F&P

What F&P does

F&P ((주)에프앤피) is a South Korean biotechnology and agricultural company founded in September 2002 at Seoul National University's startup incubator, now headquartered in Jeungpyeong, Chungcheongbuk-do. The company operates three divisions: a Plant Business division applying molecular marker-assisted breeding (MAS/MAB) to develop new crop varieties; a Food Business division producing GMP-certified health functional foods under the Hongguk (red yeast rice / Monascus) brand, cold-pressed organic rapeseed oil, and buckwheat-based beverages; and an Overseas Agriculture Business division anchored by a 60-year lease on 3,713 hectares of agricultural land in Mongolia with wholly-owned subsidiaries FNPMGL LLC, Nogoon Tenger, and Munkh Nogoon Tenger handling cultivation, oil pressing, and fresh produce distribution to Mongolian and Korean channels.

The company holds 55 patents domestically and internationally covering genetic engineering and traditional breeding techniques, with prior technology transfers of pepper molecular marker technology to Monsanto, Nongwoo Bio, Enza Zaden (Netherlands), and Japan's Dakii Seed between 2003 and 2010. Its commercial revenue comes from five streams: functional food products (Hongguk capsules, powder, and salt containing Monacolin-K for cholesterol reduction), organic cold-pressed rapeseed oil (90% unsaturated fatty acids, under 7% saturated fat), buckwheat tea and beverages, proprietary seed exports (rapeseed, buckwheat, vegetable seeds), and Mongolian agricultural products (honey, fresh vegetables). Distribution is multi-channel: Tupperware Korea/Japan direct sales (since 2002), E-mart retail placement, Home & Shopping, convenience store chains (CU, GS, Seven-Eleven), and a direct e-commerce storefront at shop.fnpco.com. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

F&P's go-to-market combines a B2B/B2B2C distribution model (Tupperware Korea/Japan, E-mart, POSCO R&D partnership valued at 10.7 billion KRW for 2012-2014) with its own brand launches such as 'Kkotppineun Achim-eul Maeul' (꽃피는 아침마을) rapeseed oil. The customer base spans health-conscious Korean consumers seeking functional foods, premium organic/natural food buyers, and B2B agricultural enterprises requiring regionally-adapted seed varieties. Notable recognition includes a 2009 Korean Presidential commendation at the 12th Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food Science and Technology Awards, GMP certification (2008), Inno-Biz selection (2006), and organic plus green technology certifications (2016). CEO Kim Shin-je (김신제) leads the company, which converted to an agricultural corporation in October 2011 and remains privately held with no public listing.

Name

F&P

Legal name

(주)에프앤피

Website

https://fnpco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Short description

F&P is a privately held South Korean biotechnology and agricultural company founded in 2002, applying molecular marker-assisted breeding to develop health functional foods (red yeast rice products with Monacolin-K), cold-pressed organic rapeseed oil, and buckwheat beverages distributed via Tupperware, E-mart, and convenience stores, with 3,713 hectares of Mongolian farmland under a 60-year lease.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bio-Agricultural Products

NAICS

Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122), Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Fats & Oils (2070), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Biotechnology & Gene-Edited Trait Development (AFAGAIAG)

Keywords

• Molecular plant breeding
• Functional food products
• Organic rapeseed oil
• Crop seed development
• Bio-agricultural products

Headquarters

HQ city

Jeungpyeong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Functional Food Products: Production and sale of red yeast rice (홍국) products including capsules, powder, and salt containing Monacolin-K for cholesterol reduction. Manufactured under GMP certification and distributed through Tupperware Korea/Japan and home shopping channels.
2. Organic Rapeseed Oil: Cold-press organic rapeseed oil (유채씨유) sold under own brand '꽃피는 아침마을' and through E-mart, Tupperware Korea, and convenience stores. Initial production capacity of 200 tons/year as of 2016.
3. Buckwheat Tea and Beverages: Organic buckwheat flower tea and beverages manufactured under OEM agreement with (주)다원, launched November 2016. Distributed through E-mart and convenience stores (CU, GS, Seven-Eleven).
4. Seed Exports: Export of proprietary rapeseed and buckwheat seeds developed through molecular breeding. Mongolia exported 5 tons in 2013 (₩15 million), 126,000 USD in seeds in 2014, with cumulative exports reaching 500,000 USD by 2013.
5. Agricultural Products: Sale of agricultural products from Mongolian farms including organic rapeseed, buckwheat, honey, and fresh vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, pepper, watermelon, strawberry, chives) to Mongolian major mart chains.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

F&P (주)에프앤피) is a bio-agricultural company that develops proprietary molecular breeding technology for new crop varieties and converts that into manufactured functional food and organic agricultural products. Its commercial portfolio includes GMP-certified red yeast rice (Monacolin-K) health products, cold-pressed organic rapeseed oil, buckwheat tea beverages, and proprietary crop seeds for rapeseed, strawberry, pepper, and chive, supported by a 3,713-hectare organic farming operation in Mongolia.

Product overview

F&P ((주)에프앤피) is a biotechnology and agricultural science company founded in September 2002, operating three business divisions: Plant Business (분자육종, genetic resource development), Food Business (functional foods, edible oils, beverages), and Overseas Agriculture Business (Mongolia). The product portfolio centers on health functional foods — including red yeast rice (홍국균미) products in capsule, powder, and salt forms, all GMP-certified and containing Monacolin-K for cholesterol reduction — alongside organic cold-pressed rapeseed seed oil (유기농 유채씨유) produced in their Mongolian facilities, and buckwheat-based beverages (buckwheat flower tea in canned, PET, and teabag formats) sourced from Mongolian organic farms. The company also develops and distributes seeds for rapeseed, strawberry, pepper, and chive crops. Products are distributed through Tupperware Korea/Japan, E-mart, Home & Shopping, convenience stores (CU, GS, Seven-Eleven), and B2B/B2C channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 꽃피는 아침마을: Brand for rapeseed oil products launched August 2016

Quantifiable outcome

• Saturated fat content under 7% in rapeseed oil (lowest among all edible oils)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• (주)다원 (Daone)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 December 2015OEM manufacturing agreement signed December 2016 for buckwheat beverage production. Daone manufactures F&P's buckwheat tea and beverage products under contract.
• MT GROUP (몽골)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2013Strategic partnership agreement signed in March 2013 for three major business areas: energy, agriculture, and environment. MT GROUP is a Mongolian partner facilitating F&P's expansion in the Mongolian market.
• POSCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012POSCO selected F&P's stress-resistant oil-increasing rapeseed R&D project in Mongolia for 3 years (2012-2014), valued at 10.7 billion KRW. This partnership enabled development of superior rapeseed varieties adapted to Mongolian conditions.
• Tupperware (타파웨어)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2002Long-standing distribution partnership since September 2002 for Hongguk products supply to Tupperware Korea and Japan. Expanded to include rapeseed oil products launched in 2016.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Takii & Co. Japanese flower and vegetable seed breeder with a long history of marker-assisted variety development. Comparable to F&P in that both are mid-sized Asian seed houses developing proprietary cultivars for the Japanese/Korean commercial horticulture market.
• Sakata Seed Corporation: Japanese-headquartered global seed breeder developing vegetable and flower varieties using marker-assisted selection. Comparable to F&P in that both serve the Northeast Asian seed market with proprietary breeding programs, and both supply into the Japanese/Korean commercial vegetable and oilseed value chains.
• Nongwoo Bio: Korean seed and agricultural biotechnology company that licensed F&P's pepper molecular marker technology in 2004. Closely comparable in that both are Korean-headquartered seed/agri-biotech firms developing improved cultivars for the domestic and Northeast Asian market.
• Korea Ginseng Corporation (KGC): Korean health-functional food company selling ginseng-based supplements through Tupperware, home shopping, and traditional retail channels. Comparable to F&P as a Korean health functional food brand with overlapping distribution through Tupperware Korea and direct-to-consumer channels.
• Enza Zaden: Netherlands-based global vegetable seed breeding company that licensed F&P's pepper molecular marker technology in 2010. Comparable as a peer in molecular breeding and variety development for vegetable and field crops, with overlapping customer base in seed distributors and agribusiness.

Broad incumbents

• KWS SAAT: German global seed company specializing in field crops including oilseeds (rapeseed is a core crop). Comparable to F&P in molecular breeding for rapeseed and other oilseed crops, with overlapping technology in marker-assisted selection for stress-resistant varieties.
• Lotte Food (Lotte Wellfood): Major Korean food manufacturer with edible oil and functional food product lines sold through E-mart, convenience stores, and home shopping. Comparable to F&P in Korean retail distribution for premium edible oils and in GMP-certified functional food manufacturing.
• Bayer Crop Science (formerly Monsanto): Global agricultural input major that licensed F&P's pepper molecular marker technology in 2005. Comparable in molecular breeding technology and seed business, though at vastly greater scale; F&P is a meaningful Asian counterparty in the global trait licensing ecosystem.
• CJ CheilJedang: Large Korean food and agribusiness conglomerate with a seed/agri inputs business and major consumer food brands in oils, sauces, and functional foods. Comparable to F&P as a vertically integrated seed-to-CPG Korean food player, though at vastly greater scale and brand reach.
• Syngenta (Syngenta Group): Global agricultural input major (seeds + crop protection) with active molecular breeding programs. Comparable to F&P in seed biotechnology and trait development, and historically a counterparty in the same Korean technology-transfer ecosystem (peer to Monsanto, which licensed from F&P).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 F&P