[2025 University of Seoul Campus Town Startup CEO] ‘Zuru&Grey,’ Creator of HooLoop, a Nutritional Seasoning Specifically Tailored to Cats

Jiyeon Park, CEO of Zuru&Grey

HooLoop, made from high-protein, hypoallergenic, eco-friendly insect protein and catnip, which cats love
Encourages cats to eat food or snacks they don’t like and supplements nutritional deficiencies

Zuru&Grey is the creator of ‘HooLoop,’ a nutritional seasoning for cats made with insect protein and catnip. It was founded in June 2025 by CEO Jiyeon Park, (39).

The company’s signature product is ‘HooLoop,’ a nutritional seasoning designed for cats that’s made from high-protein, hypoallergenic, eco-friendly insect protein, and catnip, which cats love. It comes in packets that are easy to sprinkle on top of food or snacks, and the initial lineup includes two flavors: catnip & salmon and catnip & pollack. Just a sprinkle improves palatability, so even picky cats will be encouraged to eat, while also supplementing nutrition.

The competitiveness of the HooLoop seasoning lies in its nutrition, palatability, and convenience. Insect protein is high in protein and hypoallergenic, and also provides essential amino acids, which help maintain a cat’s health. Cats love the herb catnip, so it was added to enhance the pleasure of eating, and the seasoning comes in two flavors, salmon and pollack, for added variety.

The sprinkle seasoning packets are like a pepper shaker, so it’s easy to add to a pet’s daily meals. In particular, insect protein is attracting attention overseas as a ‘sustainable protein,’ and its eco-friendly value and global scalability give the product a competitive advantage.

Zuru&Grey primarily sells through its own online store and operates several brand SNS accounts. It is marketing to cat owners who are interested in premium and eco-friendly products. For this, the company plans to enter online shopping malls with a high frequency of use by such consumers and verify customer responses through actual sales data. At the same time, it plans to actively utilize various support programs, such as distribution consultations, and expand sales channels, starting by participating in PB consultations at BEXCO in Busan this month. In addition, the company recently passed the entry program at Grocery Stuff (I’Park Mall Yongsan Branch), laying a foundation for expanding the initial distribution.

“More than just distribution, we plan to expand our brand reach through partnerships and collaborations with other brands. We are also open to interesting and diverse collaboration proposals, not just in the pet food sector.”

What made CEO Park decide to start a new company? “For about eight years, I’ve been running a cafe and shop with the concept of a ‘cat cafe without cats.’ At the same time, I have experience selling domestic catnip through our own online mall and exhibitions. Through this, I was able to confirm how palatable catnip is to cats and that owners often use it on a daily basis. I thought that by combining the nutritional value and eco-friendliness of insect protein, which has recently been attracting attention, I could create a new type of product tailored to cats. That’s how the idea for the nutritional seasoning ‘HooLoop’ was born.”

Zuru&Grey was selected for the New Business Startup Academy (Gyeonggi) and the University of Seoul Campus Town, and is receiving commercialization funds and various forms of other support. Based on this, the company is focusing on producing prototypes, marketing, and other initial business activities to stabilize business.

Following the launch of the startup, said CEO Park, “I feel a sense of accomplishment when I see the ideas that were in my head turned into actual products,” and added, “This is still a one-person business, but I’m building a cooperative system with an OEM partner that takes care of production and a design company that’s in charge of brand visuals.”

Regarding future plans, CEO Park said, “I’m currently focusing on expanding the lineup with various flavors and enhanced functionality,” and added, “To achieve this, on top of the current pet nutrition and functional products, I plan to simultaneously increase functionality and regional value by developing differentiated products that spotlight regional specialties.”

CEO Park continued, “Rather than staying in the domestic market, I plan to grow Zuru&Grey into a brand that can thrive in overseas markets by localizing the products to meet the pet food trends and consumer preferences of each country,” and added, “To this end, as a benefit of winning the Eunpyeong Startup League, we participated in a local market exploration program and expert exchanges in China, and starting with this, we plan to continue developing global sales channels.”

Date of Establishment: June 2025
Main Business: ‘HooLoop,’ a nutritional seasoning for cats
Performance: Selected for the 2025 New Business Startup Academy (Gyeonggi), University of Seoul Campus Town tenant company, Eunpyeong Startup League Encouragement Award, Women’s Business Enterprise Certification, selected for the IP Stepping Stone Program, passed the entry program for Grocery Stuff (I’Park Mall Yongsan Branch)

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com