Food tech startup Gustave, led by CEO Joo Hyun-woo, has announced plans to launch a customized health meal solution powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The service, expected to be fully developed in the second half of this year, will analyze individual health data to recommend optimized meal plans.
Established last year, Gustave initially focused on traditional rice cakes, generating 700 million won in sales and amassing over 30,000 customers. The company is now pursuing product certifications to expand into the U.S. and Japanese markets, with the goal of becoming a global food technology leader.
Unlike generic health convenience foods that offer uniform nutrients, Gustave’s solution will provide customized products catering to specific health objectives, such as post-exercise recovery, blood sugar control, and dietary needs. The service will be integrated with a subscription model, offering solutions that adapt to customers’ evolving health conditions.
Gustave’s AI-driven recommendation system operates in four stages:
- Customers input their health data, including dietary habits, exercise routines, health goals, and blood sugar management details.
- The AI analyzes this data.
- The AI recommends optimal nutritional meals tailored to each individual.
- Recommended products are automatically delivered through regular subscriptions, with AI continuously refining suggestions based on user feedback.
The AI system will go beyond mere product recommendations, proactively adjusting to changes in customers’ health. For instance, if a customer increases their exercise intensity, the AI will automatically suggest products with higher protein content. Furthermore, the system will analyze customers’ dietary patterns and deliver new customized recommendations through a quarterly “AI Health Report.”
Gustave is working with HACCP-certified manufacturers to develop a diverse product line, featuring products enhanced with protein and those with low- and high-protein functionalities. These include rice bars designed to minimize blood sugar spikes compared to traditional rice cakes, protein supplements combining whey and vegetable proteins for post-workout recovery, and low-carbon meal replacements formulated with allulose and stevia as alternative sweeteners.
The company also plans to establish various collaborative models, including:
- Providing customized health meals for blood sugar management in hospitals and pharmacies.
- Offering personalized nutritional meals for post-exercise recovery in fitness centers and gyms.
- Developing personalized wellness food subscription services for corporate employee benefit programs.
“Our aim is to provide personalized nutrition solutions backed by scientific data, not just basic health meals,” stated CEO Joo Hyun-woo. “We will expand to AI nutrition analysis services that reflect customers’ health conditions in real time, particularly in connection with smart devices.” He added, “We intend to offer more sophisticated customized solutions, especially in conjunction with health apps or blood glucose meters.”
