LINE and Woowa Brothers, Operator of Korea’s Largest Food Delivery App, Enter Joint-Venture to Establish LINE Bros. 

 

Tokyo, Japan – October 9, 2014 – LINE Corporation, owner and operator of the free call and messaging app LINE, has decided to enter the on-demand e-commerce industry by establishing LINE Bros. Corporation through a joint venture with Woowa Borthers Corp., operators of Korea’s largest food delivery app, Baedal Minjok. Both companies plan a soft launch of the LINE WOW food delivery service limited to the Shibuya District of Tokyo area this fall.

 

A special website for LINE WOW was also opened today and has started accepting advance registrations in anticipation of the service’s release.

 

Website URL: http://wow.line.me

On-demand e-commerce has risen as a new tide within the smartphone industry through its ability to quickly provide users with the products and services they need. As smartphone usage rates have continued to increase, consumers have gained the ability to easily order products and services anywhere right from their fingertips. As a variety of different companies follow this trend into the market for food and daily product delivery, as well as taxi dispatch services, an expansion in the overall on-demand e-commerce market is expected.

 

LINE has continued to promote the expansion of its platform offering a variety of different content and services to an extensive smartphone user base both domestically and abroad. While this has led to successful outcomes, LINE has decided to join forces with Woowa Brothers in order to make its entrance into the on-demand e-commerce market and further accelerate the pace at which it can provide services matched even more closely to the daily needs of its users.

 

Woowa Brothers operates Baedal Minjok, Korea’s largest food delivery app, enjoying a 60% share of that market as well as total downloads of more than 13 million and a strong record of success in the on-demand e-commerce market. By founding LINE Bros., both companies aim to provide users with never-before-seen surprises and experiences by adding “delivery” to LINE’s platform through expanding LINE WOW, its new food delivery service, under the concept of “WOW yourself NOW!”

 

To start, the service will provide limited-edition premium lunches specially developed under the concept of “WOW-ing” users for the launch by world-renowned restaurants such as Ozaki and A Nu Retrouvez. The delivery area will be limited to the Shibuya District of Tokyo for the soft release, and service will begin this fall. More information on stores available, prices, etc., will be provided once the service is launched.

 

Both companies plan to expand on available menus, stores, areas, times and more with the aim of providing delivery services for a variety of different products based on a delivery network infrastructure built on a basis of food delivery.

 

 

Comment from Jun Masuda, CSMO of LINE Corporation

LINE WOW’s mission is to “WOW.” In other words, we want to provide users all-new exciting and surprising experiences achieved through promptly delivering the products demanded by all kinds of people. LINE’s expansion into the on-demand e-commerce market will allow us to further deepen the bond we have with our users and allow us to provide them with services as an infrastructure for life. We also plan to couple this new service with LINE Pay, the new payment service planned for release in the near future.”

 

Overview of New Company

Company name: LINE Bros. Corporation

Founded on: May 2, 2014

CEO: Director: Jun Masuda, CSMO of LINE Corporation

Capital: JPY 25,000,000

Business description: Delivery services aimed at smartphone users

 

Overview of LINE

Company name: LINE Corporation

Headquarters: 27F Shibuya Hikarie, 2-21-1 Shibuya, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo

Representatives: CEO Akira Morikawa, COO Takeshi Idezawa

Capital: JPY 12,596,190,000

Business description: Internet enterprises and web-based services (LINE, NAVER, livedoor)

Founded on: September 4, 2009

 

 

Overview of Woowa Brothers (As of October 3, 2014)

Company name: Woowa Brothers Corp. 

Headquarters: 158-2 Seokchon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea 

Representative: CEO Bongjin Kim 

Capital: KRW 460,000,000 (approx. JPY 46 million)

Business description: Operating food delivery and order-based commerce platform 

Founded on: March 10, 2011

Main App: Baedal Minjok (The Delivery People)

- Launch date: June 25, 2010

- Total downloads: 13,000,000 

- Monthly orders: 3,800,000

- Monthly total transaction amount:：KRW 70 Billion (Approx. JPY 7 billion)

 

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