※ Kyungpook National University Startup Support Group is operating the “Startup Leap Package (Large Corporate Collaboration Track)” for startups in partnership with SK Telecom (SKT). The program drives innovative growth by activating startups’ ideas and technologies based on collaboration with large corporations. IT Donga introduces promising startups participating in the Kyungpook National University·SKT Collaboration Track of the Startup Leap Package.

“We want to become the company that good brands must work with to enter the market.”

This is an era in which large platforms and distribution channels dominate the market. Local indie brands that produce authentic products are blocked by the barriers of marketing and sales channel expansion. In reality, it is difficult to survive in the market with good products alone.


In this situation, there is a startup that has positioned itself as a “gateway” connecting local brands with the market: Punta Company. Starting as an online tasting commerce platform, it is now collaborating with major retail and platform companies such as Shinsegae Department Store and Kakao, establishing itself as a retail-tech-based local indie brand aggregator.

A brand aggregator is a business model that acquires or invests in small and medium-sized brands with growth potential and increases sales through economies of scale as well as marketing and logistics infrastructure. IT Donga met with CEO Jang Jin-ho of Punta Company, who aspires to build a “management company for food brands,” to hear about the company’s growth background, business strategy, and vision.

Founded based on new business experience at an advertising company

Punta Company was founded in 2020 by CEO Jang Jin-ho. The name Punta was inspired by Punta Arenas in Chile, a gateway city to Antarctica. CEO Jang explained, “The corporate name embodies the intention to serve as a gateway that brands must pass through to enter the market.”

His founding story goes back to 2014. At that time, Jang worked for an advertising company, where he led a farm-direct food commerce business as part of an in-house new business initiative. It was a meaningful attempt at a time when food commerce players such as Market Kurly and Hello Nature were just emerging.

Jang said, “There were many producers in the regions who were sincerely making good products, but they were struggling with marketing and sales channel expansion. When operating a farmers’ market at the time, I experienced how tasting and sampling could maximize the purchase conversion rate. I became convinced that, in the end, customers must actually taste food to recognize its true value. Based on that experience, after founding Punta Company, we launched our first item, the online tasting commerce platform ‘Sikhugyeong’.”

After launching Punta Company, Jang focused in earnest on discovering local indie brands. As a result, the company began to attract attention from various brands. However, the path was not easy. The initial market response to online tasting commerce was enthusiastic, but monetization proved difficult. Jang shifted to a vertical commerce model that concentrated on specific categories and provided specialized services. During the subsequent business development process, he took time to reassess Punta Company’s role.

Punta Company’s turning point came at the end of 2024. Jang recalled, “I asked myself, with great intensity, fundamental questions such as ‘What kind of company is Punta Company, and why did I found it?’ Rather than relying on external consulting, we focused on introspection, reinforcing our fundamentals and redefining the company.” He added, “I also thought deeply about whether Punta Company’s capabilities could be exercised in a more expansive worldview.”

Selected for Kyungpook National University·SKT Startup Leap Package Collaboration Track···Striking achievements

Punta Company’s Sikhugyeong is a wellness food commerce platform with the slogan “A gourmand’s pantry for discovering hidden gems.” Brands are finally selected and presented on Sikhugyeong after going through internal processes and selection criteria that include planning, discovery, quality control (QC), and verification. The platform then supports the growth of each brand through content-based curation.


Punta Company also operates “Pick Commerce,” a BOPIS (Buy Online Pick up In Store) service under which customers purchase online and collect their orders at offline stores (pickup spots). Customers can consume in an eco-friendly way at lower prices with no delivery fees, and brands can communicate directly with customers through direct purchasing by Punta Company. The pickup spots themselves are structured to attract potential customers and generate additional revenue.

Jang said, “In the United States and Japan, BOPIS services are actively operated. In Korea, they are being deployed aggressively in the retail sector, including convenience stores. Since Punta Company does not have offline stores, we are verifying and expanding pickup spots through direct partnerships in selective areas such as Gangnam and Seongsu-dong in Seoul. We plan to expand further in 2026.”

In fact, Punta Company achieved notable results over the year by collaborating with large corporations such as Shinsegae and Kakao, including SK Telecom (SKT). In online brand publishing, Sikhugyeong entered KakaoTalk Gift as an exclusive brand section. According to Punta Company, it is the first time a platform has formed a partnership with KakaoTalk Gift in this way.


In particular, Punta Company was selected in 2025 for the Kyungpook National University and SKT Collaboration Track of the Startup Leap Package program. Through this, it entered into a T Membership partnership with SKT, offering a variety of products with discounts and point benefits. It also received support for office space from SKT, allowing the company to conduct business in a pleasant environment.

Jang said, “We are pleased to be able to collaborate with SKT through this Startup Leap Package. Based on SKT’s excellent infrastructure, we are contributing even more to our mission of fostering the growth of local indie brands,” adding, “Punta Company’s capabilities and assets can generate ample synergy with SKT. We will continue to pursue a sustainable, long-term partnership.”

Moreover, Punta Company has been actively conducting offline brand publishing at Shinsegae Department Store. Currently, the flagship store, Gangnam store, and Cheongdam store of Shinsegae Department Store directly operate their food halls. The Cheongdam location is a luxury lifestyle curation space created by renewing the existing SSG Food Market Cheongdam, characterized by a reinterpretation of food culture with wellness and premium as its core keywords. Punta Company showcased 65 brands at this location and was again in the spotlight by managing the largest space. It is also actively operating pop-up stores.

Multiple success cases, continued collaboration inquiries

Punta Company has numerous success stories. In most cases, sales of underperforming local indie brands have grown together with Punta Company. For example, one local indie brand achieved year-on-year sales growth of about 350% through Punta Company. It then succeeded in entering Shinsegae Department Store, securing a foothold for further growth.


In particular, Punta Company helps small and medium brands enter high-barrier channels such as KakaoTalk Gift and Shinsegae Department Store, and even supports product advancement when necessary. It is also continuing content commerce collaborations with new media companies.

Punta Company creates a virtuous cycle structure for brands. When Punta Company discovers competitive local indie brands, large corporate distribution channels can introduce new brands to customers, and the brands, in turn, can expand touchpoints with customers and demonstrate their value. As brands grow, Punta Company gains opportunities to collaborate with more distribution channels. An increasing number of brands are also signing exclusive contracts with Punta Company because it enables entry into diverse distribution channels. As a result, the number of brands that resonate with Punta Company’s mission and vision is rapidly increasing. According to Jang, the company currently receives collaboration proposals from about 150 brands per month on average.

Jang said, “We now clearly understand the path we must take, and it is clear which companies we should collaborate with and for what purpose. Brands support what we do, the market responds well, and this creates a virtuous ecosystem. Recently, we have been receiving collaboration inquiries from many different places.”

Leveraging this strength, Punta Company also organizes tasting events for corporate clients. Every month, employees can taste and then purchase wellness snacks from Punta Company brands, and the response has been positive. This also helps to promote communication within organizations and foster a healthy corporate culture.

From overseas expansion to Punta Bridge development: ‘Clear plans’

The number of success formulas is steadily increasing for brands that partner with Punta Company. What kind of brands does CEO Jang prefer? The answer is unexpectedly simple. He pays more attention to the “brand” and “people” than to the “product” itself. That is why he describes meetings with brands as “interviews,” not business meetings.


Jang noted, “In the early days of the business, I looked at the product first. I strictly checked the domestic content ratio of the main ingredients. Over time, I realized that even if the product is good, problems arise when the brand or the people behind it are not sufficiently prepared. Products can pretend to be good, but brands and people cannot,” adding, “Good products are built on good brands, and good brands come from good people. Punta Company focuses on seeing and verifying brands’ stories and the people behind them.”

Punta Company’s plans for 2026 are also concrete. They include building a sustainable overseas expansion pipeline for brands—currently under discussion with about four countries—and achieving rapid growth in the domestic market.

The brand incubating platform “Punta Bridge” is also essential. It was initially developed to minimize the inconveniences experienced while directly operating pop-up stores and is now being expanded into a B2B business model. Punta Company is advancing the platform by integrating functions required by brands, from pop-up store scheduling and AI-based smart QC to logistics forecasting solutions and marketing support. Jang said, “This has been possible because we have firsthand experience in the brand business field.”

Jang emphasized, “Punta Company will position itself as the company that good brands must work with in order to enter the market. To this end, we will ally with top-tier groups in the industry, strengthen technologies closely tied to our business, and build a sustainable brand ecosystem through global expansion.”

Punta Company cites “conducting business with authenticity, based on expertise and a high level of understanding” as its strength. Jang has experience collaborating with public institutions in the food sector and serving as a specialist member for the Sixth Industrialization. He is currently a food tech advisor for the Seoul Metropolitan Government and continues to engage in various activities for food brand entrepreneurs.

Having started as an online tasting platform and evolved into a brand aggregator, Punta Company is building an ecosystem in which it grows together with local indie brands. Attention is now focused on what kind of results this journey will yield.

IT Donga reporter Park Gui-im (luckyim@itdonga.com)

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