[Untact SMEs] The Special 'Latte Art' of Robot Baristas

My Own Latte
Smartphone Photo and Text Transmission
Printed with 6 Edible Colorants
Coffee Served Within 1 Minute 30 Seconds
'HappyBones' Enters the Coffee Market

There are competitive small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that possess the resilience to survive and sustain growth in the non-face-to-face (untact) economy. These companies are accelerating their response to the post-COVID era by developing untact business models and pioneering new markets. Timely and swift provision of policy funds played a significant role in scaling up these companies. We will examine successful cases of untact SMEs discovered and supported through a system involving policy financial institutions over a total of three installments.

Noseop Park, CEO of Pleto

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daeseop] 'Folletto,' a food styler specialized company located in Sinil-dong, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon Metropolitan City, has embarked on developing a 'Latte Art Robot Barista' to pioneer a new coffee market integrated with IT in line with the untact era. Named 'Happy Bones,' this device is a robot barista that extracts coffee and automatically serves it to customers within 1 minute and 30 seconds. Its distinctive feature is the ability to create latte art (various patterns such as hearts and flowers on coffee).

Park Noseop, CEO of Folletto, said, "Happy Bones, which will be introduced to the coffee market this year, is the first robot barista capable of making latte art," adding, "With the expanding untact demand in the coffee market, we expect sales growth."

Folletto was established in 1998 under the name Daeyeong Information System and has developed high-speed laser printers for over 20 years. The company has accumulated technology and know-how through various solutions and system developments related to high-speed laser printers. To make a new leap in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the company changed its name to Folletto and transformed into a food styler specialized company by developing the 3D latte art printer 'Folletto' last year.

The 3D latte art printer is an ICT-converged product that combines the functions of a laser art printer and a food styler. This printer uses six types of safe edible colorants to print photos or texts requested by customers onto coffee.

Customers can conveniently experience 3D latte art at stores using Folletto by using their smartphones. They scan the QR code attached to the coffee purchase receipt, access the service, then take a photo or edit/select saved photos or texts and send them. Store staff print the photos or texts received from the customer's smartphone using Folletto and provide them to the customer.

CEO Park said, "In line with the food tech trend in the food and dining industry and the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, we are developing ICT-integrated products to present a new business model in the coffee market," adding, "Anyone can easily create 3D latte art coffee, enabling us to enter various markets such as cafes, dessert specialty stores, and beer specialty stores."

3D Latte Art Printer 'PLETO' Showroom

The company’s steady development of new products and pioneering of new markets at each growth stage was greatly aided by policy funds such as the Small and Medium Business Corporation’s 'New Growth Foundation Fund' and 'Development Technology Commercialization Fund.' The Development Technology Commercialization Fund was established to activate startups of SMEs with excellent technology and business potential but lacking funds, and to create employment. The loan limits are quite substantial, with up to 3 billion KRW for facility funds and 500 million KRW for operating funds.

Kim Hakdo, Chairman of the Small and Medium Business Corporation, stated, "We will actively support SMEs with technology and business potential to pioneer new industry fields in line with the post-COVID era."

Folletto’s sales last year were 1.4 billion KRW, with a target of 1.7 billion KRW this year. CEO Park said, "Not only did we develop differentiated products with the support of policy funds, but we also improved the quality of employee jobs through training programs provided by the Small and Medium Business Corporation and the Youth Employee Tomorrow Filling Deduction." He added, "We expect the robot barista Happy Bones to establish itself as a 24-hour unmanned robot coffee shop in the post-COVID era."