Choi Sae-mi, CEO of the K-Beauty tech startup Maycoders, confidently stated in a recent interview with eDaily:

“Riding the wave of Hallyu as a cultural phenomenon, global demand for K-Beauty will continue to grow, and even more foreign buyers will turn to us.”

Platform Overview: MAYK and Seoul4PM

Maycoders operates MAYK, a core business that connects overseas cosmetics sellers looking for customized K-Beauty products with domestic Korean manufacturers. Established as a company in September 2020, Maycoders has quickly gained attention in the industry due to its rapid growth and strong focus on K‑Beauty.

The company serves a broad range of global clients, including influencers, distribution businesses, and beauty companies. Thanks to the popularity of K-Beauty worldwide, Maycoders achieved an annual trade volume of $1.4 million, earning the “Million-Dollar Export Tower” award.

The startup received ₩450 million (~$350k) in seed funding from Kakao Ventures in January 2022, was selected for South Korea’s TIPS program (Tech Incubator and Private Sector-led Program) in March 2022, and was designated a “Global Small Giant” in June.

Fast Product Design and Sampling

From early on, Maycoders emphasized both technology and business viability. The company first focused on the Philippines market. Choi explained:

“From the beginning, we intended to operate globally, not just in Korea. We began by applying digital processes to cosmetics trade with the Philippines.”

Early on, Maycoders shipped domestic Korean beauty products to Filipino buyers. Through close communication with these partners, they developed the current custom-order system.

Choi added:

“Local buyers struggled with low margins due to ‘price wars’ when importing existing products. They told us, ‘We want to make our own Korean cosmetics.’ That’s what inspired us to mediate manufacturing of Korean cosmetics.”

MAYK: Built-In Custom Design and Sampling

In September 2022, Maycoders launched MAYK, a digital K-Beauty factory platform. Through MAYK, overseas buyers can request their desired product, design, or packaging. They can also review samples from various small to mid‑sized Korean manufacturers before choosing whom to partner with. To streamline the process, MAYK holds tens of thousands of labeling designs, making packaging choices effortless. The manufacturers producing MAYK orders boast well-established capabilities, with annual revenues ranging from ₩10 billion to ₩50 billion (approximately $7–35 million).

Dual Strategy: Manufacturing and Distribution

Choi emphasized that Korea hosts over 6,000 cosmetic manufacturers, and even more if you include packaging and other related suppliers. However, many of these companies lack the means to market themselves overseas. Maycoders connects them with foreign buyers interested in small-lot, multi-product orders, offering flexible, demand-driven partnerships.

Beyond manufacturing services, Maycoders also operates Seoul4PM, a B2B e-commerce platform serving buyers across Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines), as well as in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Congratulations, customers can easily reorder products, handle trade processes, and even access localized split-payment options—substantially improving access to K-Beauty products worldwide.

Choi stated their long-term vision clearly:

“Once new brands are produced under the Maycoders name through manufacturing, we aim to support distribution via Seoul4PM, naturally integrating the entire process from production to supply.”

*This article was translated to English for International buyers. The original Korean article can be viewed here.