'Metaverse Hub' was opened in May to support metaverse company development, human resource development, and content testing and demonstration. To create a leading foundation for a new hyper-connected and hyper-realistic metaverse industry, the Ministry of Science and ICT reorganized the ICT-Culture Convergence Center located in Pangyo 2nd Techno Valley, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do into Metaverse Hub. The interview was with Deokhwa Shin, the CEO new commerce platform 'PIGSELL' located in Metaverse Hub and discussed the background of growth.
Q. Please introduce what kind of company Matekorea is.
A. Matekorea is a startup aiming for a small digital KOTRA, and we have top-tier commerce channels in each country. By preparing exclusive contracts for Korean Pavilion and sole banner advertisement rights with these partners, we are helping companies to enter overseas markets quickly.
Q. What motivated you to move into the Metaverse Hub?
A. Matekorea is a new startup established in 2017, and the burden of office operation costs was very high. We were able to solve this problem by getting support through the Metaverse Hub. In addition, through moving in, we are receiving one-stop support for trends and concepts in the overall industry, as well as educational consulting.
Q. How would you describe the newly launched PIGSELL?
A. After starting the advertising agency described above, the number of customers has increased to 180. Each company needs a total solution and service, but we found a problem that requires a lot of resources. To solve this problem, Matekorea has developed an IT solution ‘PIGSELL’ that registers and sells products with one click. In the global expansion, not only B to C, but also all services from B to B are provided as one-stop service.
Q. What makes PIGSELL unique?
A. In the case of other integrated solutions, branded companies had to go to e-commerce in other countries and sign up before using the integrated solution to receive the service. Due to the complicated and inconvenient sign-up process, small business owners found it particularly difficult to sign up for e-commerce. PIGSELL allows users to use services without directly signing up for e-commerce in other countries and incorporates marketing and additional services together. The distinguishing point of PIGSELL is that it is possible to use marketing services that lead to sales promotion.
Q. When will PIGSELL launch?
A. There is not yet a website where you can see accurate information about PIGSELL, but we plan to create and launch a website by October of this year. After the launch, we plan to inform more brands through various marketing channels.
Q. What is Matekorea's future plan?
A. Currently, it is PIGSELL version 1.0, and the goal is to first sign a partnership contract exclusively for the Korean Pavilion and then recruit 900 customers. By operating the Korean Pavilion commerce in the top tier of global countries, it will be possible to quickly enter 900 channels in nearly 30 countries. The ultimate goal of PIGSELL is to become a multi-global integrated solution that enables sellers in Africa to sell products in Korea as well.
Electronic Times Internet Reporter Eunjung Judy Yu(judy6956@etnews.com)