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"I felt as though both my body and mind were collapsing. That was when I first seriously began to question what a 'healthy life' truly means."
"Jang Ju-hui (CEO), founder of the foodtech startup Wholesome Week, recalled the starting point of her entrepreneurial journey in this way. Her life as a UX (user experience) designer at a major corporation, where she had been steadily building her career, began to show cracks amid repetitive overtime and extreme stress. Health checkup results deteriorated rapidly, and she frequently woke up at night with a racing heart. It was her body's warning that the current lifestyle could not be sustained for long.
"Jang (CEO) participated in mobile and home appliance UX design at LG Electronics for about eight years, and later led an internal venture based on blockchain data for two years, gaining experience in technology-driven new businesses. After her health sharply declined, she began to fundamentally change her diet and exercise regimen. Over a period of more than six months, as she redesigned her lifestyle, her body gradually recovered. This left her with one firm conviction: health ultimately begins with the food we eat every day. This realization led to her decision to start a business.
"The current environment in the foodtech industry is far from easy. As economic slowdown has contracted food consumption, competition among companies has intensified. Nevertheless, trends such as anti-aging, plant-based protein, low sugar, and wellness are establishing themselves not as temporary fads but as long-term trends. Wholesome Week is also exploring global market potential by emphasizing its differentiation as 'wellness foods based on Korean ingredients.'
"The brand name Wholesome Week embodies the company's founding philosophy. 'Wholesome' refers to a state of health for both body and mind, while 'Week' signifies habits that persist in daily life. Jang (CEO) set as her goal a healthy eating lifestyle that is enjoyable and sustainable over time, similar to the Mediterranean diet.
"The beginning of Wholesome Week was its low-sugar dressing product. It started from the awareness that it is difficult to find products with low sugar content and clean ingredients when trying to practice a healthy diet. The Mediterranean-style low-sugar dressing achieved very low calories and sugar content per spoonful, applying principles centered on plant-based raw materials such as olive oil, beets, and lemons, while minimizing synthetic additives. By enhancing the quality of raw materials like Modena balsamic vinegar and cold-pressed olive oil, it secured both health benefits and a gourmet experience, confirming its potential through entry into department store food sections and high online ratings.
"Subsequently, the company focused on soybeans as a plant-based protein ingredient. However, making noodles from 100% soybeans resulted in easy breakage and inferior texture. After about a year and a half of research, the company secured manufacturing technology that replicates the texture of conventional noodles, leading to the development of 'soy noodles.' Soy noodles are a convenient meal with nutritional design featuring approximately 17–20g of protein, less than 2g of sugars, and around 300 kcal, and can be prepared in under three minutes.
"Jang (CEO) stated that being selected for the 'Youth Forestry Startup Catalyst Support Project' jointly organized by the Korea Forest Service and the Korea Forestry Promotion Institute was a crucial turning point in the development of soy noodles.
"This was because it not only enabled stable procurement of region-based raw materials such as gonchre (a wild vegetable from Yeongwol, Gangwon Province) and soybeans but also allowed for patent registration through R&D budget support. He said, 'We were able to improve product quality, and after launch, about 8,000 sets sold out in a short period, achieving high consumer ratings, which greatly contributed to generating positive initial market response.' He added, 'The Institute's support went beyond mere financial aid; it became the catalyst that gave us confidence in the direction and growth potential of our business.'
"To pursue more scientific wellness foods, Wholesome Week also established a system for expert collaboration. A head chef from a fine-dining restaurant with 16 years of experience oversees product development, and the company continues nutrition-based research in cooperation with the Korean Society of Nutritional Therapy. Additionally, advisory roles from a PhD in nutrition and a specialist in family medicine have been added to strengthen its food development system centered on scientific evidence.
"Externally, Wholesome Week has solidified its growth foundation by being selected for Seoul City's 'Next Local' program and the Korea Food Industry Cluster Promotion Institute support project. In addition, it was recognized as an excellent brand in Kakao Pay's SME mutual prosperity program, receiving simultaneous recognition for market viability and social value.
"Wholesome Week is not a challenge undertaken by Jang (CEO) alone. Co-founder Park Young-hyun, who previously worked as an engineer in Samsung Electronics' mobile business division, had collaborated with Jang (CEO) on internal venture projects in the past, developing strong teamwork. The data-driven problem-solving approach accumulated in the ICT field has become a core foundation of their current business strategy.
"For them, foodtech is not merely a food manufacturing industry but closer to a platform industry that handles health data.
"Wholesome Week plans to pursue two expansions this year. One is a service for transparently disclosing raw material and nutritional component data; the other is a personalized diet recommendation solution based on individual health status. With a structure combining food, data, and wellness services, its ultimate goal is to evolve into a customized health management platform.
"Jang (CEO) said, 'We aim to expand into a customized diet service utilizing data accumulated in foods and a health information provision platform, growing into a wellness lifestyle brand that helps people make healthier choices more easily.'
[MoneyToday startup media platform 'Unicorn Factory']
in FUTURE
