Cyberport incubatee Kamakura Foods Limited signed investment and strategic partnership agreements with subsidiary of Golden Resources Group. Golden Resources becomes a strategic investor of Wada Bento. Wada Bento will extend its presence of “Wada Bento” brand, bento products and hot-chain bento machine platform to South East Asia by leveraging the Circle K Vietnam network, which is being operated by Golden Resources.

Wada Bento and Golden Resources Expand Ready-to-Eat Food Market in South East Asia

Wada Bento and Golden Resources aim to expand their ready-to-eat food market in South East Asia by introducing the Wada Bento’s brand, bento products and hot-chain bento machine platform to Circle K Vietnam, the Golden Resources Group’s leading chain of convenience stores in Vietnam. Wada Bento’s Japanese Co-founder and Executive Chef Manabu Oikawa, who has over 25 years of experience in foodservice industry and oversaw Japanese cuisine R&D in famous restaurant and supermarket chains, will design and supervise the production of a Japanese Bento menu catering to the local market. The business will start from the Circle K network in Ho Chi Ming City and expand to the over 400 Circle K stores in Vietnam in 4 years.

Synergies between Wada Bento and GR to Leverage Circle K Vietnam Platform

“Circle K Vietnam will, through this strategic collaboration with Wada Bento, continue to improve and enhance the total customer experience. Fueled by convergence of cutting-edge technologies inventing by Wada Bento, we aim to develop our innovative foodservice strategy further and expand our market by introducing WOW products to cater rapidly changing demand from customers,” said Anthony Lam, CEO of Golden Resources.

“This collaboration is an important step for the overseas expansion of Wada Bento. South East Asia, particularly Vietnam, is in the midst of a robust economic development accompanied by fast growing middle class and an increasing demand for innovative products and technologies from young adults and professionals, making it an attractive market. For these reasons, we chose Vietnam as the first step of our overseas expansion and partner with Circle K Vietnam, which is the leading international convenience store chain in Vietnam,” said Jason Chen, CEO and Co-Founder of Wada Bento.

Alice So, Head of Entrepreneurship of Cyberport, congratulated Wada Bento, “As the incubator of Wada Bento, Cyberport is glad to have witnessed the company starting from its first store at our campus to a network across the city, and now extending its footprint to Japan and Southeast Asia. It improves people’s livelihood with innovative technologies. The collaboration sets the example that start-ups are capable of cooperating with large enterprises and expanding overseas businesses.”