BioFoods Story

What BioFoods Story does

BioFoods Story is a privately held South Korean consulting and Contract Research Organization (CRO) founded in 2011 and headquartered in Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do. The company provides one-stop services for health functional food developers, pharmaceutical firms, and cosmetics companies, spanning R&D strategy establishment (PM/TRM/STRM), clinical trial design and monitoring (Protocol/CRF development, statistical analysis), toxicity and functionality testing, and KFDA/MFDS individual recognition registration for new functional raw materials. Its service model is sales-led, targeting enterprise clients through referrals from academic, government, and industry network partners accumulated since founding.

The company also sells two proprietary branded consumer product lines developed in-house: the A.C Promise Line skincare cosmetics (Calming Mist, Spot Clear Essence, Don't Worry Mask Pack, and an upcoming cream for H2 2025), built around a proprietary M1 natural-origin core material with technical escrow protection and validated through two rounds of human clinical trials; and Chuit-Key, a hangover cure tablet based on Black Rice Fermented Powder, which won the 2020 Korea Outstanding Patent Award. A.C Promise Line has achieved regulatory registrations in the EU (CPNP 2022), US (MoCRA), India (CDSCO), and is pursuing China NMPA registration, with exports to Spain, Portugal, US, Japan, Laos, India, Singapore, Vietnam, and China via Naver Smart Store, MADE BY LAB, and Boxobliss.

The business model combines professional services revenue (CRO, licensing proxy, total consulting, R&D contracts) with consumer product sales. The team is led by founder/CEO Dr. Shin Yu-Rim (MD) and includes at least six PhD-level researchers spanning food engineering, immunology, clinical nursing, agricultural chemistry, and food science. As of reporting, the company has completed 107 projects and served 389 customers since 2011. No external funding rounds, institutional investors, or disclosed revenue figures were identified in the available data.

Name

BioFoods Story

Legal name

BioFoods Story, INC.

Website

https://bf-story.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BioFoods Story is a South Korean CRO founded in 2011 providing one-stop consulting, clinical trial services, and KFDA/MFDS regulatory approval support for health functional food developers and cosmetics firms, and sells proprietary skincare (A.C Promise Line) and hangover cure (Chuit-Key) consumer products across domestic and export markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Functional Food & Cosmetics Consulting / CRO

akta.pro primary industry

Pharmacovigilance, Risk Management & Medical Affairs CROs (HLAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dietary/Functional Claim Substantiation (e.g., high-protein, low-sugar, keto, low-FODMAP) (AFALAHAE), Sensitive Skin & Barrier Repair (CRABAAAG), Probiotics & Digestive Health Supplements (CRADAGAF)

Keywords

• Health functional food consulting
• Clinical trial CRO services
• Cosmetic regulatory consulting
• Supplement regulatory approval
• Functional ingredient R&D

Headquarters

HQ city

Honam

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CRO Services (Clinical Trial Outsourcing): Clinical trial contract research services for health functional food development, covering planning, Protocol/CRF development, trial monitoring, statistical processing, and documentation from initiation to regulatory submission.
2. Health Functional Food Licensing/Approval Proxy: KFDA/MFDS individual recognition application agency service, handling documentation, submission, review, and approval for health functional food raw materials not listed in the Korean Food Standards Codex.
3. Total Consulting Services: Comprehensive consulting from PM/TRM/STRM strategy establishment through standardization, functionality testing, toxicity testing (GLP proxy), clinical trials, and individual recognition registration. Covers government and corporate R&D projects.
4. Proprietary Product Sales (A.C Promise Line & Chuit-Key): Sale of proprietary branded consumer products including the A.C Promise Line cosmetics (skin calming mist, spot clear essence, don't worry mask pack) and Chuit-Key hangover cure supplement, sold via direct e-commerce, Naver Smart Store, and MADE BY LAB mall.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BioFoods Story provides one-stop consulting and CRO services for health functional food and cosmetic development, spanning R&D strategy, clinical trial CRO (Protocol/CRF, monitoring, statistical analysis), KFDA/MFDS individual recognition licensing proxy, and total consulting. In parallel, the company sells proprietary branded products — the A.C Promise Line clinical skincare cosmetics (Calming Mist, Spot Clear Essence, Don't Worry Mask Pack) built on its proprietary M1 natural-origin material, and the Chuit-Key hangover cure tablet containing black rice fermented powder.

Product overview

BioFoods Story operates as a functional food and cosmetics consulting institution offering both products and services. The product portfolio consists of two main lines: (1) A.C Promise Line cosmetics — a clinical-based skincare sub-brand featuring three formulations (Calming Mist, Spot Clear Essence, Don't Worry Mask Pack) developed using proprietary M1 Formula targeting acne with proven non-comedogenic and non-irritant results; and (2) Chuit-Key hangover cure tablets using black rice fermentation powder. On the services side, the company provides a one-stop total solution encompassing CRO clinical trial services, KFDA/FDA licensing proxy, comprehensive functional food consulting, and government/industry R&D. The business model combines product sales with high-value consulting services for health functional food development from strategy through regulatory approval.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chuit-Key (취트키): Hangover cure functional food product developed with black rice fermentation powder, featuring M1 material technology and patent-escrowed ingredients. Won Korea Outstanding Patent Award 2020 and selected as Korea Best New Product 2021.
• A.C Promise Line

Products and services

• Clinical Trial CRO Service (임상시험 전문CRO) Contract Research Organization services for health functional food clinical trials covering clinical trial planning, Protocol/CRF development, monitoring, statistical processing and analysis, and documentation for regulatory submission. Targeted at health functional food developers and pharmaceutical companies lacking in-house clinical trial capabilities.
• Health Functional Food Licensing/Approval Proxy (건강기능식품 인허가대행) Regulatory licensing proxy service for KFDA/MFDS individual recognition of new raw materials not listed in the Korean Food Standards Codex. Handles application preparation, documentation, submission, review, and approval processes on behalf of functional food developers.
• Total Consulting Service (토탈 컨설팅) Comprehensive A-to-Z functional food consulting from PM/TRM/STRM strategy establishment through standardization, safety/efficacy/toxicity testing (GLP proxy), clinical trials, and individual recognition registration. Covers both government and corporate R&D projects in the functional food industry.
• R&D Service (연구개발) R&D services for government agencies and companies covering functional food and cosmetic ingredient research domains including obesity, sexual function, blood glucose, hepatic function, hangover relief, antioxidants, cholesterol, blood pressure, gastrointestinal, dementia, atopy, joint health, anti-wrinkle, and skin-whitening.
• A.C Promise Line - Calming Mist (피부진정 미스트) Facial toner mist from the A.C Promise Line clinical skincare series, optimized for skin calming, designed to manage comedonal acne and uneven skin texture with rapid soothing properties. Features the proprietary M1 natural-origin material and is free of parabens and artificial fragrance.
• A.C Promise Line - Spot Clear Essence (스팟클리어 에센스) Fast-absorbing essence from the A.C Promise Line aimed at soothing reddened and irritated skin caused by advanced acne, with lavender scent and smooth texture. Built on the proprietary M1 natural-origin core material.
• A.C Promise Line - Don't Worry Mask Pack (돈워리 마스크팩) Hypoallergenic mask pack from the A.C Promise Line with sebum-controlling essence designed for skin rest and reset; suitable for acne-prone skin including KF mask-induced irritation. Features the proprietary M1 Formula and is free of harmful ingredients.
• Chuit-Key (취트키) Hangover Cure Tablet Hangover cure supplement tablet using black rice fermentation powder as the main immune material, with clinically proven acetaldehyde elimination activity. Small tablet format (4 tablets, 2.08g) for convenient portability. Won 2020 Korea Outstanding Patent Award for the proprietary black rice fermented powder; selected as Korea's Best New Product 2021.

Quantifiable outcome

• 107 projects completed across CRO, licensing, and consulting domains since 2011
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 식품의약품안전처 (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, MFDS/KFDA)coreOthersBioFoods Story works closely with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for individual recognition registration of health functional food materials. The company's core business involves navigating MFDS regulatory pathways.
• 전북대학교병원 기능성식품 임상시험지원센터 (CTCF2 – Jeonbuk National University Hospital)coreOthersCTCF2 (Clinical Trial Center for Functional Foods) is a key clinical trial network partner. BioFoods Story conducts human application tests through this network. The company publishes CTCF2 newsletters on its R&D information page.
• 한국건강기능식품협회 (Korea Health Functional Food Association)minorOthersListed as a related site on the company website. The association publishes market data and consumer surveys that inform the company's consulting services.
• 농림축산식품부 (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)minorOthersListed as a related site. The ministry provides funding and policy direction for the health functional food industry that affects the company's client base.
• 한국보건산업진흥원 (Korea Health Industry Development Institute, KHIDI)minorOthersListed as a related site. KHIDI supports the health industry development that aligns with BioFoods Story's business scope.
• BoxoblissminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoxobliss serves as a marketplace channel for A.C Promise Line cosmetics internationally, distributing products to end consumers in multiple countries.
• MADE BY LABminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMADE BY LAB operates as the official mall for A.C Promise Line and Chuit-Key products, serving as a direct-to-consumer branded e-commerce storefront.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Cosrx: Korean skincare brand focused on sensitive, acne-prone skin with strong D2C and e-commerce presence. Comparable to A.C Promise Line on target consumer and channel strategy, with significantly greater brand awareness.

Direct peers

• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with strong food and cosmetics testing practices. Comparable as a CRO/regulatory services provider serving health functional food and cosmetics developers across multiple geographies.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global CRO and food/cosmetics testing leader with extensive Korean operations. Directly comparable to BioFoods Story on functional food clinical testing, regulatory compliance, and analytical services for health functional food and cosmetics clients.
• Intertek: Global quality assurance and testing provider with food, cosmetics, and regulatory service lines. Comparable to BioFoods Story's clinical testing, regulatory approval proxy, and consulting offerings for consumer health and beauty clients.
• Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL): Korean government-affiliated testing and certification body providing food, cosmetics, and regulatory testing services. Comparable to BioFoods Story on functional food testing and KFDA-aligned certification work, though operating at institutional scale.

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA: World's largest clinical CRO with Korean operations. Comparable on clinical trial design, monitoring, and regulatory consulting, but operates at a global scale and focuses on pharmaceutical rather than functional food trials.
• LG Household & Health Care: Major Korean consumer health and cosmetics group with dermo-cosmetic and functional food brands. Comparable on the cosmetics and functional consumer product dimensions of BioFoods Story, though diversified across many categories.
• Cosmax: Korea's largest cosmetics ODM/OEM serving global beauty brands. Comparable to BioFoods Story on the cosmetics development and OEM partnership model for A.C Promise Line, but at vastly larger manufacturing scale.
• Amorepacific: Korea's largest cosmetics conglomerate with brands such as Sulwhasoo, Laneige, and Innisfree. Comparable to BioFoods Story on the A.C Promise Line cosmetics brand and sensitive-skin positioning, though at vastly greater scale and distribution reach.
• Charles River Laboratories: Large preclinical and clinical CRO serving pharma and biotech globally. Comparable to BioFoods Story on clinical trial design and execution, though Charles River operates at significantly larger scale and primarily serves drug developers rather than functional foods.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 BioFoods Story