[Next K-Startup] Net's 'Tonic Water Effervescent Tablets' Bubbling with Dreams of Big Success

'Pocket Tonic' Solves Inconvenience of Traditional Tonic Water
Optimal Taste Achieved with Effervescent Tablet Core Technology
Plans to Expand Business Including Overseas Exports and Cafe Products

Tonic water is gaining tremendous popularity. As the culture of mixing tonic water with high-proof liquors such as whiskey spreads, the domestic tonic water market size exceeded 100 billion KRW in 2022. Centered on the MZ generation, 'Sotonic'?a mix of soju and tonic water?has also been steadily gaining favor, making tonic water an essential item at drinking gatherings. There is a company that has developed a new form of tonic water to enjoy it lightly and conveniently. That company is NET, which developed effervescent tablets for diluting tonic water.

Nexter Elevation - Kim Yesung, CEO of Net, is being interviewed by Asia Economy at the office in Sangdo-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

On the 7th, Kim Yesung, CEO of NET, said, "Existing tonic water has inconveniences such as large volume, heavy weight, and the generation of plastic waste," adding, "To resolve these complaints, we created 'Pocketonic,' the lightest tonic water in the world." NET, founded by CEO Kim in 2021, develops new effervescent tablet products. Pocketonic, in the form of a coin-sized effervescent tablet, produces bubbles the moment it meets liquid and transforms into tonic water. It can be consumed with soju, beer, or whiskey.

Kim, who majored in food engineering at university, explained, "To eliminate the unique slimy fishy taste and sourness of effervescent tablets and make it delicious, I conducted two years of direct research and development and completed patent applications," adding, "After hundreds of formulation tests, we were able to achieve the optimal taste." Pocketonic has been recognized for its commercial and technological value, receiving awards such as the Food Technology Award from the Korea Food Research Institute and the Minister of Science and ICT Award. Alongside this, continuous development is underway, preparing 12 patent applications for research on bitterness improvement and hangover relief functionality.

Compared to tonic water distributed in plastic bottles, Pocketonic significantly reduces plastic use, making it environmentally friendly. CEO Kim said, "Even if Pocketonic replaces only 10% of the tonic water market, it can reduce plastic waste by more than 3,000 tons annually," adding, "Starting this business made me aware of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and increased my interest in the environment." One container of Pocketonic can replace seven 300ml bottles of tonic water, and three containers can substitute for one box of tonic water.

SINCE launching Pocketonic in 2022, NET has been verifying its marketability and demand. CEO Kim said, "We first introduced the product through Wadiz funding and achieved sales of 50 million KRW in two weeks," adding, "Last year, we participated in an international liquor and wine expo and generated sales of 17 million KRW, verifying Pocketonic's market potential." NET is currently negotiating supply agreements with The Born Korea and Hanyang Hwaro. This year, the sales target is 1 billion KRW, with last year's sales at 140 million KRW.

NET is focusing on business-to-business (B2B) transactions to create a culture of making beverages using effervescent tablets. CEO Kim said, "Effervescent tonic water is a product that has never existed before, so it requires a process of educating and informing people," adding, "To break down entry barriers, we will collaborate with various brands to allow consumers to easily experience Pocketonic."

Nexter Elevation - Kim Yesung, CEO of Net, is being interviewed by Asia Economy at the office in Sangdo-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

NET plans to expand its sales channels overseas to countries such as the United States, Vietnam, and Germany. Pocketonic has advantages in export competition due to low logistics and storage costs and the ability to be stored at room temperature. CEO Kim stated, "We have completed a store entry meeting with a Korean supermarket located in San Francisco, USA," adding, "We are preparing for promotion and sales by participating in overseas liquor expos to target the local market."

Additionally, based on the proprietary effervescent tablet technology secured independently, NET is preparing to expand into other businesses. NET, which is about to enter the health functional food market, is discussing with Daewoong Pharmaceutical ways to produce the Urushot product in effervescent tablet form. This aims to reduce resistance and increase preference when consumed as an effervescent tablet. They are also conducting market tests to be used in cafes for beverage preparation and developing effervescent tablets suitable for that purpose.

CEO Kim is preparing to establish a corporation in the second half of this year. After securing growth capabilities through investment attraction, the company plans to make a full-scale entry into overseas markets starting next year. He said, "Our goal is to achieve an average annual growth rate of over 50% until 2030," adding, "We will continue to develop various products so that consumers can enjoy convenient pleasure anytime and anywhere."

Editor's NoteMore than 430 startups applied for the 2nd program of Next Elevation, a startup accelerator established by Asia Economy. This is more than three times the number of companies that applied for last year's first acceleration program. Among them, six startups were finally selected. These startups, which overcame a competition rate of 71 to 1, are currently honing their innovations. They are working on business advancement tasks such as setting key performance indicators (KPIs) and establishing product strategies with customized mentors for each company in preparation for the demo day to be held next month. We visited the site.