Amidst the ongoing loss of market share in South Korean agricultural and seafood wholesale markets to large-scale e-commerce platforms, CityGreen Energy – a startup based in Pangyo Techno Valley – is pursuing a different approach: digitizing traditional markets using data while simultaneously building a circular economy model operating according to market mechanisms.
At a recent meeting with VietnamPlus reporters in Pangyo Techno Valley, Seoul, CityGreen Energy introduced two key technological pillars: the Good Manager App – a B2B ordering platform for the agricultural and fisheries market, and a coffee grounds pellet processing machine, a solution for recycling urban waste integrated with an existing distribution network.
Digitizing the agricultural and aquatic product market with the Good Manager App.
According to representatives from CityGreen Energy, wholesale agricultural and aquatic product markets in South Korea still operate primarily through text messages and phone calls, limiting data management, demand forecasting, and logistics optimization. Meanwhile, major e-commerce platforms are leveraging technology to gain an advantage in speed and scale.
The Good Manager application was developed to fill this gap. Instead of completely changing the traditional model, the platform focuses on digitizing the ordering and payment process, helping distributors and small businesses: Transition manual orders to a digital system; Track revenue, inventory, and cash flow in real time; Analyze data to optimize shipping and supply; Maintain traditional advantages in fast delivery and trusted relationships, but on a modern digital platform.
According to Cho Sung-min, Vice President of CityGreen, digitizing this slow-changing segment will not only help local businesses increase their competitiveness but also lay the foundation for building a more efficient regional logistics network, especially in the context of rising operating costs.
Coffee grounds-to-pellet machine: Redefining the circular economy.
A notable highlight of CityGreen Energy's model is its self-developed coffee grounds pelletizing machine. Coffee grounds, with their high moisture content, bulkiness, and high processing costs, have made many previous recycling models heavily reliant on local government budgets.
CityGreen Energy's solution addresses the problem at its source. Coffee grounds are collected directly from cafes and processed on-site into high-density pellets, reducing storage and transportation costs. The company applies an immediate incentive mechanism, rewarding cafe owners with shopping vouchers or reward points, thereby encouraging voluntary participation.
The pellets are then distributed through the Good Manager App network to businesses, startups, or farmers who need them for use as biomass fuel, fertilizer, or raw materials for green production.
According to CityGreen Energy, this model forms a closed loop – from collection and processing to distribution – operating entirely according to market mechanisms, without relying on long-term subsidies.
Targeting Vietnam and other major coffee consuming markets.
CityGreen Energy stated that this integrated model is suitable for many countries facing two simultaneous challenges: managing coffee grounds waste and bridging the digital divide between traditional markets and e-commerce.
The company has identified target markets including Vietnam, Japan, China, as well as the US and Europe – where coffee consumption is high and ESG requirements are increasingly evident. In Vietnam, CityGreen Energy is implementing a pilot project (PoC) with partner Clickable Impact, aiming to build a distribution model suitable for the market's specific characteristics.
According to the plan, the company expects to begin commercialization in Ho Chi Minh City from the end of next year, before expanding to other major cities.
From Pangyo to the global market
Established in August 2023, CityGreen Energy has completed its Proof of Concept (PoC) in Suwon (South Korea), launched the SaaS version of the Good Manager App, signed MOUs with traditional market merchant associations, and begun international trials in Vietnam.
Cho Sung-min stated that the company will participate in CES 2026 to further introduce its circular economy model and distributed data platform to the global market.
In the context of digital transformation and the green economy becoming priorities for many countries, CityGreen Energy's approach of "digitizing from within the traditional market" combined with its self-operating circular economy mechanism is considered a noteworthy direction, especially in developing markets like Vietnam.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/so-hoa-thi-truong-truyen-thong-and-kinh-te-tuan-hoan-mo-hinh-kep-cua-citygreen-energy-tu-pangyo-post1082834.vnp
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