Wadiz Funding Launch Guide for Local Brands That Thrive and Grow Together with Their Communities
Last Updated: August 26, 2026
How wadiz Helps Local Makers Expand Their Market Reach and Reduce Inventory Burden
This is helpful for people who...
- Makers who have created excellent local produce and products but feel stuck because they lack a platform to showcase them outside their region
- Makers who hesitate to go online because it’s hard to predict harvest or production volumes in advance
- Local brand planners who want to convey value through their region’s story, rather than competing on the lowest price in open marketplaces
What You’ll Learn from This Article
- Use funding for new products and pre-orders for existing ones! How to choose the right approach for your products
- Commission Discount Benefits for Makers Outside Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, and Ulsan
- Real-life examples of how peach, marinated crab, and craft brands connected with supporters nationwide
Wadiz funding is an online sales channel that connects local makers with supporters nationwide. For newly launched products, funding allows you to gauge market response, while for products already on the market, pre-orders enable you to offer limited-edition seasonal bundles or expand to nationwide shipping. By confirming demand in advance and basing production, harvest, and shipping plans on the number of confirmed orders, you can also reduce inventory burdens.
- Projects showcasing Rewards made from locally produced or harvested raw materials (specialty products, ingredients, etc.)
- Projects showcasing rewards directly produced or crafted by local makers
- Projects that solve local issues or contribute to mutual growth with the local community
If you’re a local brand preparing to launch a project that fits these three criteria, try breaking into new markets with wadiz funding!
The Challenges Faced by Local Makers
The challenges faced by local makers don’t stem fromquality, but from finding customers. This is because their points of contact with customers are often limited to local markets, regional events, and referrals from acquaintances. Even when they try to expand online, the pressure of having to set harvest or production volumes in advance can be daunting.
Even if they manage to list their products on open marketplaces, surviving the race to the bottom isn’t easy. It’s crucial to find a platform where you can meet customers—or “supporters”—who look beyond mere brand recognition and the lowest price to appreciate the value and Story behind your brand and products.
Synergy Between wadiz and Local Brands
Wadiz breaks down these three barriers in a different way.
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Category
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Open Market/E-commerce
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Wadiz Funding/pre-order
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Customer Touchpoints
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Customers who arrived via search to compare prices | Nationwide supporters who know the brand/product's value and Story from across the country |
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Demand Validation
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Check post-sale feedback | Verify via pre-launch notification sign-ups and post-launch achievement rates |
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Production and Inventory
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Start by preparing inventory in advance | Plan production, harvest, and shipping after the funding campaign ends |
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Pricing
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A structure based on price competition | Convey value beyond price through local stories |
If your product has never been introduced to the world before, you can launch a funding campaign; if it’s a product you’ve sold or are currently selling, you can introduce it via pre-order with special benefits exclusive to wadiz.
If you’re curious about which approach is right for your project, take our type testto find out!
Local Makers Gaining Attention from Supporters Nationwide
A product that’s already famous locally might be a brand that customers nationwide haven’t discovered yet. On wadiz, the region’s name, the producer’s story, and long-standing traditions are what capture customers’ interest.
On-gwafrom Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, introduced “King Peaches”—carefully selected by over 100 peach farms in the Nam-Sangju area—through a pre-order campaign. Thanks to the exclusivity of selecting only the top 1%—peaches weighing 500g or more—from a vast harvest, 630 supporters participated, raising approximately 38 million won. After confirming the available quantity, they began harvesting the peaches the day after the project closed and shipped them out sequentially. This case demonstrates that even seasonal produce with a short harvest window can reach customers nationwide.
Oksanbaekis a brand that creates white jade jewelry in collaboration with one of the few remaining jade artisans in Korea. When the brand announced its plan to introduce this disappearing traditional craft as jewelry suitable for modern use, over 4,000 customers signed up for notifications even before the project officially launched. This demonstrated that regional culture and the stories of artisans can serve as powerful reasons to promote a product.
Peaches, fermented crab, and white jade jewelry are completely different products. However, they share a common thread: high-quality products and stories that were once confined to their local areas were discovered by new customers nationwide through wadiz funding and pre-orders. These are success stories that demonstrate how a region can be not a limitation on sales, but a special story that helps customers remember a brand!
[Find Your Supporters Through Funding] Fee Benefits for Local Makers
Wadiz cheers local makers "Find Your Supporters Through Funding" campaignto support local makers.
As part of this campaign, makerswho live or have a business location in regions other than Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and the major metropolitan cities (Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, and Ulsan) will receive
are eligible for a 50% discount (valid through December 31, 2026), so don’t miss out!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I get started even if I don’t have a finished product or inventory?
A. If it’s a new product, you can use funding to gauge market response first. Since production and harvest plans are based on the number of completed transactions, you can reduce the burden of stockpiling inventory in advance.
Q. Can I launch a project for processed foods or handicrafts instead of agricultural or marine products?
A. Yes, we’ve launched projects for processed foods like marinated crab through pre-orders, and for craft brands like Baekok Jewelry through funding. You can try your hand at various categories, but be sure to check the licensing, documentation, and review requirements for each item in advance.
Q. Are there any benefits for regional makers?
A. Until December 31, 2026, makers based outside of Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, and Ulsan are eligible for a 50% discount on service fees.
Q. How are fresh foods shipped?
A. Since shipments are made after the project closes, we can maintain freshness by shipping items sequentially immediately after harvest. For the Sangju King Peach project, we also shipped sequentially every day starting the day after the project closed.
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