Moatbottom 49% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 31% Marketbottom 23% Growth: Web rank 10,000,000 → 5,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo Tech: 32 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon Web Services rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | — | $5M | 11 mo ago | 7 | Steve Jung Chief Executive Officer | ImwebSentryFroala Editor+27 | 10 patents Robotic cooking systems and automated food composition analysis technologies | 3 launchs |
| 10 | Catch TABLE Platform for booking tables in restaurants | — | $29M | 35 mo ago | 156 | Tei Yong Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 11 | Barogo On-demand hyperlocal delivery services for food businesses | — | $101M | 60 mo ago | 264 | — | ImwebFroala EditorYouTube+18 | 2 patents Integrated POS prepayment systems and autonomous shared‑vehicle delivery logistics platforms | — |
| 12 | Woowa Bros Developer and operator of food delivery platforms | — | $132M | 103 mo ago | 2,155 | — | Froala EditorJavaNginx+11 | — | — |
| 13 | Simple Planet Provider of plant-based cultivated meat | — | $8M | 28 mo ago | — | Ildoo Jeong Co-Founder & CEO | — | 9 patents Cell-derived edible bioactive ingredients for nutrition, skin, joint and metabolic health | — |
| 14 | Armored Fresh Developer of alternative plant-based cheese | — | $29M | 49 mo ago | 34 | Rudy Yoo Founder & CEO | CKEditorZohoPHP+12 | 8 patents Plant-based almond cheese and fermented almond milk production technologies | — |
| 15 | Elroilab Provider of AI hyperspectral imaging solutions for detecting foreign objects in food materials | — | $4M | 28 mo ago | 12 | Yoo seon CEO | — | 24 patents AI-driven hyperspectral imaging inspection and automated rejector systems for quality control | — |
| 16 | HN Novatech Platform offering alternative meat products | — | $4M | 33 mo ago | 40 | kim Hee CEO | — | 146 patents Patents concentrated in health & consumer products | — |
| 17 | Tablero Provider of smart order service system for restaurants and cafes | — | $2M | 31 mo ago | — | Chang Ha-il Founder & CEO | Node.jsPHPUNIX+9 | — | — |
| 18 | Wave Provider of a platform for kitchen operation services in restaurants | — | $3M | 37 mo ago | 28 | Robert Baek Co-founder & CTO | — | 41 patents Wearable strain sensors, autonomous robotics, EV charging infrastructure, conductive textiles, AI mental‑health diagnostics | — |
| 19 | Onul-Hoi Internet-first restaurant offering seafood | — | $11M | 64 mo ago | 7 | — | ImwebSentryFroala Editor+25 | — | — |
| 20 | DaNAgreen Provider of scaffolds to culture cells in 3D | — | $7M | 53 mo ago | 13 | Kim Woo CEO | — | 27 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 21 | Ghost Kitchen Shared kitchen company providing spaces for delivery-only meals | — | $11M | 68 mo ago | 5 | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | Bongdong Online food ordering and delivery service | — | $11M | 118 mo ago | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | MangoPlate App-based restaurant discovery platform | — | $8M | 131 mo ago | 16 | — | — | 13 patents Online content fraud detection and personalized ranking using user behavior analytics | — |
| 24 | Fooding Internet first caterer offering catering services to offices and companies | — | $2M | 46 mo ago | — | Hwang Sik CEO | Framer SitesReactHubSpot Chat+13 | — | — |
| 25 | Thyssen Biopharmaceuticals Online platform offering lab-grown meat substitutes | — | $2M | 45 mo ago | 20 | Wonil Han CEO | — | — | — |
| 26 | Table Manager Offers a reservation management system | — | $3M | 75 mo ago | 36 | — | Node.jsAnimate.cssNginx+11 | — | — |
| 27 | My Chef Internet-first brand offering ready-to-heat meals | — | $3M | 74 mo ago | — | Jong- Eok Lim Owner | Cart FunctionalityJavaYouTube+11 | — | — |
| 28 | GreedEat Suppliers of food & beverages products | — | $5M | 124 mo ago | — | Lee Ju CEO | — | — | — |
| 29 | Stronghold Technology Manufactures and supplies smart roasters | — | $4M | 113 mo ago | 58 | Jason Woo CEO | — | 7 patents Automated temperature profiling and control systems for coffee and grain roasting | — |
| 30 | Namuijip Online platform for sharing personal spaces and engaging in conversations with strangers | — | $267K | 82 mo ago | 11 | Sungyong Kim CEO | Naver Mapsstyled-componentsReact+21 | — | — |
Top 12 Food Tech companies in South Korea
#1
Seed · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2020 · 15 employees$15Mraised▾
Developer of food service robotics for restaurant businesses. The company develops artificial intelligence-based robots and contactless sauce dispenser for restaurants. It also provides cloud system for kitchen operations and food quality control.
- Jan 2026Seed$4M
- Jan 2024Seed$12M
- Feb 2023Seed$3M
#2
Series B · Seongdong, Sudogwon · founded 2020 · 70 employees$8.8Mraised▾
Manufacturer of AI-based robotic systems for restaurants. It offers solutions for extracting ice cream from the capsules and taking it to the customers. The robot can make a variety of ice cream as per customer requirements.
- Mar 2026Series B$8.8M
#3
Series C · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2019 · 166 employees$22.8Mraised▾
Provider of digital table ordering and service solutions for businesses. The company offers systems for order management, point of sale integration, and customer service. It provides options for table ordering, server assistance, and related operational tools. The business aims to streamline processes for various industries.
- Apr 2025Series C$50M
- Mar 2024Series B$23M
#4
Series A · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2022 · 26 employees$21.4Mraised▾
Platform offering food delivery service. The platform allows users to discover local restaurants and order food with a minimum order amount for customers.
- Jan 2025Series A$21.4M
#5
Series A · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2020 · 7 employees$5.3Mraised▾
Platform developing AI sensing and robotics solution for kitchen devices. It offers solutions to create a customized food menu according to the recipe given by chefs.
- Jul 2025Series A$7.3M
- Jul 2023Series A$5.3M
- 2020Seed—
#6
Series D · Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do · founded 2018 · 156 employees$29.2Mraised▾
Platform for booking tables in restaurants
- Jul 2023Series D$23.6M
- Apr 2022Series C—
- Apr 2020Series B$2.9M
- 2019Series A$2.7M
#7
Series C · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2014 · 264 employees$100.5Mraised▾
Barogo is a provider of on-demand B2B hyperlocal food delivery services in South Korea. Offers a consumer-facing console to enable real-time ordering and a web-based user interface for businesses to manage delivery operations centrally. The company also operates multiple hubs and a network of crowdsourced delivery agents throughout South Korea. Clients include McDonald's, Krispy Kreme, Burger King, KFC, Baskin Robbins, and Dunkin Donuts among others.
- Jun 2021Series C$71.7M
- Jul 2019Series B$10.3M
- May 2018Series A$18.5M
#8
Acquired · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2011 · 2155 employees$131.8Mraised▾
Woowa Bros is a developer and operator of food delivery platforms. It develops Android and iOS mobile applications for food delivery platforms that connect restaurants with consumers for on-demand food delivery.
- Nov 2017Series E$32M
- Apr 2016Series E$50M
- Nov 2014Series D$36M
- Mar 2014Series C$12M
#9
Seed · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2021$7.5Mraised▾
Provider of plant-based cultivated meat. It uses cell cultivation technology for alternative meat production. Its plant-based meat alternatives include beef, pork, chicken, and seafood.
- Feb 2024Seed$6M
- 2022Seed$1.5M
#10
Series A · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2001 · 34 employees$28.7Mraised▾
Developer of alternative plant-based cheese. The company offers vegan cube cheese, plain, blueberry, and cheddar with increased protein levels improving both taste and nutrition.
- May 2022Series A$23M
- Dec 2020Series A$5.7M
#11
Series A · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2020 · 12 employees$3.7Mraised▾
ELROILAB provides an AI hyperspectral imaging solution to find foreign objects in food materials.
- Jan 2024Series A$3.7M
- May 2022Seed—
#12
Series A · Anyang, Gyeonggi do · founded 2021 · 40 employees$4Mraised▾
Platform offering alternative meat products. The company develops alternative meat by using heme molecules extracted from seaweed and fish meat. It develops a variety of alternative meat products such as hamburger patties, bulgogi, and sausages.
- Sep 2023Series A$4M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Food Tech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Food Technology is moving in South Korea
A read on the academic research around Food Technology — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 570 South Korea-affiliated papers.
- Ministry of Agriculture50
- Ministry of Education30
- Kyung Hee University28
- Kangwon National University27
- Gyeongsang National University24
- Food safety13
- Food processing5
- Food packaging5
- Food products4
- Traceability3
- Food safety4→55
- Food processing1→29
- Food science2→26
- Food packaging2→19
- Food industry2→17
- Food safety7→43
- Agriculture1→21
- Production (economics)1→20
- Food security1→18
- Food processing3→20
Where food tech is researched across South Korea
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing food tech patents in South Korea
South Korea food tech patent filing is accelerating — 160 filings from 143 assignees (2016–2025), led by CJ Cheiljedang, KIM HONG BAE, Samsung; annual filings 18→22.
- CJ Cheiljedang40
- KIM HONG BAE15
- Samsung13
- Korea FOOD RES INST8
- NUC Electronicsco6
- Korea FOOD & DRUG Admin4
- SUH HEE DONG4
- NUC Electronics4
Common questions
Sweetie watches where the money and the users are piling in. She covers sector wealth and momentum — the install curves and revenue pools that show which corners of the market are quietly on fire.