What HOWSER does

HOWSER (하우서) is a South Korean logistics company specializing in furniture fulfillment, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Seoul. The company provides end-to-end "furniture cloud infrastructure" services spanning inbound forwarding, warehousing, last-mile delivery, on-site installation, after-service (A/S) support, and 3PL parcel delivery. It operates 11 nationwide logistics centers in South Korea and maintains a network of 100+ dedicated installation teams capable of handling bulky goods that generalist 3PL providers are poorly equipped to serve. Its customer base centers on Korea's largest e-commerce and omnichannel retail platforms — Coupang, Naver, Lotte Mart, and E-mart — making it effectively a specialized B2B fulfillment layer for high-volume furniture commerce. The company has raised approximately 14 billion KRW (~$12.5M USD) in total funding from Korean VCs including Lotte Ventures and Kakao Ventures, and has extended its forwarding capability through a partnership with Shipda that reportedly reduces inbound logistics costs by 30–50%.

HOWSER's business model is asset-light in terms of corporate headcount (1–10 employees listed) but infrastructure-heavy in operating footprint, with logistics centers and installation crews deployed as the primary value-creation assets. Revenue is generated per-unit through furniture fulfillment fees (forwarding, storage, delivery, installation, and A/S) and, more recently, through general 3PL parcel services that leverage the same logistics network for incremental utilization. The go-to-market is anchored on winning platform-level contracts with major Korean e-commerce and retail players rather than direct-to-consumer or SMB furniture brand acquisition, which drives both volume scalability and customer concentration risk. The recent extension into 3PL parcels indicates an intent to broaden the addressable market beyond oversized goods into general e-commerce fulfillment, using existing fixed infrastructure as a utilization lever.

Name

HOWSER

Legal name

주식회사 하우저

Website

https://howser.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HOWSER (하우서) is a South Korean furniture logistics company operating 11 nationwide warehouses and 100+ installation teams, providing end-to-end fulfillment (forwarding, storage, delivery, installation, A/S) for e-commerce platforms Coupang, Naver, Lotte Mart, and E-mart.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Furniture Logistics Services

NAICS

General Warehousing and Storage (49311), General Warehousing and Storage (493110), Warehousing and Storage (493)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Furniture & Home Furnishings White-Glove Delivery (TLAAAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Furniture Delivery & In-Home Placement (White-Glove, Assembly) (HSAKAAAM), Heavy/Bulky & White‑Glove Same‑Day (Furniture/Appliances) (TLAAADAG), Telecommunications & Network Equipment (TLAIALAN)

Keywords

• Furniture logistics services
• Furniture installation services
• Warehouse storage services
• Import forwarding services
• Furniture after-sales service

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Installation/Construction Services: Professional furniture installation and construction services using specialized teams. Revenue is generated through service fees per installation job, with monthly settlement system for partners.
2. Storage/Warehouse Services: Warehouse storage services with daily pro-rated billing based on space used. Manages inventory through proprietary warehouse management system with real-time tracking.
3. Forwarding Services: Import logistics and forwarding services for furniture, including international shipping coordination, customs clearance, and domestic transportation. Partners with Shipda for digital forwarding services.
4. 3PL Parcel Services: Third-party logistics parcel services for smaller furniture items with inventory system integration and exchange/return handling.
5. After-Sales Service (A/S): Furniture repair and after-sales services including leather/fabric replacement, cushion reinforcement, and reinstallation. Available to both furniture businesses and individual customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HOWSER operates a furniture cloud infrastructure service that delivers end-to-end logistics for furniture companies in South Korea. Core offerings include nationwide professional installation with next-day options, warehouse storage across 11 logistics centers, international import forwarding, 3PL parcel services, and furniture after-sales/repair (A/S) support. These physical logistics services are integrated through a proprietary IT platform providing order management, real-time tracking, product information management, and direct integration with major Korean e-commerce platforms.

Product overview

HOWSER is a furniture cloud infrastructure service platform that provides an integrated suite of logistics and installation services for the furniture industry. The platform consists of six core services: 시공/설치 (Installation), 보관 (Warehouse/Storage), 포워딩 (Import Forwarding), 택배/3PL (Parcel Logistics), 가구 A/S (After-Sales Service), and 상품관리 (Product Management). Additional supporting modules include 조직관리 (Organization Management) and 정산 (Settlement). The platform connects furniture manufacturers and sellers with nationwide installation teams and logistics infrastructure, enabling one-stop furniture logistics operations from international shipping through final installation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Installation Service (시공/설치)
• Warehouse / Storage Service (보관)
• Forwarding / Import Service (포워딩)
• 3PL Parcel Service (택배)
• Furniture A/S Service (가구 A/S)

Quantifiable outcome

• First in furniture logistics industry to offer next-day installation service (since March 2020)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Shipda (쉽다)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Strategic partnership with Shipda, a digital import logistics forwarding service, to provide optimized international shipping rates for furniture import. Offers 30-50% cost savings on shipping compared to traditional methods. Includes SCM integration for real-time import tracking and schedule management.
• Coupang (쿠팡)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor e-commerce platform partner receiving next-day furniture installation services. HOWSER provides installation coordination for furniture sold through Coupang's platform.
• Naver (네이버)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor e-commerce platform partner receiving next-day furniture installation services. HOWSER provides installation coordination for furniture sold through Naver's platform.
• Lotte Mart (이마트)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor retail marketplace partner receiving next-day furniture installation services. HOWSER provides installation coordination for furniture sold through Lotte Mart.
• Gyeonggi Creative Economy Innovation CenterminorOthersGovernment-backed startup support organization providing commercialization and mentoring services as part of the Startup Leap Package Jungle Program.
• Ministry of SMEs and StartupsminorOthersGovernment ministry running the Startup Leap Package program, which selected HOWSER for startup support including commercialization assistance and mentoring.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• ShipBob: Tech-enabled fulfillment and warehousing platform for e-commerce brands. Comparable to HOWSER's storage and 3PL parcel services plus e-commerce platform integrations, though ShipBob focuses on general e-commerce rather than furniture-specific white-glove handling.
• Dolly: On-demand platform for furniture, appliance, and large-item delivery with helper crews. Comparable to HOWSER's white-glove delivery and installation offering, though Dolly operates as a marketplace layer over independent contractors in the US.
• TaskRabbit (IKEA partnership): On-demand platform for furniture assembly and in-home services, including IKEA partnership for assembly. Comparable to HOWSER's installation/assembly service line, though TaskRabbit operates a generalist gig model vs. HOWSER's dedicated furniture white-glove crews.

Direct peers

• GoBolt: North American sustainable furniture and big-and-bulky last-mile delivery specialist operating its own warehouses and delivery crews with proprietary technology. Closest direct peer to HOWSER in business model — technology-enabled white-glove delivery and warehousing for furniture retailers.
• Lugg: On-demand platform for moving, furniture delivery and in-home assembly services in North America. Comparable to HOWSER's installation/construction service line, though Lugg focuses on consumer-driven on-demand jobs vs. HOWSER's B2B partnership model.
• Shipda: Korean digital import logistics and forwarding platform specifically partnered with HOWSER. Comparable as a forwarding/import logistics service provider for furniture, though Shipda is more upstream-focused (port to warehouse) vs. HOWSER's end-to-end scope.

Broad incumbents

• Hanjin Transportation: Major Korean logistics and transportation company offering warehousing, freight forwarding, and delivery services. Comparable to HOWSER in offering contract logistics and warehousing for retail/industrial customers, but does not focus on furniture-specific white-glove installation.
• CJ Logistics: Korea's largest logistics conglomerate offering contract logistics, forwarding, warehousing, and last-mile delivery across B2B and B2C. Comparable to HOWSER as a one-stop logistics provider serving large enterprise customers, though it does not specialize in furniture white-glove installation.
• LX Pantos (Logistics): Korean end-to-end logistics company offering forwarding, warehousing, and contract logistics. Comparable to HOWSER in providing integrated logistics services for enterprises including import forwarding, though without the furniture white-glove installation specialization.
• Lotte Logistics: Logistics arm of Lotte Group providing warehousing, forwarding, and last-mile delivery across Korea. Comparable to HOWSER as a multi-service logistics provider, though with broader scope and parent-company retail integration rather than furniture specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howser

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HOWSER