Initia

What Initia does

Initia Group is a Singapore-headquartered multi-brand platform that creates, incubates, and operates experience-based consumer brands across the beauty, food and beverage (F&B), and arts sectors. Founded in 2013 by CEO Luke Yi, the group originated with the Korean fried chicken concept Chicken Up and has since expanded into a portfolio of more than 20 brands operating across Singapore and Malaysia, including hair salons and head-spa concepts (Bada Hair, Walking on Sunshine, GOYO, MOST), Korean dining (DRIM, MODU, Song Gye Ok), Korean fried chicken and street food (Chicken Up, Baro Baro, Burger Monster), premium gelato (TOFU G), and arts/experience brands (Self Photo Studio, Am I Addicted pottery, Let's Yori cooking studio). The group has grown organically from 20 staff in 2016 to roughly 400 staff today, with no disclosed external funding, and is founder-owned and operated.

The company's revenue model is primarily direct retail operations through owned storefronts in premium mall locations (Mandarin Gallery, Orchard Central, Orchard Gateway, Ngee Ann City, Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore; The Exchange TRX and KLGCC Mall in Kuala Lumpur), supplemented since 2021 by brand creation, brand consulting and incubation, strategic operations management, and brand marketing services offered to external partners. Initia also markets investment and franchise opportunities in its concepts, citing rapid ROI (12-18 months) and consistent profitability (20-25% monthly) for flagship assets such as DRIM Restaurant. There is no proprietary technology platform, app, or API; the operating moat is built on premium real estate positioning, multi-brand cross-marketing, Korean-origin brand IP, in-house training of stylists and chefs, and an in-house photography team that drives social media-led customer acquisition. The customer base is end-consumer (SMB and individual diners/shoppers) across beauty, F&B, and arts, served through a horizontal segmentation approach spanning Korean lifestyle experiences.

Name

Initia

Legal name

Initia Group

Website

https://initia.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Initia Group is a Singapore-headquartered multi-brand platform that creates and operates more than 20 experience-based beauty, F&B, and arts brands across Singapore and Malaysia, serving end consumers through owned retail outlets in premium mall locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Management and Marketing

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Management of Companies and Enterprises (551)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Salon & Spa Management / Operations (EDAOALAK)

Keywords

• Brand management
• Multi-brand portfolio
• Beauty salon operations
• Korean dining restaurants
• Brand consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Beauty Salon Operations: Revenue from multiple beauty salon brands including Bada Hair, Walking on Sunshine, You are my Sunshine, Headspa by GOYO, MOST, nVisually, Kolorist operating in Singapore and Malaysia.
2. F&B Restaurant Operations: Revenue from restaurant operations including DRIM Korean Steak House, MODU Samgyetang, Song Gye Ok, TOFU G Gelato, Chicken Up, Don't Tell MAMA, Baro Baro, Burger Monster, and various cafe concepts.
3. Brand Licensing and Franchise: In 2021, Initia Group expanded into brand creation, brand consulting and incubation, strategic operations management, and effective brand marketing. Offers investment opportunities with claims of 12-18 months ROI and 20-25% monthly profitability.
4. Arts and Lifestyle Brands: Revenue from arts brands including Am I Addicted pottery studio, Self Photo Studio, Space 4 Us, and Clayful Art Cafe.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Initia Group operates a portfolio of more than 20 wholly-owned experience-based consumer brands across beauty salons, Korean F&B restaurants, premium gelato, cooking and pottery studios, and photo studios in Singapore and Malaysia. Since 2021, the company has also offered brand creation, brand consulting, incubation, strategic operations management, and brand marketing services to partners and investors.

Product overview

INITIA Group is a multi-brand platform company operating across the beauty & lifestyle, food & beverage (F&B), and arts sectors, primarily in Singapore and Malaysia. The company operates as a brand management and marketing organization that creates, incubates, and manages a diverse portfolio of experience-based concepts. Its beauty brands span hair salons (Bada Hair, Walking on Sunshine, You Are My Sunshine, Kolorist, nVisually), head spa and wellness (Headspa by GOYO, GOYO Salon, Kantik by GOYO, MOST), and makeup services. The F&B portfolio includes Korean dining concepts (DRIM Korean Steak House, DRIM Gold Sentosa, MODU Samgyetang, Song Gye Ok, Kimchi Dining, Aifokato, Sam Sam Sam, Katsu by Kyu, Whuchu Korean Dining), Korean fried chicken (Chicken Up, Burger Monster), Korean fusion (Don't Tell MAMA, Baro Baro), premium gelato (TOFU G Gelato), cafes and cooking studios (Clayful Cafe, Let's Yori). The arts segment includes Self Photo Studio, Am I Addicted (pottery studio), and Space 4 Us. In 2021, INITIA expanded beyond beauty and lifestyle into brand creation, brand consulting, incubation, strategic operations management, and brand marketing services. The company does not appear to offer a public or partner-facing API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bada Hair Korean hair salon located at Mandarin Gallery, Singapore, offering professional hair styling and beauty services to consumers.
• Walking on Sunshine Garden-themed concept salon combining hair and beauty services with a cafe-style lounge environment; located in Singapore and Malaysia.
• You Are My Sunshine Beauty salon located at Orchard Central, Singapore, offering hair and beauty services to consumers.
• Headspa by GOYO Korean head spa and wellness concept offering scalp therapy and relaxation treatments at Mandarin Gallery, Singapore.
• MOST (Ministry of Scalp Therapy) Scalp therapy and specialized beauty treatment brand located at Mandarin Gallery, Singapore.
• nVisually Beauty academy and salon at Orchard Gateway, Singapore, offering professional beauty education and salon services.
• Kolorist Beauty salon at Orchard Gateway, Singapore, offering hair and color services.
• GOYO Salon Premium Korean salon brand located at KLGCC Mall, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Kantik by GOYO Korean head spa and wellness concept at The Exchange TRX, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• DRIM Korean Steak House Premium Korean BBQ steak house restaurant at Mandarin Gallery, Singapore, offering high-quality Korean dining.
• DRIM Gold Sentosa Upscale Korean dining concept located at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore.
• MODU Samgyetang Specialty Korean Restaurant Specialty samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) restaurant at Mandarin Gallery, Singapore, and The Exchange TRX, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• MODU High Samgyetang Specialty Korean Restaurant Premium samgyetang specialty restaurant at 96 Amoy Street, Singapore, offering elevated Korean ginseng chicken soup dining.
• Song Gye Ok Korean dining restaurant with locations at Telok Ayer and The Centrepoint, Singapore, serving traditional Korean cuisine.
• TOFU G Gelato Korean premium gelato ice cream brand offering fresh-churned, high-protein, low-fat desserts; with locations at Mandarin Gallery, Ngee Ann City, UESquare (Singapore), and The Exchange TRX (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
• Aifokato Korean dining concept at Telok Ayer, Singapore, offering Korean-inspired cuisine.
• Sam Sam Sam Korean dining restaurant at Novena Square, Singapore.
• Katsu by Kyu Korean-inspired katsu restaurant at Downtown Gallery, Singapore.
• Whuchu Korean Dining Korean dining restaurant at UESquare, Singapore.
• Kimchi Dining Korean restaurant at Orchard Central, Singapore, offering traditional Korean dining.
• Chicken Up Singapore's #1 Korean fried chicken brand; the company's first F&B venture launched in 2013, expanded across Southeast Asia.
• Don't Tell MAMA Korean fusion bistro brand under the INITIA portfolio.
• Baro Baro Korean street food restaurant brand.
• Burger Monster First Korean burger joint in Singapore.
• Am I Addicted Pottery and ceramic studio at Orchard Central, Singapore.
• Self Photo Studio Self-photo studio offering islandwide services in Singapore, allowing customers to take their own professional photos.
• Let's Yori / Singapore Kitchen Korean cooking studio at Downtown Gallery, Singapore, offering cooking classes and culinary experiences.
• Brand Creation, Consulting, Incubation, and Strategic Operations Management Brand creation, consulting, incubation, strategic operations management, and brand marketing services offered to partners and investors since 2021, leveraging INITIA's multi-brand expertise across beauty, F&B, and arts sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grew from 20 staff in 2016 to 400 staff currently
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DRIM Restaurant at Mandarin GalleryflagshipOthersDRIM Korean Steak House at Mandarin Gallery serves as a flagship brand and investment success story for Initia Group. The investment opportunity details rapid ROI (12-18 months), consistent profitability (20-25% monthly), low investment risk, attractive dividends, and exceptional ROI.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Spa Esprit Group: Singapore-based multi-brand beauty and lifestyle platform with salon, spa, brow, and wellness concepts (Spa Esprit, Browhaus, Strip, etc.). Directly comparable as a Singapore brand house operating multiple consumer-service concepts under one umbrella.

Broad incumbents

• BreadTalk Group: Singapore-listed multi-brand F&B group spanning bakery, casual dining, and food retail. Comparable in operating a portfolio of consumer-facing food brands across regional mall locations.
• LHN Group: Singapore conglomerate with diversified holdings across F&B, hospitality, and commercial real estate. Comparable as a Singapore holding company operating multiple consumer-services brands.
• JUMBO Group of Restaurants: Singapore-listed multi-brand F&B group operating seafood and casual-dining brands across regional malls. Comparable as a Singapore-headquartered multi-brand restaurant platform pursuing brand-incubation and regional expansion.
• OSIM International: Singapore-headquartered lifestyle and wellness brand group (massage chairs, wellness products, lifestyle retail). Comparable as a regional multi-brand lifestyle/wellness platform from Singapore.
• ABR Holdings: Singapore-listed multi-brand F&B and lifestyle operator with restaurants and confectionery brands. Comparable as a multi-brand Singapore consumer-services platform.
• Tung Lok Group: Established Singapore F&B group with multiple restaurant brands spanning Chinese, Japanese, and contemporary cuisine. Comparable as a Singapore multi-brand restaurant platform with regional mall presence.
• K-Beauty Holding brands (e.g., Olive Young global / Amorepacific retail): Korean-origin multi-brand beauty groups with growing Southeast Asia retail footprints. Comparable as Korean-anchored multi-brand beauty platforms targeting the same Korean-wave consumer base in SEA.

Regional players

• Neo Group: Singapore-based multi-brand F&B group with banquet and catering concepts and regional restaurant brands. Comparable as a Singapore-rooted multi-brand F&B operator with regional ambitions.

Emerging players

• Kenangan Coffee (Common Grounds): Singapore specialty coffee / lifestyle café group rapidly scaling multi-brand café concepts in malls. Comparable as an emerging Singapore multi-brand lifestyle café operator with mall expansion focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kimchidining.sg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/initia-pte-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries29 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Initia