[2026 The CEO of Catholic Kwandong University Early-Stage Startup Package] ROMORPH, A company developing an AI, robotics, and motion-capture-based smart kitchen platform for kitchen automation

Sungchol Hong, CEO of ROMORPH

-Flagship item is the ‘Automated Cooking Robot’, a smart kitchen platform that programs and stores an expert chef's cooking movements into data using AI and motion-capture technology, enabling the identical reproduction of a skilled chef's expertise anytime, anywhere.

-Quantifies a chef's ‘tacit knowledge’—such as temperature control, pan handling, and ingredient insertion timing—via motion capture and sensor data, saving it as recipe data to replicate consistent quality.

ROMORPH is an advanced food-tech enterprise that develops a kitchen automation platform based on AI and robotics technology. The company was founded in August 2025 by CEO Sungchol Hong (54).

“ROMORPH is not simply an automated cooking equipment manufacturer”, CEO Hong introduced. “We are a smart kitchen platform enterprise that digitizes and replicates a chef's expertise utilizing AI robotics and motion-capture technology.”

“I have directly operated restaurants and franchise venues on the ground for a long time”, Hong shared. “While managing these businesses, the most critical challenges I observed firsthand were severe labor shortages, rising labor costs, and variance in food quality. Initially, I approached the food and beverage (F&B) sector as a venture capital investment examiner. However, after experiencing consecutive losses, I recognized the necessity of gaining a deeper understanding of the field. This led me to complete a master's program in entrepreneurship at Korea University, after which I ventured into business again, armed with both on-site experience and academic foundations. The success or failure of an F&B business often hinges entirely on securing skilled personnel. In reality, however, it is becoming increasingly difficult to consistently retain skilled labor. When employees change, the taste of the exact same menu alters, and this inconsistency immediately damages customer satisfaction and revenue. I have long contemplated how to solve this bottleneck through technology rather than relying solely on human labor.”

The company's flagship item is the ‘Automated Cooking Robot.’ Moving beyond a machine that simply prepares food, it serves as a smart kitchen platform that learns an expert chef's cooking techniques through AI and motion-capture technology, stores that seasoned expertise as data, and seamlessly reproduces it with absolute consistency anytime, anywhere.

The core framework consists of three pillars. First is the digitization of expertise. A chef's ‘tacit knowledge’—encompassing heat control, wok/pan manipulation, and the precise timing of ingredient insertion—is quantified using motion-capture and sensor data, then systematically saved as recipe data.

Second is consistent quality replication. The robot executes the stored cooking data precisely as programmed, guaranteeing uniform taste across different locations, times, and operators. The company is currently driving commercialization with a primary focus on an automated system for stir-fried dishes.

Third is a data-accumulating platform. As the system cooks, data continuously accumulates, which is then fed back into recipe management, quality analysis, and demand forecasting. In essence, the core asset of this structure resides in operational data rather than the hardware itself.

“While our competitors stop at the level of basic automated cooking machines, ROMORPH differentiates itself as a platform that collects, analyzes, and replicates culinary data”, Hong emphasized. “The challenges confronting the F&B industry are clear: recruitment difficulties, surging labor costs, high closure rates, and taste imbalances triggered by the departure of skilled workers. ROMORPH is a company that treats the culinary domain—the most labor-dependent area in F&B—as data. We are not aiming to replace humans. By delegating repetitive, hazardous tasks to robots and allowing humans to focus on creative roles, we intend to alleviate labor shortages and realize the standardization of taste.”

To validate the system, ROMORPH plans to conduct on-site testing for franchise headquarters and affiliates through the Korea Franchise Industry Institute, verify operations at directly managed stores, and pursue promotions through domestic and international exhibitions, YouTube, and various social media channels.

In terms of financing, ROMORPH successfully secured an initial seed investment of KRW 20 million from private investors in 2025. In February 2026, the company signed a Letter of Commitment (LOC) for an investment worth KRW 200 million with F1 Partners Co., Ltd. The company is currently in investment discussions with multiple venture capitals (VCs) and accelerator (AC) firms, aggressively pursuing follow-on funding rounds for technological advancement and market expansion.

“Since regions like China and Southeast Asia consume stir-fried dishes as their staple diet, we view them as more optimal target markets for pioneering sales channels than South Korea”, Hong noted. “We are establishing overseas expansion blueprints alongside the global rise of K-culture and Korean cuisine.”

Regarding future roadmaps, CEO Hong stated, “Beyond becoming South Korea’s representative food-tech company, our ultimate goal is to grow into a global kitchen automation platform enterprise. In the short term, we are heavily focused on commercializing our automated stir-fry system, securing early adopters, and expanding strategic partnerships with franchise headquarters and major F&B brands.”

Date of Establishment: August 2025
Core Business: AI, robotics, and motion-capture-based kitchen automation smart kitchen platform
Key Achievements: Selected for the 2025 Preliminary Startup Package (1st Round), Filed a patent for an 'Automated Cooking Device for Stir-fried Dishes' (December 2, 2025), Secured KRW 20 million in private angel investment (2025), Signed a Letter of Commitment (LOC) for a KRW 200 million investment with F1 Partners Co., Ltd. (February 2026), Follow-on investment discussions actively underway with multiple VCs and ACs, Selected for the 2026 Early Startup Package

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com