On July 30th, Mission Law Firm (CEO Seong-Hoon Kim) co-hosted the "K-Food Express 3.0 Forum" with UKF (United Korean Founders), the largest Korean entrepreneurship community in North America, at the Google Startup Campus in Daechi-dong, Seoul. The event was attended by approximately 100 participants, including representatives from domestic F&B (food and beverage) startups and investors preparing to enter the US market.
"K-Food Express 3.0" is an accelerator program designed to support Korean food and beverage brands entering the US market. This forum marked the first step in this process. Business executives seeking to enter the US market or seeking practical information attended the forum, where they learned about the experiences and strategies of speakers operating in the US.
The forum featured a variety of case studies. Jin Hae-soo, CEO of vegan food brand Neoldam, and Kim Joo-young, an auditor at venture capital firm Signite, presented localization strategies and examples of collaboration between investors and investees. Lim Yang-won, CEO of U.S. premium K-food platform Ultari USA, explained distribution strategies and regulatory response measures in the U.S.
Next, UKF Co-Chairman and founder of healthcare startup Noom, Se-Joo Jeong, introduced the 'KOOM 2025' event scheduled to be held in New York in October, and emphasized the need for a platform to expand K-food brands in the U.S. and the importance of adapting to American business culture.
The event also revealed the first round of companies selected for the program. These included "Apple Tteokbokki," a brand of tteokbokki made with natural ingredients; "Sans Coffee," a herb-fermented alternative coffee; "Super Matcha," an organic matcha-based beverage; and "Ichi Corporation," a food and lifestyle brand. The selected companies will begin building partnerships and networking opportunities in August, and will also participate in "KOOM 2025," held in New York in October, and in local dining collaboration projects.
Mission Law Firm plans to recruit additional companies to participate in the program until August. Managing Attorney Kim Seong-hoon stated, "While opportunities for K-food to expand globally are expanding, many companies face limitations in capital and local networks. We will help Korean F&B companies establish themselves in the US market through a comprehensive support program that goes beyond legal advice."
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