V-Cook

V-Cook Inc. is a startup dedicated to supporting the vegan lifestyle in Japan. The company was founded in April 2020 by CEO Shu Kudo, who started the business as a student. Kudo's journey into veganism began in his third year of high school, driven by environmental and animal ethics concerns. He experienced firsthand the limited options and challenges of maintaining a vegan lifestyle in Japan, which inspired him to create a supportive community and infrastructure.

The company's mission is to create a society where anyone can choose to be vegan, summed up by their slogan, "Hello Vegan!". V-Cook operates two main services: 'V-Cook,' Japan's first vegan recipe-sharing platform, and 'V-Cook Super,' an online supermarket specializing in vegan products. The recipe site, launched in July 2019 before the company was officially established, hosts over 5,000 user-submitted recipes and serves nearly 100,000 users monthly, addressing the initial challenge of what to cook. 'V-Cook Super' was launched to solve the difficulty of shopping for vegan products, offering a one-stop shop for over 300 items, including meat alternatives, frozen meals, bread, and sweets. This service evolved from a previous online mall model to a direct retail model in September 2022, which significantly increased the average number of items per order.

Previously, V-Cook also operated 'V-Cook Deli,' a subscription-based service for frozen vegan meals. However, the service was suspended in August 2024 after an issue where a manufacturing partner mistakenly included animal-based ingredients in some products. The company terminated the contract and paused the service until a reliable production system, such as an in-house facility or a partnership with a plant-based-only manufacturer, can be established.

V-Cook has secured funding to fuel its growth, including a total of 110 million yen in January 2023 from investors like the taliki fund, Allen Miner, and the Hyogo Kobe Startup Fund, as well as from the Japan Finance Corporation. The company primarily serves individuals in Japan who are vegan or interested in plant-based diets. Its business model combines e-commerce sales from 'V-Cook Super' with marketing support for food manufacturers looking to reach the vegan market.

Keywords: vegan platform, plant-based, online grocery, recipe sharing, Japanese foodtech, vegan products, e-commerce, food startup, vegan lifestyle, plant-based market, ethical consumption, sustainable food, vegan community, food delivery, meat alternatives, vegan recipes, online supermarket, Hyogo, Kobe, Shu Kudo