Foodtech innovation, retail expansion and overseas strategy on display; NongHyup has invested a cumulative 6 billion won in the fresh-salad maker since 2021

Lee Young-woo (fourth from right), executive vice president of NH NongHyup Bank's agriculture and public finance division, poses for a photo with bank staff. [NH NongHyup Bank]
Lee Young-woo (fourth from right), executive vice president of NH NongHyup Bank's agriculture and public finance division, poses for a photo with bank staff. [NH NongHyup Bank]

NH NongHyup Bank showcased the growth of Sweet Balance, a food-and-agriculture portfolio company, as an example of its productive finance initiative.

The bank held an event Thursday at its headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, under the theme "Agricultural Innovation Nurtured by Finance," inviting Lee Un-seong, chief executive of Sweet Balance — a fresh-salad manufacturing company — to share the firm's foodtech innovation and scale-up journey.

Sweet Balance traces its origins to a startup club project at Seoul National University. Drawing on a decade of hands-on experience, the company developed its own manufacturing-focused platform, COMPASS OS, and used it to streamline operations, achieving a turnaround to profitability in the second half of 2025. In the first half of this year, it recorded monthly sales of 3 billion won ($2.19 million).

NH NongHyup Bank invested 4 billion won in Sweet Balance in 2021, recognizing its growth potential, and has since made follow-on investments, bringing its cumulative stake to 6 billion won.

At the event, Lee presented on "The Future of Fresh Healthy Convenience Foods and Scale-Up Strategy," covering management innovation through COMPASS OS, diversification of retail channels including Market Kurly and Costco, and plans for overseas market entry.

Lee Young-woo, executive vice president of NH NongHyup Bank's agriculture and public finance division, said Sweet Balance "is a strong example of what productive finance means — a company that raised its manufacturing competitiveness through data-driven operational innovation and achieved a turnaround to profitability." He added that the bank would "strengthen financial support tailored to each growth stage of promising agri-food companies and serve as a reliable partner through scale-up and overseas expansion."

Meanwhile, NH NongHyup Bank recently received a ministerial commendation from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs at the 2026 Agri-Food Financial Investment Road Show. The recognition acknowledged the bank's contribution to channeling private venture capital into the agri-food sector and broadening its investment base through the management of sub-funds under the agri-food fund of funds.


rim@heraldcorp.com