On the 6th, Sopung Connect (CEO Choi Kyung-hee) held the 'NHarvestX' Demo Day, co-hosted by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation and the Korea Agricultural Technology Advancement Institute, at Seongam Art Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The event, themed 'Connected Growth (Connecting together, growing together),' was organized to share the results of the PoC (Proof of Concept) demonstration over the past six months and discuss future directions for cooperation. Approximately 70 people attended the event, including representatives from the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, the Korea Rural Community Corporation, agricultural product investment companies, affiliates of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, and startups.
NHarvestX is an open innovation program that connects the on-site needs of Nonghyup affiliates with the technologies of agritech startups, aiming to solve problems through empirical research and validate business models. Sopung Connect oversees the entire program, from planning and operation to proof-of-concept design and growth support, and has built a collaborative model with Nonghyup.
This year, seven startups participated: ▲Refilly (eco-friendly grain packaging solution), ▲Big Mobility (truck-only parking lot service), ▲Lab2Bottle (premium liquor based on local agricultural products), ▲Dosigotgan (local side dish selection shop), ▲Gyulmedal (Jeju citrus food development), ▲Agrosolution Korea (four-season strawberry vertical farm model), and ▲Iocrops (smart farm operation platform). Each company collaborated with Nonghyup affiliates to carry out demonstration projects in various areas, including distribution, logistics, processing, and smart farms.
The event featured an "On-site Connections" matching zone for real-time networking between participating companies, investors, and Nonghyup officials. Each company also set up product demonstration and exhibition booths. Visitors experienced innovative startup products firsthand, including Lab2Bottle's rice-aged soju, Gyulmedal's Jeju juice, and Dosigotgan's side dish menu.
The event began with congratulatory remarks from Cho Hyun-sang, Director of the Digital Strategy Department at the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, and Koo Bon-geun, Vice President of the Korea Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. Cho stated, “NHarvestX is a practical collaborative program in which all Nonghyup affiliates have participated from the planning stage,” adding, “We hope that the participating startups will grow into key companies driving agricultural innovation based on their mutually beneficial cooperation with Nonghyup.”
Choi Kyung-hee, CEO of Picnic Connect, said, “NHarvestX is a platform for collaboration that connects Nonghyup’s field and startup technologies, and it is also a testing ground for sustainable agricultural innovation.” She added, “I find it very meaningful that the actual results of collaboration are expanding as the program progresses.”
- See more related articles
You must be logged in to post a comment.