Design Energy

What Design Energy does

Design Energy is a Seoul-headquartered, privately-held Korean corporation providing integrated interior and architectural design and construction services to enterprise clients across South Korea. The firm operates three interconnected service lines: (1) Interior Design and Construction Services covering interior architecture, design, and execution for commercial spaces such as cafes, restaurants, retail stores, and offices; (2) Architectural Construction and Remodeling Services handling new building construction, exterior architectural design, remodeling, and outdoor lighting; and (3) Plan & Design Services spanning architecture, interior, furniture, and graphic design. Business is delivered through a direct, sales-led engagement model with corporate clients on a project-by-project basis; pricing is not publicly disclosed and contracts are awarded through negotiated, project-based quotes rather than fixed-fee SaaS or product sales. Revenue mechanics are therefore classic professional services: fees tied to scope, complexity, and brand requirements of each engagement, with no recurring subscription or platform component.

The customer base is enterprise-grade and diversified across verticals. Named anchor clients span F&B (Starbucks Korea, Shake Shack, Hollys Coffee, Paris Baguette, Dunkin', Baskin Robbins, Burger King, Caffe Pascucci, Jamba Juice, No Brand Burger, Coffee @ Works), fashion and luxury (BALMAIN, COMME des GARÇONS, Maison Margiela, Stone Island, SUITSUPPLY, AURALEE, JUUN.J, MUSINSA, AMI, Lemaire, CP Company, kuho plus, TOPTEN, BEAKER), financial services (Kwangju Bank PB Center), healthcare (Severance Hospital), education (Sungkyunkwan University, Dong-A University), corporate (SPC, CJ Freshway, Hyundai Autoeever), and government (Ansan Education Support Center). Starbucks Korea is the most prominent repeat client, with documented work spanning both interior and architectural projects at multiple locations.

Geographic operations are domestic to South Korea with project sites across the Seoul Capital Area, Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province, Chungcheong Province, Jeollabuk-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Gwangju. The firm is small (11-50 employees) and bootstrapped, with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, parent company, or acquisition activity. The company maintains an active careers page hiring for interior design, planning, and construction roles, suggesting ongoing capacity expansion rather than contraction. Note: the firmographics record lists year founded as 2002, while one other data source records a 2019 founding date; the discrepancy is unresolved in the available materials.

Name

Design Energy

Legal name

(주)디자인에너지는

Website

https://d-energy.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Design Energy is a Seoul-based interior and architectural design firm providing integrated design-to-construction services for enterprise clients across F&B, fashion, banking, healthcare, education, and government sectors throughout South Korea.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interior and Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA), Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Interior design services
• Architectural construction
• Commercial space design
• Retail interior design
• Building remodeling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interior Design and Construction Services: Project-based revenue from indoor architecture construction, interior design and construction services for commercial spaces including F&B, fashion retail, banking, and other sectors.
2. Architectural Construction and Remodeling: General construction business providing new construction and remodeling services for exterior architectural projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Design Energy is a Korean interior and architectural design firm that delivers integrated design-to-construction services for commercial clients. The company executes interior design and construction for cafes, restaurants, retail stores, offices, and flagship brand locations, alongside exterior architectural construction, remodeling, and comprehensive planning services covering architecture, interior, furniture, and graphic design.

Product overview

Design Energy operates as an integrated design and construction services company offering three interconnected service lines: Interior Design and Construction Services covering interior architecture, design, and execution for commercial spaces; Architectural Construction and Remodeling Services handling new construction and building renovation projects; and Plan & Design Services encompassing architecture, interior design, furniture design, and graphic design. The company serves prominent brands including STARBUCKS, JUUN.J, SHAKE SHACK, COMME des GARÇONS, BALMAIN, HOLLYS Coffee, and numerous other retail and F&B clients across South Korea.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interior Design and Construction Services Comprehensive interior design and construction services including interior architecture, design, and execution for commercial spaces such as cafes, restaurants, retail stores, and offices. Served for clients including Starbucks, JUUN.J, Shake Shack, BALMAIN, Kwangju Bank, and similar enterprise brands.
• Architectural Construction and Remodeling Services General construction services covering new building construction and remodeling projects, including exterior architectural design and outdoor lighting. Delivered for clients such as Starbucks Everland Reserve, Burger King drive-through, PaulBassett, TOPTEN, and Daiso.
• Plan and Design Services Comprehensive planning and design services spanning architecture, interior design, furniture design, and graphic design for commercial and retail spaces, supporting brand-aligned spatial planning and execution.

Named customers46 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DL E&C (formerly Daelim Industrial): Major Korean construction and engineering conglomerate with architectural design capabilities. Comparable for architectural construction and large-scale Korean commercial project delivery, though operating as a broad construction conglomerate with interior design as one of many practice areas.
• HOK: Global architecture, engineering, and interior design firm with Korea and Asia-Pacific projects. Comparable in large-scale commercial and retail interior design across multiple regions including Asia, though at much larger scale with broader engineering-led portfolio.
• Gensler: Global architecture, design, and planning firm with a Seoul office serving corporate, retail, hospitality, and commercial clients worldwide. Comparable for premium retail and corporate interior work in Korea, though operating at vastly larger scale with a much broader and more diversified service portfolio.
• Hyundai Architects & Associates: Korean architectural firm offering interior and architectural design across commercial, residential, and retail projects. Comparable in Korean geographic scope and integrated design services, but at a much larger scale and broader portfolio than Design Energy's specialty retail focus.
• SAMOO Architects & Engineers: Established Korean architectural and engineering firm (founded 1960s) delivering commercial, retail, cultural, and corporate work across multiple sectors. Comparable in Korean architectural design and interior practice, though at substantially larger scale and broader portfolio than Design Energy's boutique focus.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure, architecture, and design firm with Korean operations delivering commercial interior, retail, and corporate projects. Comparable in design-build delivery for major brands and commercial clients, though at much larger scale and with significant non-design services in portfolio.

Direct peers

• Peter Marino Architect: New York-based boutique architecture firm specializing exclusively in luxury retail, hospitality, and residential interior design for fashion houses (Dior, Louis Vuitton, Chanel). Direct peer for Design Energy's luxury fashion retail work, including BALMAIN, COMME des GARÇONS, and MAISON MARGIELA assignments.
• M Moser Associates: Hong Kong-headquartered workplace and commercial interior design firm with deep Asia presence, focused on corporate office and retail interior design. Comparable in serving premium corporate and retail clients with an integrated design-build delivery approach, including office work for Hyundai AutoEver-type clients.
• Yabu Pushelberg: Toronto-based luxury interior design firm serving global fashion, hospitality, and retail brands including flagship stores for high-end labels. Comparable in specialized luxury retail and hospitality interior design execution, providing a useful benchmark for Design Energy's premium luxury work.
• SPACE Group of Companies: Korean design-and-build group offering interior architecture, architectural construction, and design services across retail, F&B, fashion, and cultural sectors. Most directly comparable to Design Energy in market, vertical mix, integrated delivery model, and Korean-domestic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Design Energy