[Edaily Reporter Kim Ji-woo ] CJ CheilJedang Corp(097950)has selected four startups in the food, retail, materials, and robotics sectors to provide support for global business partnerships and investment.

CJ CheilJedang Corp. announced on the 5th that it has finalized the selection of four companies to participate in the sixth cohort of its open innovation program, “Frontier Labs.” Frontier Labs is a program designed to identify, invest in, and nurture agri-food startups with technologies and business ideas compatible with CJ CheilJedang Corp. Since its launch in 2021, the program has collaborated with a total of 19 startups over the past five years.

For this sixth cohort, approximately 260 startups applied—the highest number since the program’s inception. CJ CheilJedang Corp selected companies from the food ingredients, distribution, foodservice, and robotics sectors, taking into account factors such as global growth potential and business synergy.

The selected companies are: △Mr. Appa, which operates “Mr. Appa,” a direct-to-consumer distribution platform for fresh ingredients linked to local communities; △Humil, which develops B2B food ingredients for blood sugar management; △Bad Carrot, which operates the vegan restaurant “Gosari Express”; and △Newbility, a company specializing in autonomous physical AI solutions.

These startups kicked off their activities on the 23rd of last month with a workshop held with CJ CheilJedang Corp.’s operational business divisions, marking the first official event of the sixth cohort of “Frontier Labs.” Over the next six months, they will conduct proof-of-concept (PoC) projects with their assigned business divisions and participate in incubation programs, including one-on-one expert mentoring. Additionally, they will jointly design three-year growth roadmaps and secure follow-up investments and business collaborations at each stage.

Starting this year, the scope of proof-of-concept (PoC) projects—which had previously focused on domestic business divisions—will be expanded to include global operations. The plan is to identify projects that can be linked to overseas operations and validate their commercial viability in local markets, thereby increasing the participating startups’ potential for global expansion.

The sixth cohort of Frontier Labs is jointly operated by CJ CheilJedang Corp.’s Venture Investment Team, CJ Investment, and Mark & Company. This year, the company also established the “Frontier Labs Alliance,” a collaborative network involving 15 specialized investment firms and institutions in the agri-food sector. In the second half of the year, the company plans to build a collaborative network with global investment firms to lay the groundwork for joint investments and business partnerships.

Lee Hee-jun, Head of the Venture Investment Team at CJ CheilJedang Corp., said, “We are enhancing the program with a phased incubation system that supports startups’ growth, pilot testing, and commercialization,” adding, “We will continue to identify innovative startups that will help shape the global lifestyle.”