Lotte Ventures and ‘Future Diet’ Foodtech Startups Gear Up for AFPRO 2025

Introduction
From July 16–18, 2025, Lotte Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Lotte Group, will participate in the Agri & Food Tech Startup Rising Expo (AFPRO 2025) at COEX in Seoul. This marks another milestone for ‘Future Diet,’ Lotte Ventures’ flagship foodtech open innovation program, as it brings together cutting-edge startups to engage potential partners, investors, and consumers. Visitors to the Lotte Ventures booth can see, taste, and experience products developed by seven pioneering teams dedicated to reshaping Korea’s future food industry.

AFPRO 2025: Korea’s Premier Agri-Food Tech Event
AFPRO is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in partnership with the Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion Agency, NH Nonghyup, and COEX. Now in its third edition, the expo gathers over 200 agtech, foodtech, and green-bio enterprises across 359 booths, spotlighting innovations from smart farming to circular food systems. In previous iterations, AFPRO generated KRW 22.9 billion in investments and KRW 20 billion in sales, underscoring its pivotal role in Korea’s food startup ecosystem.

Future Diet Program Overview
Launched in collaboration with the Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion Agency and the Korea Institute of Startups and Entrepreneurship Development, ‘Future Diet’ scouts domestic foodtech startups and offers up to KRW 10 million per company for PoC trials with Lotte affiliates. Mentors include Lotte Central Research Institute, Lotte Wellfood, Lotte Chilsung Beverage, Lotte Hotel, Korea Seven, Lotte Home Shopping, Lotte GRS, and Lotte Duty Free, ensuring startups receive strategic guidance and market access.

Five-Generation Startups Debut at AFPRO
1. Romansive – Developer of customized sleep-enhancing foods; recently partnered with Lotte Hotel Seoul on the ‘Sleepcations’ lodging package, blending nutrition and hospitality.
2. Monthly Weekly – Provides one-stop private-label beverage solutions based on brand IP, innovating distribution and planning in Korea’s liquor market.
3. Nanu – Creates eco-friendly pulp containers and packaging to replace single-use plastics, aligning with global ESG trends.
4. ABBR – Upcycles beer by-products into sustainable coffee alternatives, championing circular economy principles.

Alumni Startups Showcase Proven Solutions
1. Biocom – Operates ‘Zero Bapsang,’ a sugar-free Korean meal brand; ‘Team Kito,’ a keto lunchbox line; and ‘The Clean Coffee,’ a premium coffee offering health-focused consumers.
2. Reharvest – Transforms food manufacturing by-products into high-value ingredients and products.
3. SY Solution – Develops plant-based meat alternatives to drive sustainable dietary shifts in Korea and beyond.

Hands-On Experience and Market Feedback
At AFPRO, attendees can sample sleep-support shakes, pulp packaging demos, upcycled coffee brews, keto meal kits, and plant-based meat dishes directly at the Lotte Ventures booth. Real-time feedback will inform PoC refinements and accelerate market-ready deployments, offering startups invaluable consumer insights.

Strategic PoC Collaborations
Lotte Ventures emphasizes more than capital—it provides integrated PoC opportunities with Lotte Group affiliates. Romansive’s ‘Sleepcations’ package exemplifies this synergy, merging startup innovation with corporate infrastructure to deliver a unique hospitality-nutrition product. By year-end, each ‘Future Diet’ startup will formalize collaboration models with relevant Lotte divisions, culminating in a Demo Day this November where outcomes will be revealed.

Community and Media Buzz
Leading Korean tech and startup outlets—including Platum, VentureSquare, BioTimes, StartupN, and Donga.com—have covered the AFPRO participation, highlighting the diverse startup lineup and Lotte’s deep-dive support approach. On Naver blogs and Tistory, influencers and foodtech enthusiasts have previewed product teasers, from eco-packaging unboxings to sleep-food taste tests, building anticipation among domestic and overseas audiences.

Cultural Insight: Fandom-Style Support
Korea’s startup scene often mirrors K-pop fandom dynamics, with early adopters forming passionate ‘fandoms’ around promising teams. Overseas fans should note how rapid prototyping, intensive mentor feedback, and collaborative showcases drive community engagement. Just as idol comebacks rely on teasers and fan events, startups leverage demo booths and pop-up samplings to galvanize support and virality.

Looking Ahead: Scaling Future Diet’s Impact
With ESG and wellness trends rising, ‘Future Diet’ startups are well positioned to influence global food systems. Lotte Ventures plans to scale successful PoCs into nationwide rollouts via Lotte retail channels and explore overseas distribution through Lotte Duty Free and international partner networks. AFPRO 2025 thus serves as both a showcase and a springboard for Korean foodtech innovation on the world stage.

Conclusion
AFPRO 2025 offers a vivid snapshot of Korea’s foodtech frontier, where Lotte Ventures and its ‘Future Diet’ cohort demonstrate how open innovation can accelerate sustainable, consumer-centric solutions. From sleep-enhancing nutrition to circular packaging and plant-based meats, visitors at COEX will witness the next wave of food industry transformation in action.