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Even lettuce harvested from the same region can vary significantly in quality for consumers depending on storage and transportation processes. However, the information available to consumers is limited to brand and country of origin. It is difficult to know at what temperature and humidity the product was stored or whether it experienced shock during transit.
WillLog, a supply chain intelligence company based on AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things), is transforming this "blind spot" in logistics into data. The company attaches self-developed devices to cargo to collect temperature, humidity, shock, and location data, then analyzes it using software and AI (artificial intelligence) to reduce product loss.
Yoon Ji-hyun, co-CEO of WillLog, stated, "WillLog's goal is to become the 'standard' for logistics," adding, "We will provide information on where and how a product came from, creating new criteria that allow customers to judge which logistics providers and packaging companies are reliable."
Problem discovered in the logistics field... Starting with "one box"
Yoon (CEO) operated a fresh food distribution business with co-CEO Bae Seong-hoon before founding WillLog. It was closer to a traditional logistics company than a startup. The goal was to accumulate capital in the logistics field to launch a new venture, but by experiencing the field firsthand, they discovered an unexpected opportunity.
Yoon (CEO) said, "We did not decide from the start that we would do WillLog," explaining, "As we ran our business, we realized there were too many unresolved problems in the logistics field, and we judged that we could solve those problems with data."
WillLog's first customer base was the bio industry. Initially, the company focused on checking the status of "one box" loaded in a vehicle within the overall logistics flow. Pharmaceuticals and bio products can be entirely discarded due to even slight temperature changes, making this an area requiring the highest level of management.
As customers increased, demands expanded. Requests followed asking if they could manage warehouses as well as vehicles, and whether the solution could be applied to maritime and air transport. WillLog upgraded its product into a solution that manages the entire supply chain from warehouse to vehicle, air and sea transport, vehicle, and back to warehouse.
The customer base also expanded from bio and fresh food to semiconductors, chemicals, glass, and batteries. Yoon (CEO) noted, "Starting with the most sensitive bio logistics made it easier to expand into other industries," adding, "By securing references by industry group and transportation method, we established ourselves as a supply chain intelligence company."
'Context' more important than numbers... 0% customer churn rate for 5 consecutive years
The core competitiveness lies not in the device itself, but in the data collected through it. Simply having figures like a temperature of 3 degrees and humidity of 80% is difficult to use for solving actual logistics problems. The explanation is that data becomes a decision-making tool only when combined with context, such as which product moved where through which warehouses and vehicles.
Yoon (CEO) stated, "Just looking at the numbers sent by the device cannot answer the question of 'so what should we do?'" elaborating, "It becomes meaningful data only when you connect which product moved via which route at what time and in which section a problem occurred."
Based on logistics field experience, WillLog designed solutions that can be utilized at each stage, from workers to managers to executives. It informs field workers of abnormal situations and necessary actions, allows managers to analyze problems by section, and enables executives to make decisions such as changing logistics partners or packaging methods.
This field-centric approach has led to high customer loyalty. WillLog has maintained a 0% customer churn rate for five consecutive years since its founding. The number of customers increased approximately sevenfold compared to the previous year, and revenue grew by 100% year-on-year. There are approximately 200 global customers.
From monitoring to prediction and insurance... Expanding data value
WillLog views customer data utilization levels in three major stages. The first stage is monitoring to check cargo status, the second is analysis to distinguish responsibility and find causes, and the third is an intelligence stage that connects data with AI models to predict accidents and losses.
AI is used to automate customer tasks and reduce unnecessary work. Previously, a person in charge would visually check temperature graphs and then judge whether there was an anomaly; WillLog analyzes precursor phenomena to warn of risks and suggest necessary actions.
The business model has also expanded into the financial sector. A separate legal entity, "WillLog Insurance," provides customized corporate insurance, including parametric insurance, using logistics data collected by WillLog. The structure involves proving an accident with sensor data and proceeding with compensation procedures if pre-set conditions such as temperature are exceeded.
Yoon (CEO) said, "The customer's ultimate goal is to reduce product loss," adding, "We are creating a cycle where we monitor logistics, analyze and predict, and then connect unavoidable losses to insurance. Being recognized for data reliability in the conservative financial sector is significant for our growth as a data company."
Business operations in 7 countries... "Time to secure global territory"
WillLog has legal entities in Singapore, Japan, and the United States, and is conducting business in seven countries including Taiwan, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and South America. Since logistics supply chains are not fragmented by country but connected globally, the company adopted a strategy of targeting multiple markets simultaneously from the early stage.
Yoon (CEO) predicted, "When a new market opens, it is important who plants their flag in the territory first," stating, "A fierce competition will unfold over how much territory can be secured in the global market over the next 3 to 5 years."
He added, "The key to overseas expansion is quickly understanding each country's logistics practices and work flows," explaining, "Logistics is connected globally, so it does not require large-scale localization like B2C services, but national business cultures are deeply reflected in customers' workflows."
WillLog's vision is to enable consumers to check how a product moved safely through which route when they scan the QR code on a delivery box. The plan is to prove the distribution quality of fresh food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics with data and connect this to the competitiveness of Korean products.
Yoon (CEO) emphasized, "It is not that society would stop functioning without us, but we will create value by providing people with a better life through our existence," adding, "Expanding the changes started in hospital and fresh food transport globally to become a new standard for logistics is WillLog's success."
[MoneyToday startup media platform 'Unicorn Factory']
in FUTURE
