KGEC

What KGEC does

KGEC (주식회사 케이지이, KGE Co., Ltd.) is a South Korean health functional food manufacturer founded in 2012 and headquartered in Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. The company specializes in Korean red ginseng and white ginseng products, using 6-year-old Korean ginseng as its standard raw material and processing them in GMP, HALAL, and ORGANIC-certified facilities with a monthly production capacity of 12 tons. Its core technological differentiator is a proprietary enzyme-treated fermented red ginseng manufacturing process — patented in Korea — that pre-ferments red ginseng with intestinal microorganisms to convert polar saponins into more bioavailable non-polar forms, reducing individual absorption variability across consumers.

The company operates a dual business model: (1) B2B raw material and OEM services, supplying standardized red ginseng extracts, powders, and custom-formulated white-label products to health supplement manufacturers, and (2) B2C finished products marketed under the proprietary LAVIVANT brand, encompassing concentrated extracts, fermented extracts, capsules, powders, teas, sticks, jellies, and honeyed ginseng slices. KGEC serves both consumer health-conscious end markets and enterprise customers across Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Japan.

KGEC generates revenue through direct export to approximately 30 countries, anchored by wholly-owned European subsidiaries in Brno, Czech Republic (established 2014) and London, UK (established 2015), supplemented by retail and distributor networks in Europe and home shopping channels in Korea. The company was recognized as a Korean Venture Company and Export Promising SME in 2018 and converted to a stock corporation in 2021, reflecting organizational maturation. The founder-led company remains privately held with no disclosed external funding.

Name

KGEC

Legal name

주식회사 케이지이

Website

https://kgec.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KGEC is a South Korean red ginseng manufacturer founded in 2012, producing fermented and standard ginseng extracts, capsules, sticks, and teas under the LAVIVANT brand and through OEM services, exporting to approximately 30 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Korean Red Ginseng Health Functional Foods

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Instant Tea, Tea Extracts & Concentrates Manufacturing (AFAFADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

RTD Iced Tea Production (AFAFABAD)

Keywords

• Korean red ginseng
• Health functional foods
• Fermented ginseng extract
• Ginsenoside standardization
• OEM supplement manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Anseong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Raw Material B2B Sales: Sale of raw materials (ginseng extracts and powders in various concentrations) to other manufacturers for use in their health supplement products.
2. LAVIVANT Brand Finished Products: Production and sale of finished products under the LAVIVANT brand, including concentrated extracts, capsules, powders, teas, sticks, candies, and jellies containing Korean red ginseng.
3. OEM Manufacturing Services: Custom product development and manufacturing services where KGEC produces products according to customer specifications for ginsenoside content, taste, and packaging, under the customer's brand name.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KGEC manufactures Korean ginseng and red ginseng products including concentrated extracts, fermented red ginseng extracts, capsules, powders, teas, sticks, slices, and jellies under the LAVIVANT brand for global retail distribution. The company also sells standardized ginseng raw materials (extracts and powders with specified ginsenoside content) to health supplement manufacturers and offers OEM/custom manufacturing services where it produces private-label red ginseng products to customer specifications. All manufacturing uses 6-year-old Korean ginseng in GMP-certified facilities with monthly production capacity of 12 tons.

Product overview

KGEC (주식회사 케이지이) is a Korean health functional food manufacturer specializing in Korean ginseng (인삼) and red ginseng (홍삼) products. The company operates as a single unified product portfolio centered around the LAVIVANT (라비반트) brand, meaning 'full of vitality and life'. The LAVIVANT brand encompasses concentrated liquid extracts (농축액), fermented red ginseng extracts (발효홍삼농축액), capsules (캡슐), powders (분말), teas (차), and stick-format products (스틱) for convenient consumption. The company uses 6-year-old Korean ginseng as the standard raw material and processes everything in GMP-certified facilities with strict quality control. Products are exported to approximately 30 countries worldwide including Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Japan. The company also offers raw material products (인삼농축액, 홍삼농축액, 발효홍삼농축액) and OEM manufacturing services for B2B customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LAVIVANT (라비반트): Main consumer brand for red ginseng products including concentrates, capsules, sticks, slices, and teas. The brand name means 'full of life and vitality'.

Products and services

• LAVIVANT Red Ginseng Extract Concentrate (라비반트 홍삼농축액) Premium red ginseng extract concentrate made from 6-year-old Korean red ginseng, slow-cooked to maximize efficacy; available in 120g, 50g, and 30g sizes with total ginsenoside content of 80mg/g or more and 60% solid content. Sold under the LAVIVANT brand to consumers and export distributors.
• LAVIVANT Red Ginseng Extract Concentrate 240g Larger 240g size of the standard LAVIVANT red ginseng concentrate, made from 6-year-old Korean red ginseng with total ginsenoside content of 80mg/g or more and 60% solid content. Targeted at regular consumers and gifting use.
• LAVIVANT Fermented Red Ginseng Extract - BLACK (라비반트 발효홍삼농축액-BLACK) Fermented red ginseng extract produced with KGEC's patented enzyme-treated fermentation technology, designed to reduce individual absorption differences associated with regular red ginseng. Contains 6-year-old fermented red ginseng extract with total ginsenoside of 80mg/g or more and 60% solid content.
• LAVIVANT Fermented Red Ginseng Extract - GOLD (라비반트 발효홍삼농축액-GOLD) Higher-tier fermented red ginseng extract using KGEC's patented fermentation process; contains 6-year-old fermented red ginseng extract with total ginsenoside of 110mg/g or more and 60% solid content, available in 120g, 50g, and 30g sizes.
• LAVIVANT Red Ginseng Extract Capsule (라비반트 홍삼농축액 캡슐) Capsule format combining 6-year-old Korean red ginseng extract with plant-based ingredients and active vitamins for convenient daily consumption. 830mg capsules, available in 180/120/60 capsule packs; 35% Korean red ginseng extract (total ginsenoside 80mg/g or more, 60% solid content).
• LAVIVANT Red Ginseng Powder Capsule (라비반트 홍삼 분말 캡슐) Capsule format containing 100% Korean 6-year-old red ginseng powder; 300mg capsules available in 180/120/60 capsule packs with total ginsenoside of 40mg/g or more. Designed for easy carrying and daily consumption.
• LAVIVANT Fermented Red Ginseng Extract Powder Capsule (라비반트 발효홍삼농축액분말 캡슐) High-concentration fermented red ginseng extract powder in capsule form, made with KGEC's patented fermentation technology. 300mg capsules available in 120/60/30 capsule packs; one capsule per day meets recommended intake; total ginsenoside 120mg/g or more.
• LAVIVANT Lingzhi/Ganoderma Capsule (라비반트 영지 캡슐) Capsule combining Korean lingzhi (Ganoderma) mushroom extract with plant-based ingredients including soybean oil, palm oil, beeswax, grape seed oil, and freeze-dried royal jelly. Contains 20% Korean lingzhi mushroom extract.
• LAVIVANT Red Ginseng Stick (라비반트 홍삼스틱) Convenient stick-format red ginseng product made from 6-year-old Korean red ginseng extract with herbal ingredients; contains ginsenoside Rg1+Rb1+Rg3 at 10mg/10g per stick. Available in 10g x 10/30/60/90 packet configurations; featured on home shopping channels.
• LAVIVANT F-One Red Ginseng Stick (LA VIVANT F1 홍삼스틱) Stick-format red ginseng product containing 6-year-old red ginseng extract at 9% (solid content 60% or more, ginsenoside Rg1+Rb1+Rg3 = 7mg/g, Korean origin), with oligosaccharides, jujube concentrate, angelica gigas extract, and ginseng berry extract; 24-month shelf life.
• LAVIVANT Ginseng Tea / Red Ginseng Tea (라비반트 인삼차/홍삼차) Premium tea product made from 6-year-old Korean red ginseng extract (total ginsenoside 80mg/g or more, 60% solid content) at 10%, glucose, and jujube concentrate at 2%. Available in 300g (3g x 100 packets), 150g (3g x 50 packets), and 90g (3g x 30 packets) sizes for daily consumption.
• LAVIVANT Honeyed Red Ginseng Slice (라비반트 홍삼정과) Red ginseng slices steeped in honey, made with red ginseng, oligosaccharides, liquid sugar, and honey; suitable for adults and children. Package contains 30g x 5 pieces.
• LAVIVANT Red Ginseng Root Slices (라비반트 홍삼절편)
• Red & White Ginseng Powder (홍삼&인삼 분말) Pure Korean 6-year-old red/white ginseng powder, finely processed for consumption mixed with water, raw foods, or porridge. Total ginsenoside content of 40mg/g or more; available in 180g, 120g, and 60g sizes. Sold as a raw material and B2B ingredient.
• Red Ginseng Tablet (홍삼타블렛) Tablet-format product made from 100% Korean 6-year-old red ginseng powder, designed for convenient carrying and consumption. Available in 120g and 60g sizes.
• Red Ginseng Pill (홍삼정환) Pill-format product combining 6-year-old red ginseng extract (37%, total ginsenoside 80mg/g or more, 60% solid content) with plant-based ingredients, vitamin C, rice powder, and dietary fiber. Available in 150g and 100g sizes.
• Root Red Ginseng (뿌리홍삼/홍삼근) Premium root red ginseng made from carefully selected 6-year-old ginseng cultivated in pristine natural soil. Recommended dosage: 20-30g for health promotion or 50-60g for constitution improvement, boiled in 1L water and reduced to half.
• Burdock Tea (우엉차) 100% Korean burdock tea for detoxification, blood circulation improvement, and skin trouble relief. 1g x 50 packets; steeped in boiling water for 2-3 minutes and reused 2-3 times.
• OEM/Private-Label Red Ginseng Manufacturing Service Custom product development and contract manufacturing service where KGEC produces finished red ginseng products (from raw materials to finished goods) under the customer's own brand name with specified ginsenoside types and content levels, taste, and packaging. Targeted at companies launching their own red ginseng or health supplement product lines without in-house GMP manufacturing capability.
• Red Ginseng Raw Material B2B Supply B2B sale of standardized ginseng extracts and powders (red ginseng extract, fermented red ginseng extract, red ginseng powder, etc.) in various concentrations for use by other manufacturers in health supplement products. Exports ongoing since 2012.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fermented red ginseng shows significantly higher ginsenoside bioavailability compared to regular red ginseng (e.g., Rh2 increases from 21.6 to 148.8 μg/mL, Rg5+Rk1 increases from 205.5 to 1849.1 μg/mL)

Named customers10 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LAVIVANT retail partnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLAVIVANT brand products are sold through retail stores in Czech Republic and through distributor agreements in the UK and Germany. The company has established offline retail presence and distribution networks across Europe.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KT&G (Korea Tobacco & Ginseng): Parent of Korea Ginseng Corporation and a diversified Korean conglomerate with major ginseng operations. Comparable as a Korean red ginseng exporter serving global markets, though KT&G operates at a vastly larger scale and across many non-ginseng categories.
• Amorepacific: Korean beauty/health conglomerate with ginseng-based functional ingredients (notably its R&D on ginseng compounds for skincare and supplements). Comparable in leveraging Korean ginseng for premium health/beauty applications, though Amorepacific's ginseng work is largely an R&D input rather than a standalone supplement brand.
• Korea Ginseng Corporation (KGC / Cheong Kwan Jang): The dominant Korean red ginseng producer, wholly-owned subsidiary of KT&G, operating the flagship Cheong Kwan Jang brand globally. Directly comparable as a Korean red ginseng manufacturer with GMP-certified facilities, extensive product portfolio (extracts, capsules, sticks, teas), and broad international distribution — but vastly larger scale and brand recognition than KGEC.
• Gyoung Poong Bio (Kwangdong Pharmaceutical): Korean pharmaceutical/health functional food company with red ginseng lines alongside broader health products. Comparable in ginseng manufacturing and GMP-certified operations, though it operates as a broader health/pharma incumbent rather than ginseng specialist.

Direct peers

• Korean Red Ginseng Co., Ltd. (Hong Sam Jung): Korean red ginseng manufacturer with broad consumer product line (concentrates, capsules, teas, jellies) and export activity. Directly comparable in product categories, format range, and Korean ginseng sourcing strategy.
• Daedong Korea Ginseng Co., Ltd. Mid-sized Korean red ginseng manufacturer with comparable product formats (extracts, capsules, sticks), GMP-certified facilities, and export operations. Closely comparable in scale and category to KGEC, also serving international markets with branded ginseng products.
• IL HWA Co., Ltd. Korean red ginseng producer with a comparable premium positioning and export footprint. IL HWA manufactures red ginseng extracts, capsules, and fermented products with international distribution, overlapping directly with KGEC's product mix and go-to-market model.

Others

• Dongwon F&B: Korean food and beverage company with health-functional food lines. Indirectly comparable as a Korean F&B manufacturer pursuing health-conscious consumer segments, though not specifically focused on ginseng/red ginseng products.

Emerging players

• Pulmuone Holdings: Korean health-food and supplement conglomerate with ginseng-containing functional product lines. Adjacent peer — operates in health functional foods with GMP manufacturing, but broader portfolio and larger scale than KGEC's ginseng focus.
• Oriental Bio (formerly Oriental Herb): Korean botanical/herbal health product manufacturer producing ginseng-based extracts and supplements. Comparable in herbal extraction and B2B ingredient supply, though smaller and more domestically focused than KGEC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kgec_ginseng

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 KGEC