FOOD Assemble

FOOD Assemble, founded in 2018 by Son Dong-cheol and Lee Jae-hyeon, is a South Korean company specializing in the manufacturing and distribution of meal kits, also known as Home Meal Replacements (HMR). The company operates in the food tech and e-commerce sectors, producing and selling a wide range of meal kits through its online platform, including pre-cooked meals, restaurant kits, and kids' cooking sets.

The company has demonstrated significant growth, establishing a major production facility in Busan and boasting over 150 recipes. This infrastructure positions it as one of the top three meal kit manufacturers in South Korea by production capacity. Its business model involves both direct-to-consumer online sales and partnerships with major retailers like Lotte Mart and E-Mart.

FOOD Assemble has attracted substantial strategic investment. In 2022, Lotte Foods acquired a 19.6% stake for KRW 6.5 billion as part of a Series B funding round totaling approximately KRW 10 billion. Subsequently, in October 2023, Huons Global, a healthcare group, acquired a majority 50.1% stake for KRW 54 billion, making FOOD Assemble an operating subsidiary. This acquisition aims to create synergy between the HMR market and Huons Global's existing health functional food business, targeting growth in the broader healthcare market.

Keywords: meal kit manufacturing, home meal replacement, food e-commerce, food tech, online food retail, ready-to-cook meals, South Korean food industry, strategic investment, food production, convenience meals, food distribution, online grocery, ready-to-eat, food subscription, B2C e-commerce, food processing, strategic acquisition