Innerside

Innerside is a food-tech startup focused on gut health, challenging the notion that healthy food isn't tasty. The company's first product, 'Yourgut', is a Greek yogurt developed based on microbiome research. It features a high-protein, low-sugar, and no-additives recipe, achieving both functionality and taste.

The founder and CEO, Hojung Lee, holds a bachelor's degree and is a master's-doctorate integrated course graduate from the Department of Life Engineering at Korea University. His background in researching the gut microbiome led to the development of Yourgut. The company operates with a patented automated whey separation technology, which reduces labor costs and raw material expenses compared to traditional manual methods, allows for texture control, improves hygiene, and enables efficient mass production. Innerside has its own HACCP-certified factory in Cheonan.

Launched officially in 2023, Yourgut achieved significant revenue growth through word-of-mouth without paid advertising. The company secured its first external seed funding of 700 million KRW in a round with participants including the Cheonan Science and Industry Promotion Agency, Gravity Ventures, Chungnam National University Technology Holdings, and Raw Partners. This capital is intended for new product R&D, domestic distribution expansion (online and offline), and preparation for entering overseas markets in the APAC and North American regions. The company sells its products through its own online mall and other channels like Kurly, Baemin B-Mart, Coupang, Hyundai Department Store, and 7-Eleven.

Keywords: food-tech, gut health, Greek yogurt, microbiome, functional food, Yourgut, Hojung Lee, high-protein yogurt, low-sugar yogurt, automated whey separation, direct-to-consumer, food manufacturing, e-commerce, startup, Cheonan Science and Industry Promotion Agency, Gravity Ventures, Chungnam National University Technology Holdings, Raw Partners, HACCP certified